No Knead Cheddar Bread (Printable Version)

Rustic golden loaf with crisp crust, tender cheesy crumb. Perfect for sandwiches, toasting, or soup. No kneading!

# 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 Make It:

01 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and instant yeast until evenly blended.
02 - Add the grated 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.
04 - Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap or a clean towel. Let dough rise at room temperature for 3–4 hours, or until doubled in size with bubbles forming on the surface.
05 - Preheat oven to 450°F. Place a Dutch oven or heavy pot with lid inside to heat up for at least 30 minutes.
06 - Lightly flour a work surface and your hands. Carefully turn the dough out, shape it into a round loaf, and place it on parchment paper.
07 - Cover with a towel and let rest for 20–30 minutes while the oven continues heating.
08 - Using oven mitts, remove the hot pot from the oven. Lift the dough with the parchment paper and lower it into the pot.
09 - Cover with the lid and bake for 30 minutes.
10 - Remove the lid and bake another 10–15 minutes, until the crust is deep golden and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.
11 - Transfer to a wire rack and let cool at least 30 minutes before slicing to ensure proper texture.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The crust gets incredibly crisp while the inside stays tender and pocketed with melted cheddar pockets
  • You literally stir it together and walk away for hours—perfect for lazy weekends
  • Slices beautifully for sandwiches and makes the most phenomenal cheese toast
02 -
  • The dough will look terrifyingly wet and sticky—this is exactly how it should be, don't be tempted to add more flour
  • Getting your Dutch oven screaming hot before the dough goes in is what creates that professional bakery crust
  • Grating your own cheese instead of buying pre-shredded makes a huge difference in texture and melting
03 -
  • Use parchment paper as a sling to lower the dough into the hot Dutch oven without burning your fingers
  • If the crust browns too quickly, tent with foil for the last 10 minutes

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