No Knead Cheddar Bread (Printable)

Rustic golden loaf with sharp cheddar, crisp crust and tender crumb. No kneading required.

# 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

# Steps:

01 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and instant yeast until evenly blended.
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 towel. Let the dough rise at room temperature for 3–4 hours, or until it has doubled in size and bubbles form on the surface.
05 - Preheat your oven to 450°F. Place a Dutch oven or heavy pot with lid inside to heat up for at least 30 minutes while the dough finishes rising.
06 - Once the dough has risen, 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 the shaped loaf with a towel and let rest for 20–30 minutes while the oven continues heating.
08 - Using oven mitts, carefully remove the hot Dutch oven 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 to create steam and develop the crust.
10 - Remove the lid and bake for an additional 10–15 minutes, until the crust is deep golden brown and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.
11 - Transfer the bread to a wire rack and let cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing to allow the crumb to set properly.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The effort to reward ratio is absolutely insane for something this impressive looking
  • That moment when you slice into warm bread and see pockets of melted cheese is worth every minute of the wait
02 -
  • The dough will look impossibly sticky and wet, but adding more flour will give you a dense, dry loaf instead of that tender crumb
  • That initial blast of heat in a preheated Dutch oven is what creates bakery-style crust, so don't skip this step or try using a regular baking sheet
03 -
  • Grate your cheese from a block instead of buying pre-shredded, which contains anti-caking agents that prevent proper melting
  • Place a rimmed baking sheet on the rack below your Dutch oven to catch any cheese drips and save your oven from smoking

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