No-Knead Dill Gouda Bread (Printable Version)

Rustic loaf combining fresh dill and creamy Gouda, made with simple steps and minimal effort.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 3 1/4 cups bread flour
02 - 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
03 - 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast

→ Flavorings

04 - 1 cup Gouda cheese, diced or coarsely grated
05 - 2 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped

→ Wet Ingredients

06 - 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water

# How To Make It:

01 - Whisk together bread flour, salt, and instant yeast in a large mixing bowl until thoroughly blended.
02 - Stir in diced Gouda cheese and chopped fresh dill until evenly distributed throughout the flour mixture.
03 - Pour in lukewarm water and mix with a wooden spoon or spatula until a shaggy, sticky dough forms. The dough will not be smooth—this is expected.
04 - Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap or a lid. Let rest at room temperature for 8–12 hours, or overnight, until doubled in size and bubbly on the surface.
05 - Lightly flour a work surface and scrape out the dough. With floured hands, gently fold the edges toward the center 3–4 times to form a round loaf. Do not knead.
06 - Place the dough seam side down on parchment paper. Cover loosely with a clean towel and let rise for 45–60 minutes until slightly puffed.
07 - Position a Dutch oven with its lid in the oven. Preheat to 450°F for at least 30 minutes to ensure the pot is thoroughly heated.
08 - Carefully remove the preheated Dutch oven. Using the parchment paper as a sling, lift the dough and place it—parchment and all—into the hot pot.
09 - Cover with the lid and bake for 30 minutes. The trapped steam creates a crisp, crackly crust.
10 - Remove the lid and continue baking for 15 minutes until the loaf is deeply golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.
11 - Transfer the bread to a wire rack and let cool for at least 1 hour before slicing. Cutting while warm will result in a gummy texture.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The crust develops these gorgeous blisters and a shatteringly crisp exterior without any fancy techniques
  • Chunks of Gouda melt into little cheese pools throughout the bread while fresh dill keeps everything bright and aromatic
02 -
  • The dough will look impossibly shaggy and sticky at first but resist adding more flour or the bread will be dense
  • Letting the bread cool completely before slicing is agonizing but cutting into it warm ruins the texture
03 -
  • Preheating your Dutch oven for the full 30 minutes creates that explosive oven spring that gives bakery style volume
  • Weighing your ingredients instead of using cups makes this recipe practically failproof

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