The Easiest Bread Recipe You'll Ever Bake (2024)

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by Williams-Sonoma Editors

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The Easiest Bread Recipe You'll Ever Bake (2)

No kneading. No dough hook. Just a bottle of beer and a few pantry ingredients and your home will be suffused in the comforting aroma of freshly baked bread.

Wait, beer? Yes! It’s the secret ingredient in this crusty loaf which takes just 10 minutes of active cooking time to make. Half Baked Harvest‘s Tieghan Gerard shared this recipe with us from her new cookbook, Half Baked Harvest Super Simple. She uses the recipe often, sometimes employing it as the dough for a stunning Rosemary Potato and Wild Mushroom Burrata Pizza—currently the dish up next on our what-to-make-for-weekend-lunch list.

The dough is soft and bubbly. Once it rises, you need only transfer it to a well-floured board and do your best to shape it into a round. We suggest using a bench scraper to lift the edges of the dough over the center before flipping it over onto a piece of parchment paper for baking. A preheated Dutch oven in a hot oven does the rest.

The Easiest Bread Recipe You'll Ever Bake (3)

No-Knead Bread and Pizza Dough

Tieghan Gerard of Half-Baked Harvest proves once again how easy it can be to master great recipes, such as this wonderful, crusty loaf from her Super Simple cookbook.

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 45 mins

Resting Time 2 hrs

Ingredients

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed (see Note)
  • 2 teaspoons instant yeast
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 (12-ounce) beer
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, yeast, and salt. Add the beer and olive oil and mix with a wooden spoon until combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.

TO BAKE AS BREAD

  • When ready to bake, place a 6-quart cast-iron Dutch oven or heavy pot on a rack positioned in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450˚F. Once it reaches temperature, let the Dutch oven warm for 30 minutes.

  • Turn the dough out onto a generously floured work surface. Using your hands, form the dough into a ball and place it on a large piece of parchment paper.

  • Carefully remove the Dutch oven from the oven and place the dough with the parchment paper in the center of it. Transfer the pot back to the oven, cover, and bake for 30 minutes. Carefully remove the lid and continue cooking until the bread is a deep golden brown, about 15 minutes more.

  • Carefully lift the bread out of the pot and place it on a rack to cool completely, about 2 hours. (Don't slice the bread right out of the oven—you want to let it continue to cook as it cools.)

TO USE AS PIZZA DOUGH

  • Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and divide it into 2 equal pieces. Use half of the dough as directed in any given pizza recipe and save the remaining dough, wrapped in plastic wrap, for another use.

Notes

Note: To get the right consistency in your dough, start with your base amount of flour, then add more as needed, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough is smooth but not dry. It’s better to have a dough that’s on the slightly sticky side than a dough that’s too dry. The dough should be a bit loose; it should not feel dense or heavy.

The Easiest Bread Recipe You'll Ever Bake (4)

© 2019 by Tieghan Gerard
Excerpted from Half Baked Harvest Super Simple

beer breadbreadHalf Baked Harvestmake-ahead recipesovernight breadpizza doughTieghan gerard

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38 comments

The Easiest Bread Recipe You'll Ever Bake (5)

VRJanuary 26, 2022 -

What parchment paper did you use? Most brands I’ve used are oven safe up to 415 degrees…this is baked at 450.

Reply

The Easiest Bread Recipe You'll Ever Bake (6)

Williams-Sonoma EditorsJanuary 26, 2022 -

We have baked it using several different parchment brands. The paper may brown at the edges while in the oven. Cook’s Illustrated makes some suggestions in this post: https://www.cooksillustrated.com/how_tos/5858-can-you-heat-parchment-paper-higher-than-manufacturers-recommend. Some parchment paper brands can work in ovens up to 500 degrees.

Reply

The Easiest Bread Recipe You'll Ever Bake (7)

Maxine CornellJanuary 25, 2022 -

Should the beer be flat and or warm or does it matter

Reply

The Easiest Bread Recipe You'll Ever Bake (8)

Williams-Sonoma EditorsJanuary 25, 2022 -

It should be bubbly and straight of the can. The temperature doesn’t matter. Good luck!

Reply

The Easiest Bread Recipe You'll Ever Bake (9)

MaxineJanuary 22, 2022 -

Should the beer be flat and warm to work

Reply

The Easiest Bread Recipe You'll Ever Bake (10)

AlbertinaMarch 25, 2021 -

Awesome! It was really very easy to and also tasty. Thanks a lot for sharing this bread recipe.

Reply

The Easiest Bread Recipe You'll Ever Bake (11)

KarajanFebruary 24, 2021 -

Interesting use of beer. I hate to use it for a bread recipe but I suppose I will give this recipe a try.

Reply

The Easiest Bread Recipe You'll Ever Bake (12)

Maxine CornellJanuary 20, 2022 -

When preheating the Dutch oven do I do it with the lid on

Reply

The Easiest Bread Recipe You'll Ever Bake (13)

Williams-Sonoma EditorsJanuary 20, 2022 -

Good question! When we made the bread, we preheated it with the lid on. Obviously, be careful when you remove it! The lid will be very hot.

