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Crusty No Knead Italian Bread

by Savoring Italy

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Crusty No Knead Italian Bread is incredible! It’s just like the bread my Italian mother-in-law makes!! This delicious bread is made in your Dutch oven and is ready in a few hours-no need to have it rise overnight! Perfectly crisp crust and soft on the inside.  This bread is fast to make with unbelievable results!!

overhead image of crusty no knead italian bread

There is a slight problem when you have an Italian mother-in-law that can bake any bread with her eyes closed. You wish you had her skills and her instinct. You wish you had her lifetime of bread education learned from her mother, grandmothers, sisters, neighbors, friends.
 

Originally published February 5, 2019 and updated on April 20, 2020.
 
Hello, my friends. This is one of my favorite bread recipes. I know many of you are home baking your own bread. I thought it would be nice to share this recipe again with all of you.
 
Whenever I am with my mother-in-law Teresa, I study what she is doing in the kitchen. I take notes. I take photos (she doesn’t like them that much). I sometimes take videos. I am basically stalking her every move and and asking her the same questions I’ve asked her for many years. But she kindly repeats her answers and her lessons.
 
There is her Calabrian bread that is out of this world. It is a bread she and her mother and sisters all make. Her brother’s wives also make this same bread. They are all scattered all over Italy baking this same bread every week. Yes, they bake it every week.
 
I obviously don’t have a neighborhood brick oven to share and I also don’t have 12 people eating at my house on any given nights. So one small loaf is all I need. One small perfect loaf like this loaf. I’m not saying this loaf is identical to Teresa’s Calabrian crusty bread, but it is definitely very close!
 
My husband approves and that says a lot!! You can see some photos here of the crusty Calabrian bread Teresa made the last time she was staying with us.
overhead image of crusty bread in a cast iron pot
 

Look at that crust on this bread!! You can make a bread this fabulous! It just takes some patience and some time.

overhead image of crusty round bread

I used to do a monthly bread baking challenge called Twelve Loaves. It was launched back in May, 2012 (so much time has flown by!).  It was filled with wonderful bakers from all over the world and we would bake along to a different theme. The baking group always inspired me to bake bread. This is a personal bread baking challenge to myself! In order to get back to baking bread regularly, I am doing #TwelveLoaves again.

My goal is to bake Twelve Loaves by the end of 2019.  This is my 2nd bread recipe of the year. My amazing Chocolate Babka-Babka al Cioccolato was the first bread. 
overhead image of crusty round loaf of bread on parchment paper
This photo below is of a bread I made this week. The other photos were of the bread two weeks ago. Each time I make it and pull the ends together it gives the bread a different shape. Also, if you don’t use a bread proofing bowl, the flour will leave a different design in the folds each time (like mine!).

overhead image of crusty bread
 

How to tell if your yeast is active and ready to use?

The first and most important step in baking this bread is activating the yeast.

  • In a small bowl, add the warm water.
  • Sprinkle on the yeast and the sugar.
  • If the yeast is still fresh, it will start to activate and bubble up in about 5-10 minutes. It may take a full 15 minutes.
  • If it doesn’t activate and bubble up, start over with a new packet.
 

How to store baked bread?

The best way to store a crusty bread like this Italian bread is in a paper bag closed tightly and keep it at room temperature. The crust will stay nice and firm for a couple of days.

 
overhead image of round bread sliced open on parchment paper

 

What size Dutch oven is best to bake this crusty no knead Italian bread?

For this bread I used 5 qt, but you could even use a 3 quart Dutch or French oven (Le Creuset calls them French Oven). It’s best to use piece of parchment paper to make it easier to lift the loaf in and out of the Dutch oven.

Can the flour quantities vary when baking bread?

Yes, flour quantities may vary. I start out with 2 1/2 cups of flour and I add the last 1/2 cup and sometimes a little bit more. You may even need less flour. There are variables that affect the dough, such as humidity and also the temperature. If it’s a cold and rainy day, your flour amount will differ from a hot and sunny day. If you feel your dough is too sticky, add a little bit more flour at a time. Rising time could also differ from kitchen to kitchen. If you have a hotter environment like we do here in Florida, it will rise much quicker.

