No-Knead Mini Loaves are crusty on the outside, soft on the inside, and made with just four simple ingredients. This batch makes enough dough for five small artisan-style loaves—perfect for sharing or keeping a few in the refrigerator to bake fresh bread whenever you like.
I discovered this no-knead dough some time ago and love how easy it is. You mix the dough in about five minutes, let it rise, then refrigerate it until you’re ready to bake. The original recipe yields four larger loaves, but when divided slightly smaller it produces five mini loaves—an ideal size for two people or small households.
After the initial two-hour rise at room temperature, the dough can be kept, covered, in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. That makes it simple to bake a fresh loaf whenever you want a warm slice: remove a portion of dough about 1½ hours before mealtime, shape it, let it finish rising, and bake. The dough is versatile, too—you can use it for small dinner rolls, pizza crust, or other baked goods.
Scroll down for the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Make The Dough
Begin by heating water to about 100°F (37.7°C). The water should be warm enough to activate the yeast without killing it. Place the warmed water in a very large bowl or food-safe container—about a two-gallon container works well. Whisk in the active dry yeast until it is combined.
Next add the flour and sea salt to the liquid and stir thoroughly. The dough will be very thick and sticky; keep stirring until the ingredients are evenly incorporated. A large bowl makes this step easy and prevents overflow as the dough begins to rise.
Let The Dough Rise
Once mixed, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and then a kitchen towel. Place the covered bowl in a warm spot and let it sit undisturbed at room temperature for 2 hours. After those two hours, put the bowl in the refrigerator. The dough can chill overnight or for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to bake, remove enough dough about 1½ hours before you want to serve bread so it has time to come to room temperature and finish rising.
I usually prepare the dough the night before I plan to bake. When it’s time to bake, I remove only as much dough as I need, re-cover the rest, and return it to the refrigerator. The convenience of having ready-to-bake dough in the fridge cannot be overstated.
Ready To Make No-Knead Mini Loaves!
About 1½ hours before you want to bake, remove the dough from the refrigerator. Generously flour a banneton proofing basket with rice flour or all-purpose flour for each loaf you’ll make. If you don’t have a banneton, use a large sheet of parchment dusted lightly with flour.
Take a grapefruit-sized portion of dough from the bowl, return the remainder to the fridge, and shape the portion into a tight ball. To do this, stretch the dough slightly and tuck the edges under the bottom until the top is smooth. Pinch the bottom edges together to seal as much as possible. If using a banneton, place the dough ball top-side down into the floured basket; if using parchment, place the dough top-side up on the parchment.
Time To Bake Some Bread!
Cover the banneton or parchment with a clean dish towel and let the dough rest at room temperature for 40 minutes. About halfway through that time—after roughly 20 minutes—preheat your oven to 425°F (218°C) and place a Dutch oven inside to preheat as well.
After the 40-minute rest, invert the banneton onto a large sheet of parchment paper. A helpful tip is to place the parchment on a baking sheet, then place the baking sheet on top of the banneton before flipping so you can safely invert the dough. Carefully transfer the dough, with the parchment, into the hot Dutch oven, replace the lid, and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove the lid and bake an additional 5 minutes or until the crust is a light golden brown. Then transfer the bread to a wire rack and let it cool 4 to 5 minutes before slicing.
Who Wants A Warm Slice Of Homemade Bread?
Slice the slightly cooled loaf with a serrated knife. Each mini loaf usually yields about six to eight thin slices—perfect for buttered toast, soup accompaniment, or sandwiches. The crumb is tender and the crust crisp, making this a satisfying and versatile loaf.
I hope you enjoy these loaves as much as my family does. They are great for gifting, serving with soup, or keeping on hand for a quick, fresh-baked treat. The dough stores well in the refrigerator and makes it easy to bake a hot loaf whenever you like.
Looking For More BREAD Recipes?
All recipes are listed in the Recipe Index at the top of the site. Here are a few other bread recipes you might enjoy:
- Butter-Topped Homemade White Bread
- Sun-Dried Tomato Parmesan Bread
- Garlic Focaccia Bread
- Irish Soda Bread
- Classic Challah Bread
↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓
Crusty on the outside and soft inside, this easy no-knead dough uses only four ingredients and yields five small loaves.
- 3 cups water (100°F / 37.7°C)
- 2 Tablespoons active dry yeast
- 6½ cups all-purpose flour (or a mix of whole wheat and all-purpose)
- 1½ Tablespoons sea salt
- Place the 100°F water in a very large bowl or food-safe container (about 2 gallons). Whisk in the active dry yeast until combined. Add the flour and salt and stir thoroughly until a thick, sticky dough forms.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel. Let sit at room temperature for 2 hours, then refrigerate overnight or up to 2 weeks. Dough should double in size.
- Flour a banneton or a sheet of parchment for each loaf. Remove a grapefruit-sized portion of dough and shape into a smooth ball, tucking edges underneath. Place top-side down in the banneton (or top-side up on parchment).
- Cover and let rise at room temperature for 40 minutes. Preheat oven to 425°F and place a Dutch oven inside to preheat during the last 20 minutes of rising.
- Invert the banneton onto parchment, then transfer the dough with parchment into the hot Dutch oven. Cover and bake 30 minutes. Remove lid and bake an additional 5 minutes until lightly golden.
- Remove loaf from the pan and cool on a wire rack for 4–5 minutes before slicing.
- Note: The dough will keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Form and bake loaves as desired.