Reply

The Easiest Bread Recipe You'll Ever Bake (14)

word finderFebruary 21, 2021 -

Information was useful to me, I searched a lot about it

Reply

The Easiest Bread Recipe You'll Ever Bake (15)

Alice GundersonFebruary 18, 2021 -

Do the math. How could 12 oz of beer and 3 cups of flour (~13.5 oz) make a pound of dough?

Reply

The Easiest Bread Recipe You'll Ever Bake (16)

JenniferFebruary 14, 2021 -

Does the beer have to be at room temperate?

Reply

Peppers & Cherry Tomato Pizza Topped With Prosciutto & Burrata | Basque SpectrumJanuary 19, 2021 -

[…] you are the adventurour homemade pizza dough maker, here my favourite pizza dough recipe:; I have yet to try the recipe to make bread but so far I’ve only used it […]

Reply

Pepper & Cherry Tomato Pizza Topped With Prosciutto & Burrata | Basque SpectrumJanuary 18, 2021 -

[…] you are the adventurour homemade pizza dough maker, here my favourite pizza dough recipe:; I have yet to try the recipe to make bread but so far I’ve only used it […]

Reply

The Easiest Bread Recipe You'll Ever Bake (17)

EllenJanuary 7, 2021 -

This recipe sounds delicious…I have bread flour, could I use this vs reg. Flour….
Thanks

Reply

The Easiest Bread Recipe You'll Ever Bake (18)

sv388August 4, 2020 -

Agreed!

Reply

The Easiest Bread Recipe You'll Ever Bake (19)

MegJune 12, 2020 -

If I wanted to make rolls with the dough (12 round rolls), how long should I bake them for? Thanks!

Reply

The Easiest Bread Recipe You'll Ever Bake (20)

Pamela Rylander-AraujoApril 17, 2020 -

I found no errors in the recipe. I made this today and added fresh chopped rosemary. It was excellent.

Reply

The Easiest Bread Recipe You'll Ever Bake (21)

LeighMarch 25, 2020 -

Looks so good! Excited to test out different beers.

Reply

The Easiest Bread Recipe You'll Ever Bake (22)

JenniferFebruary 14, 2021 -

Does the beer have to be at room temperature?

Reply

The Easiest Bread Recipe You'll Ever Bake (23)

TomJanuary 25, 2022 -

Jennifer, when i make my pizza doughs i use water thats around 98-100 so I’m assuming that yes it is best to use room temp.

Reply

The Easiest Bread Recipe You'll Ever Bake (24)

JennaMarch 24, 2020 -

Can you let the dough rise overnight? Would you let it rise in the refrigerator?

Reply

The Easiest Bread Recipe You'll Ever Bake (25)

ElleApril 15, 2020 -

Probably, but you’d need to take it out to finish rising possibly for as much as two hours on the day you choose to bake it.

Reply

The Easiest Bread Recipe You'll Ever Bake (26)

StephanieMarch 24, 2020 -

If I don’t have a Dutch oven for baking, can I just put my crock pot in the oven?

Reply

The Easiest Bread Recipe You'll Ever Bake (27)

AprilMarch 25, 2020 -

I don’t think that would be a good idea – you need something heat proof to 450. I don’t know that the crock pot bowl can take that.

Reply

The Easiest Bread Recipe You'll Ever Bake (28)

AlyssaApril 15, 2020 -

I used a cast iron pan and covered with foil. Worked just as well!

Reply

The Easiest Bread Recipe You'll Ever Bake (29)

MartaMay 19, 2020 -

It could be possible prepare it with whole grain flour or spelt? Thank you

Reply

The Easiest Bread Recipe You'll Ever Bake (30)

Jackie WintersMarch 24, 2020 -

Just made this! It came out gorgeous!

Reply

The Easiest Bread Recipe You'll Ever Bake (31)

Carolyn d DrahosMarch 24, 2020 -

I think we know who drank the rest of the 6-pack of beer!

Reply

The Easiest Bread Recipe You'll Ever Bake (32)

BonnieMarch 24, 2020 -

What can you use instead of beer??

Reply

The Easiest Bread Recipe You'll Ever Bake (33)

CarolMarch 24, 2020 -

What about a non-alcohol “beer” like O’Doul’s (sp?)…?

Reply

The Easiest Bread Recipe You'll Ever Bake (34)

JeannieMarch 24, 2020 -

What can you use other than beer?

Reply

The Easiest Bread Recipe You'll Ever Bake (35)

SandraMarch 23, 2020 -

So there’s some typos…I’m still going to make this bread, as soon I as get some beer. Thanks for sharing.

Reply

The Easiest Bread Recipe You'll Ever Bake (36)

JanetMarch 24, 2020 -

I can’t sat oil? What is a substitute?

Reply

The Easiest Bread Recipe You'll Ever Bake (37)

savannagalMarch 23, 2020 -

What are the errors?