Can you freeze crusty no knead Italian bread?

Yes! This is how you freeze this amazing homemade bread:

  • Cool the bread completely.
  • Wrap bread very will with plastic wrap.
  • Place bread in zipped lock freezer bag (or even wrap very well with foil paper).
  • Freeze for up to 3 months.
  • When you are ready to use the bread, thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Simply warm up in oven (I like to warm up at 350F/180C) for about 35 minutes.

Another fantastic bread recipe is the overnight version of the no knead to knead bread.

The bread goes perfectly with any great Italian cheese or salami and olives.

Some ways we like to enjoy this bread:

 

Yes, Italians do eat bread with their pasta!

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Crusty No Knead Italian Bread

This easy homemade crusty Italian bread recipe is incredible! It's just like the bread my Italian mother-in-law makes!! This delicious bread is made in your Dutch oven and is ready in a few hours-no need to have it rise overnight! Perfectly crisp crust and soft on the inside.
Prep Time2 hrs 30 mins
Cook Time45 mins
Total Time3 hrs 15 mins
Course: Bread
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: No Knead Bread
Servings: 1 loaf
Author: Lora

Ingredients

  • 1 packet 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 1/4 cup warm water about 100 F
  • 2 cups bread flour plus extra for dusting
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 1/4 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt

Instructions

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer with dough hook attached, dissolve the yeast in the warm water with the sugar and let it proof (5-10 minutes until foamy).
  • In a small bowl, add the flours and salt. Give it a few whisks to combine together.
  • Add the flour to the bowl a small portion at a time and mix on low speed. Once you have added all the flour increase the speed and mix until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. If you notice the dough is too sticky, add about a tablespoon more of dough at a time until you get a dough that is not too sticky to handle.
  • (If you’re mixing by hand, mix until ingredients have just come together and form a smooth dough). When dough is ready, turn mixer off and remove the the dough hook.
  • Grease a large bowl. Place the dough in the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours (the goal is to not have the dough be too springy).
  • Sprinkle a little flour on a clean counter. Carefully remove the dough without disturbing it too much onto the counter. Pull the corners together to form a round bowl and place the dough back into the same bowl (sprinkle a little flour into the bowl) seam side down. Cover with a tea towel and let it rise while the oven heats up.
  • Preheat oven to 460 F with rack in lower third of oven. Heat a covered 3 1/2 quart heavy ovenproof Dutch oven (9 inches in diameter) with the lid on for 30 minutes or until dough is ready.
  • Place a sheet of parchment paper on your counter (about the length of a baking sheet). Sprinkle on a little flour. Place your loaf seam side up on on the parchment paper.
  • Carefully remove preheated pot from oven, and uncover.
  • Remove the towel from top of bowl and quickly but carefully lift the dough using the corners of the parchment paper and place the dough into pot, seam side up (the dough is on the parchment paper). Sprinkle a little more flour on top if it has been absorbed while rising.
  • Cover with lid. Bake for 30 minutes.
  • Uncover pot, and bake until bread is dark brown, 15-20 minutes.
  • Carefully lift bread using the parchment paper from pot and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Be sure to let cool completely before slicing.
Tried this recipe?Mention @savoringitaly or tag #savoringitaly!

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    • Lora says

      Hi Karen-Thank you. Miss baking monthly with you…you’re such an incredible bread baker! XX

    • Lora says

      Hi Orna-I would bake it on a baking steel or pizza stone (if you have)…if not a metal baking sheet. Preheat the baking steel, pizza stone or metal baking sheet in the oven for about 45 mins-1 hour (to get the best results).Place the bread on parchment paper to carefully transfer to the sheet.
      To create the steam, fill small baking dish with water (1 cup is usually plenty) and place it in the oven, on a rack directly under your baking stone or steel, 5-10 minutes before you place your bread in the oven. When you’re ready to bake, place your bread onto the baking steel (or baking sheet), and bake as directed. Carefully remove the dish of water from the oven for the last 10-20 minutes of baking.I think that would do the trick to create the nice crust!