Three Easy No-Knead Bread Recipes
Alison Crouch, Cookery School Manager, Ferry Project Cookery School Manager
In this session, experienced cook, restaurant manager, recipe creator, teacher and food presenter, Alison Crouch demonstrates three simple bread recipes that don't need any kneading. You can follow along or keep these tasty recipes for no-knead bread, beer bread, and soda bread for later.
This beginner-friendly bread baking session is perfect if you want to learn how to bake bread from scratch without the hard work of kneading. With straightforward methods and simple ingredients, you’ll discover how to bake bread that’s got a crunchy crust and soft centre – even if you’re new to baking.
This is session is part of our Mindspace Week, explore more sessions in our Mindspace Week 2025 YouTube playlist.
About Alison:
Alison is manager of the Ferry Project Cookery School in Wisbech which teaches cooking skills. As a social enterprise, the Ferry Project Cookery School provides vocational skills and work experience in hospitality for its homeless clients, alongside training in useful cooking skills – all of which assists homeless people in their journey towards independent living.
You can find out more about the Ferry Project on their website - The Ferry Project Website
Preparation
Set out your ingredients and equipment
Video time
30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 sachet (7g) fast-action dried yeast
- 400ml lukewarm water
- 500g strong white bread flour
- 1 tbsp salt
- Olive oil
Method
- Add the yeast to the water and stir. Leave for a few minutes until frothy.
- Meanwhile, mix the flour and salt in a large bowl.
- Create a well in the middle and pour in the yeast and water mixture, then mix it with your hands until it forms a loose, elastic dough. If the mixture feels too wet, shake in a little more flour.
- Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and leave it to prove for two hours, until it's doubled in size.
- Uncover the bowl and, using a spatula, knock back the dough - lifting sections away from the edge of the bowl bit by bit, turning the bowl as you do so and folding it in on itself to reach the centre of the dough ball.
- Cover again and prove it for two hours until it doubles in size again.
- Lightly flour a worktop or chopping board and gently transfer your dough onto it from the bowl. Sprinkle some more flour on top and shape it into a ball, tucking the edges of the dough under itself a few times.
- Lightly coat a bowl with olive oil and place the dough into it. Dust some more flour over the top, cover and leave it to prove again for another hour.
- While the dough has its final prove, put a large, lidded cast iron casserole pot (or other heavy oven-safe cooking pot) in the oven at 230C (fan) and preheat for 45 minutes to one hour.
- Carefully remove the pot from the oven and place on a heat proof surface - it will be very hot.
- Gently lift the dough out of the bowl by tipping it into your hand and drop it, oiled side down, into the pot. Sprinkle a little more flour on top and bake, with the lid on, for 30 minutes.
- Remove the lid from the pot and bake for a further 15 minutes.
- To check the bread is fully baked, lift it out of the pot using two spatulas on to a clean tea towel, and give it a tap on the bottom. It should sound hollow.
Ingredients:
- 500 g self-raising flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 500 ml beer
- 2 tbsp honey
- Some oil or butter for greasing
Method
- Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl.
- Pour in the beer, stirring it in with a wooden spoon as you go.
- Make sure the beer is mixed in well, so there are no lumpy flour bits!
- Spoon into a greased 1lb loaf tin.
- Bake in a pre-heated oven gas 6 / 180*c / 4008F for 30 minutes or until cooked.
- The finished bread will be golden brown, hollow when you tap the bottom, and firm to the touch.
Ingredients:
- 250g plain flour
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- Approx 200ml yoghurt
- A little milk, if necessary
Method
- Sift the flour and bicarbonate of soda into a large mixing bowl and stir in the salt.
- Make a well in the centre and pour in the yoghurt, stirring as you go. If necessary, add a tablespoon or two of milk to bring the mixture together; it should form a soft dough, just this side of sticky.
- Form into a ball of dough. Put the round of dough on a lightly floured baking sheet and dust generously with flour.
- Mark a deep cross in it with a sharp, serrated knife, cutting about two-thirds of the way through the loaf.
- Put it in an oven preheated to 200°C/gas mark 6 and bake for 40-45 minutes, until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped underneath.
- Cool on a wire rack if you like a crunchy crust, or wrap in a clean tea towel if you prefer a soft crust.
Mindspace Week 2025
We’re marking World Mental Health Day with Mindspace Week between the 6th and 10th of October. Take a moment for yourself as we explore the NHS 5 Steps to Mental Wellbeing. You’ll find a full programme of mindful and relaxing sessions to try, plus advice and support to help you build healthy habits for life.
