Oma's Easy No-Knead Artisan Bread (Krustenbrot)

by: Gerhild Fulson  / Oma Gerhild shares easy, authentic German recipes you can trust, rooted in family tradition and featured in her cookbooks.

Published: March 13, 2016, Updated: May 8, 2025

This easy no-knead artisan bread (krustenbrot) is my go-to recipe when I want fresh, crusty bread without the fuss. Just mix, rest, and bake.

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Getting ready to slice into this warm-from-the-oven loaf of homemade artisan bread.

This no-knead artisan bread is so easy, anyone can make it. The crust is crispy like real krustenbrot, and the chewy, airy crumb is perfect for butter and jam. Just like the brötchen we’d get back in Germany. Wunderbar!

Top Tips for Best Results

1. Use a Dutch Oven: It helps create that perfect crust by trapping steam.
2. Let It Rest: Allowing the dough to rest for 12–18 hours develops flavor and texture.
3. Flour Your Hands: The dough is sticky; floured hands make handling easier.
4. Customize: Add herbs, seeds, or cheese to the dough for variety.

What Is Artisan Bread?

Artisan bread is that rustic, crusty loaf made with just four ingredients: flour, water, yeast, and salt. It’s funny to call it “artisan,” since it’s so simple—but it really does look and taste like something from a master baker!

The original no-knead version came from Jim Lahey from Sullivan Street Bakery and made waves when it hit the New York Times in 2006. Since then, it’s been everywhere. But mine? It’s just a bit easier. Give it a try. You won’t be disappointed.

How To Make No-Knead Artisan Bread

(Find the printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.)

Start by mixing 3 cups of flour, 1½ tsp active dry yeast, 1½ cups warm water, and 1 tsp salt together in a large mixing bowl. You will end up with a shaggy dough - it will be sticky and look a mess!

The artisan dough batter mixed up and ready to rise

Here, I'm making one batch with all-purpose flour and the other with bread flour to check out the differences in the finished loaf.

(BTW, the final result was that both were yummy, but we preferred the all-purpose flour. The texture is just a bit more chewy, and I find it tastes more like sourdough.)

Cover the dough and let it rise at room temperature until it looks like this

Then cover the bowl tightly with a piece of plastic wrap and let the bowl sit out on the kitchen counter for 12 to 18 hours for the bread dough to rise. The top of the dough will be bubbly and sticky.

Just look at all the air bubbles in the dough!

Once the dough is ready, cut a piece of parchment paper to line the inside of a Dutch oven (or 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot). Place the parchment paper on the counter and dust lightly with flour.

Sprinkle additional flour over your work surface and gently place the sticky dough on it. Sprinkle a little bit of flour on top of the dough and fold it over on itself twice, shaping it into a round ball that is slightly elongated.

Put onto parchment paper (that will fit in your Dutch oven) to let rise before baking

Gently place dough ball onto floured parchment paper. Cover with a large bowl that doesn't touch the dough (see Oma's Tip below) and let the dough rest while your oven preheats.

Cover and let rise while you preheat your oven

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F and put your Dutch oven with the lid into it to heat for 30 minutes.

Then slash the top of the bread dough with a sharp knife.

Slash loaves (looks pretty) and helps the bread rise

Carefully remove the preheated Dutch oven and lift the parchment-lined dough into the pot. Use oven mitts ... it's very hot! Cover with the lid and bake for 30 minutes. Then remove the lid and bake another 15 minutes until the crust is crisp and golden brown.

Both loaves waiting to cool before cutting

Remove the Dutch oven to a wire rack to cool and wait about one hour before slicing.

Below, I cut a BBQ grill mat to the size of my Dutch oven and covered it with my glass cake dome (just because it was handy). 

Here I'm using a glass cake dome to cover the bread as it's rising.

Don't have a Dutch oven?

A Dutch oven is ideal for this bread. It’s heavy and traps heat beautifully. But if you don’t have one yet, don’t worry! Use any 6- to 8-quart heavy pot with a lid (enamel, Pyrex, ceramic, or cast iron), as long as it can handle 450°F.

Once you taste how easy and delicious this bread is, you might just find yourself shopping for that Dutch oven anyway!

German Bread, Your Way

This easy German-style bread is perfect for experimenting! Try these tasty twists:

• Swap in whole wheat flour for half the white
• Sprinkle sesame seeds on top before baking
• Mix in grated cheese, garlic, or fresh herbs
• Dust with cornmeal for extra crunch

Oma says:

If you make your own Greek yogurt or quark, don’t toss the leftover whey.