Reply

The Easiest Bread Recipe You'll Ever Bake (38)

Don BitMarch 24, 2020 -

Did you read the instructions?

Reply

The Easiest Bread Recipe You'll Ever Bake (39)

ConnieMarch 22, 2020 -

Agreed! It is laughable!

Reply

The Easiest Bread Recipe You'll Ever Bake (40)

Helen KainMarch 22, 2020 -

This recipe is riddled with errors. Is anyone proofreading?

Reply

Leave a Comment

The Easiest Bread Recipe You'll Ever Bake (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to a soft and fluffy bread? ›

Add Milk

To make your bread soft and fluffy, another trick used by commercial bakers is replacing water with milk. Milk has fats which make bread softer.

What are the 3 main quick breads? ›

Types of Quick Bread
  • Banana bread: This is one of the most popular kinds of quick bread. ...
  • Cornbread: This yeast-free bread is a fantastic compliment to any meal—especially chilis and other hearty fare.
  • Soda bread: You guessed it: Soda bread gets its name from the baking soda used in the recipe.
Feb 8, 2021

What is the secret to making homemade bread? ›

12 tips for making perfect bread
  1. Use the right yeast. ...
  2. Store your yeast properly. ...
  3. Treat salt with care. ...
  4. Take your time. ...
  5. Try different flours. ...
  6. Consider vitamin C. ...
  7. Practice makes perfect. ...
  8. Don't prove for too long.

What is the oldest way to make bread? ›

Charred crumbs of a flatbread made by Natufian hunter-gatherers from wild wheat, wild barley and plant roots between 14,600 and 11,600 years ago have been found at the archaeological site of Shubayqa 1 in the Black Desert in Jordan, predating the earliest known making of bread from cultivated wheat by thousands of ...

How do bakeries get their bread so soft? ›

There's something magical about the bread you get at your local bakeries - they're always sooo soft and fluffy. Many of these breads, especially packaged ones, are made with a ton of chemical additives such as calcium propionate, amylase, and chlorine dioxide which help keep them soft, light, and fluffy for days.

What makes bread light and airy and fluffy? ›

Gluten is what gives bread its structure, and a strong gluten structure helps to trap air bubbles during the rising process, resulting in a light and fluffy loaf. It's important not to overwork the dough when making soft and fluffy bread.

What is best, sourdough or soda bread? ›

Both types of bread use flour and contain refined carbohydrates. Sourdough bread would be considered healthier in the fact that it is a fermented food with lower gluten levels, making it easier to digest.

What is the difference between regular flour and self-rising flour? ›

While it's similar to all-purpose flour, self-raising flour isn't as rich in protein as all-purpose flour. Also like all-purpose flour, self-rising flour is enriched with added nutrition. It also contains salt and baking powder that has been distributed evenly throughout the flour and acts as a leavening agent.

What is the difference between quick bread and yeast bread? ›

Point out to students that quick breads are made with leavening agents that allow immediate baking. Yeast breads, on the other hand, are leavened with yeast and must be kneaded and allowed to rise before baking.

What not to do when making bread? ›

The top mistakes you're making when you bake bread
  1. You're measuring incorrectly. ...
  2. Your yeast is old. ...
  3. You're using low-protein flour. ...
  4. You're using too much flour (or water) ...
  5. Your oven isn't hot enough.
Apr 15, 2020

Why do you put water on bread before baking? ›

Two reasons: By keeping the outer surface of the bread moist, it delays crust formation. This allows the bread to expand (or “spring”) for longer and develop the nice round shape. Without water, it might form a crust early on, but then as the middle bakes, it will expand and burst the crust.

What makes the tastiest bread? ›

Choose Quality Flours

Possibly the most crucial part of making delicious bread is choosing quality flour. Flour is the main ingredient in bread making. While many experienced bakers know that the quality of flour is important, it's a factor that is often overlooked by novice bakers.

How did they bake bread in Bible times? ›

Bread was baked in small domed clay ovens, or tabun.

How did people make bread before yeast? ›

Baking bread with leavening but without yeast, as it is now, was done by transferring from previously mixed old dough that had already risen. Another method for obtaining leavening agents was from beer which was probably also done.

How did they bake bread in the old days? ›

Early humans made bread by mixing crushed grains with water and spreading the mixture on stones to bake in the sun. Later, similar mixtures were baked in hot ashes. The ancient Egyptians are credited with making the first leavened bread. Perhaps a batch of dough was allowed to stand before it was baked.

What is responsible for making bread soft and fluffy? ›

Final answer: Carbon dioxide gas given off during fermentation of sugar makes bread soft and fluffy.

What makes bread soft and Pillowy? ›

Sugar: Not only does it sweeten the bread, but sugar also retains moisture. This means that adding sugar can indeed make bread softer. Baking Soda: When added, especially in recipes with acidic ingredients, it can make bread soft and spongy.

What is used to make bread soft and fluffy? ›

Final answer: Baking soda is used to make bread soft and spongy. Q. Baking soda is used in small amount in making bread and cake. It helps to make these soft and spongy.

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