No Knead Cheddar Bread (Printable)
Rustic golden loaf with sharp cheddar, crisp crust, and tender interior. Perfect for sandwiches or toasting.
# What You Need:
→ Dry Ingredients
01 - 3 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1½ teaspoons salt
03 - ½ teaspoon instant yeast
→ Cheddar
04 - 1½ cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
→ Wet Ingredients
05 - 1¼ cups lukewarm water
# How-To Steps:
01 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and instant yeast until well combined.
02 - Add the grated sharp cheddar to the flour mixture and toss thoroughly to distribute evenly throughout.
03 - Pour in the lukewarm water and mix with a wooden spoon or spatula until a shaggy, sticky dough forms. Do not overmix.
04 - Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Let the dough rise at room temperature for 3 to 4 hours, until it has doubled in size and bubbles appear on the surface.
05 - Preheat your oven to 450°F. Place a Dutch oven or heavy oven-safe pot with lid inside to heat for at least 30 minutes while the dough finishes rising.
06 - Lightly flour a clean work surface and your hands. Gently turn the dough out, shape it into a round loaf, and place it on a piece of parchment paper.
07 - Cover the shaped loaf with a towel and let rest for 20 to 30 minutes while the oven continues to heat.
08 - Using oven mitts, carefully remove the preheated pot from the oven. Lift the dough with the parchment paper and lower it into the hot pot.
09 - Cover with the lid and bake for 30 minutes to create steam and develop the crust.
10 - Remove the lid and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until the crust is deep golden brown and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.
11 - Transfer the baked loaf to a wire rack and let cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing to ensure proper texture.
# Helpful Tips:
01 -
- The dough literally mixes itself in under five minutes, leaving you free to ignore it for hours while it does its thing
- That crispy crust gives way to the most tender, cheese-filled interior that makes store-bought bread seem completely unnecessary
02 -
- The dough will feel impossibly sticky and wrong, but resist any urge to add more flour or knead it, that stickiness is what creates those beautiful air pockets
- Letting the bread cool for at least 30 minutes after baking feels impossible, but cutting it too early makes the texture gummy and disappointing
03 -
- A kitchen scale is your best friend for consistent results, but if you're measuring by volume, fluff your flour first and spoon it gently into the measuring cup
- The Dutch oven creates steam that mimics professional bread ovens, but any heavy oven-safe pot with a tight-fitting lid will work