Go to quark recipe >

I started using it in place of water in this bread recipe—and the result was unbelievably good. Now, whenever I have whey (and no vegan guests coming), I always use it. Such a great way to add flavor and not let anything go to waste!

Sliced and buttered!

It really tastes like a sourdough-type of bread! Wunderbar!

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What To Serve With Artisan Bread

• I love serving this hearty bread alongside a bowl of goulash soup. Mind you, it would be great as a side to any bowl of homemade German soup. The crispy, thick crust and moist, chewy crumb are perfect for slathering with butter and dunking into soup.
• It is fantastic as a sandwich bread. Try it with your favorite sandwich fillings or try it with my delicious egg salad or tuna salad. It also makes a wonderful grilled cheese sandwich.
• Use it to make garlic bread and serve with your favorite pasta or other dish. 
• It's so good dunked into a creamy dip, like Roswitha's super quick and delicious blue cheese dip or my super yummy spinach dip.
  
• According to my daughter-in-law, Sylvie, this artisan bread is delicious slathered with hummus. Her easy hummus recipe is so quick to make, and it's becoming wildly popular in Germany. Try it. I think you'll like it too!
  

Another  No-Knead Bread

Are you looking for a really really healthy bread recipe? Here's one I created many, many years ago. It has all the goodness you can incorporate. All the seeds and grains you like. 

Go to No-knead Sourdough Bread recipe >

This sourdough recipe takes a bit more time, but it’s absolutely worth it. Hearty and flavorful, it’s perfect with butter or as sandwich bread. I think it might just become a staple in your home too!

More German Bread Recipes

If you love homemade bread, here's a list of other great recipes to try. As usual, they are easy to make and delicious!

• Oma's German rye bread recipe
• Oma's brötchen ~ German bread rolls
• Oma's soft Bavarian laugenbrezel - German pretzels and buns
• Oma's sweet roll recipe

Print Recipe ♥ Save Recipe

Oma's Easy No-Knead Artisan Bread (Krustenbrot)

This easy no-knead artisan bread is my go-to recipe when I want fresh, crusty bread without the fuss. Just mix, rest, and bake.

Prep Time:

10 minutes

Bake Time:

45 minutes

Total Time:

13+ hours

Ingredients:

• 3 cups (390 grams) all-purpose flour or bread flour
• 1½ teaspoons (5 grams) active dry yeast 
• 1½ cups (360 milliliters) warm water
• 1 teaspoon (6 grams) salt
• extra flour for dusting

Instructions:

1. Mix the first four ingredients together in a large bowl with a wooden spoon or use your hands. The dough will be sticky and look a mess!
2. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Let the bowl sit on the counter (at room temperature) for at least 12 hours and up to 18 hours. The dough will rise and the top will be bubbly and sticky.
3. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit inside of Dutch oven. Place paper on counter and sprinkle lightly with flour.
4. Lightly sprinkle flour on counter. Gently put the dough on it. Sprinkle a bit of flour on top and fold the dough over on itself twice, shaping it into an elongated ball.
5. Gently place onto parchment paper. Cover with a large bowl that doesn't touch the dough.
6. Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C) and put your Dutch oven into the oven to heat for about 30 minutes.
7. Slash the top of the dough with a sharp knife or lame blade.
8. Remove preheated Dutch oven and, using oven mitts, gently lift parchment paper with dough into it and cover with lid. Be careful ... use oven mitts! Return to oven.
9. Bake at 450°F for 30 minutes. Remove lid and continue baking for another 15 minutes or until bread is golden brown.
10. Remove to a cooling rack and let cool for about 1 hour before slicing.

Notes/Hints:

• Try half whole wheat flour. Sprinkle with sesame seeds just before baking. Add some grated cheese. Add some herbs. Sprinkle with cornmeal.
• Using all-purpose white flour will give a slightly more chewy crust and sourdough flavor than using white bread flour.
• Looking for another easy bread recipe? no-knead sourdough bread!

*  *  *  *  *

Unless otherwise noted recipe, images and content © Just like Oma | www.quick-german-recipes.com

Recipe updated on May 8, 2025

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Hi, I'm Oma Gerhild! As a food writer and cookbook author, I'm always looking to find ways to pass on my German heritage using local ingredients. Quick and easy. That's my goal. Wunderbar food. That's the result.