No Knead Cheddar Bread (Printable View)

Crusty golden loaf infused with sharp cheddar, ready without kneading. Perfect beginner-friendly bread for any meal.

# What You Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 3 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1½ teaspoons salt
03 - ½ teaspoon instant dry yeast

→ Cheese

04 - 1½ cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

→ Wet Ingredients

05 - 1¼ cups warm water

# How To Make It:

01 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, salt, and instant dry yeast until thoroughly blended.
02 - Stir in the grated sharp cheddar cheese until evenly distributed throughout the flour mixture.
03 - Pour in the warm water and mix with a wooden spoon until a shaggy, sticky dough forms. The dough will be loose and tacky—this is normal.
04 - Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap or a clean towel. Let rise at room temperature for 2 hours, or until doubled in size and bubbly on surface.
05 - Preheat oven to 450°F. Place a Dutch oven with lid or heavy baking pot inside the oven during preheating to get it thoroughly hot.
06 - Turn dough onto a generously floured surface. Shape into a rough round loaf, handling minimally to avoid deflating. Do not overwork the dough.
07 - Carefully remove hot Dutch oven from oven. Place dough inside, using parchment paper for easier lifting if desired. Handle with extreme caution as pot is very hot.
08 - Cover with lid and bake for 30 minutes. The sealed environment creates steam for a crispy crust and tender interior.
09 - Remove lid and bake for another 10–15 minutes until crust is deeply golden brown and crisp. Internal temperature should reach 200°F.
10 - Transfer loaf to wire rack and cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing. This allows crumb structure to set and makes slicing easier.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The dough comes together in literally five minutes with nothing but a wooden spoon
  • That crispy golden crust giving way to tender, cheese-flecked crumb feels like pure magic
02 -
  • The dough will look terrifyingly wet and sticky—this is exactly right, do not add more flour
  • Preheating the Dutch oven is nonnegotiable for that incredible crust
03 -
  • Parchment paper makes transferring the dough to the hot Dutch oven infinitely easier
  • Let the bread cool at least 20 minutes or the cheese will still be molten inside

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