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No Knead Salt Bread Recipe

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★★★★★

4.6 from 106 reviews

This no-knead salt bread recipe yields tender, flavorful rolls with a perfectly crispy crust thanks to a careful combination of flours, a slow-proofing process, and a unique butter-filled rolling technique. The dough requires minimal effort, relying on rest and stretch-and-fold methods rather than traditional kneading, resulting in a beautifully textured bread topped with flaky salt for an irresistible savory treat.

Ingredients

Scale

Dough Ingredients

  • 1 cup + 2/3 cup (200 g) bread flour
  • 1/4 cup (30 g) cake flour
  • 1 tbsp + 1/4 tsp (14 g) sugar
  • 1 tsp (4 g) salt
  • 1/4 tsp (1.5 g) instant dry yeast for overnight method or 2/3 tsp (3 g) instant dry yeast for same day method
  • 1/2 cup (114 ml) 2% milk
  • 1/4 cup (60 ml) water
  • 1 tbsp (15 g) unsalted butter or refined coconut oil, softened

For Rolling and Topping

  • 5–6 tbsp salted butter (12–14 g butter per roll), for rolling
  • Pearl salt, rock salt, pretzel salt, or flaky salt for topping

Instructions

  1. Preliminary Notes: Weigh all ingredients using a kitchen scale for accuracy as imperial measurements are approximate. Review the ultimate guide to salt bread for insights on gluten development, dough temperature, oven spring, and shaping techniques.
  2. Mix the Dough: In a large bowl, combine bread flour, cake flour, sugar, salt, yeast, milk, and water. Stir until the dough just comes together. Add softened butter or melted coconut oil and squish the dough to incorporate it, forming a rough-textured dough. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
  3. Stretch, Fold & Rest: Perform four folds of stretch-and-fold around the dough followed by 1 minute of slap-and-fold. Cover and rest for 30 minutes. Repeat the stretch-and-fold and slap-and-fold process a second time, then rest for 20 minutes. Perform a final set of stretch-and-fold followed by 1 minute of slap-and-fold and then cover and refrigerate overnight for proofing (8-12 hours). For a same-day method, proof at room temperature for 60-90 minutes until doubled in size.
  4. Bring to Temperature: Remove the dough from the fridge and let it warm to 17–20°C (62–68°F). Use a warm spot or proofing box if needed. In a microwave, warm a small cup of water for 30-45 seconds and place the dough bowl inside to aid warming in winter months.
  5. Prepare Butter Blocks: Cut the butter into blocks approximately 2 cm x 4.5 cm for round rolls or 1 cm x 6 cm for crescent shapes, each about 12-14 g. Freeze these butter blocks after preparation.
  6. Divide & Pre-Shape: Punch down the dough and transfer to a work surface. Divide into six triangular pieces (~70 g each) like slicing a pizza, consolidating scraps into the center of the triangles. Pinch opposite edges together forming thin icicle shapes, then gently roll to about 15 cm. Place seam-side down, cover, and rest for 10-15 minutes to relax gluten.
  7. Roll Out: Working with one piece at a time (rough side up), press the top edge down to flatten, then roll out into a teardrop shape. Use your preferred rolling technique: starting about 1/3 from the base, hold the base and roll upward, then hold the tail and roll downward to control the dough’s length and width. If dough resists or shrinks, cover and rest longer. Shorter bases (~6 cm) yield rounder, thicker rolls (35–50 cm length), longer bases (~10 cm) yield crescent shapes (25–35 cm length).
  8. Add Butter & Roll: Place a frozen butter block at the base of the dough. Fold the top edge over the butter without sealing the sides completely, allowing butter to seep out during baking. Roll down towards the tip, lifting occasionally to maintain proper tension (neither too tight nor loose). Press the tip gently to seal. Place seam-side down on a dark, nonstick baking tray (lining optional). Dark trays provide a crunchier bottom crust, but parchment can be used with darker pans.
  9. Proof Rolls: Keep the shaped rolls covered and proof in a warm environment at 30-32°C (86-90°F) for 55-65 minutes or until the dough is nearly doubled, jiggly, and a gentle poke springs back slowly leaving a faint indent.
  10. Preheat Oven: Begin heating the oven to the highest temperature possible (typically 230°C/446°F) around 20-30 minutes before the proof finishes.
  11. Bake with Steam: Lightly mist the proofed rolls with water and sprinkle with salt. For steam ovens, bake with steam mode on for 2-5 minutes according to your oven capabilities. Then reduce the heat to 210°C and bake for 12-13 minutes until golden and crispy on both sides. If the oven loses heat during steaming, add another 5-8 minutes of baking as needed.
  12. Bake in Conventional/Convection Oven: Spray the dough 10 times with water before baking. Quickly spray the oven 15 times and close immediately. Bake for 3 minutes at the starting temperature. Then reduce to 200°C (392°F) for convection ovens or 210°C (410°F) for conventional ovens. Continue baking for 12 minutes until golden and crisp on both sides.
  13. Finish & Serve: Remove bread from oven and brush any leaked butter over the tops. Serve immediately and enjoy the freshly baked, buttery, and salty rolls.

Notes

  • For best results, use a kitchen scale to weigh ingredients rather than relying on volume measurements.
  • The dough is intentionally rough and sticky; avoid over-kneading to preserve texture.
  • Proofing temperature and times may vary with environment; adjust accordingly to achieve proper rise.
  • Butter blocks are designed to melt slowly during baking, creating moist, rich layers inside each roll.
  • Using a dark baking tray helps develop a thicker, crunchier crust on the bottom.
  • The recipe supports both overnight and same-day preparation methods depending on yeast quantity used.
  • Adjust salt type on top according to preference—pretzel salt or flaky salt offers a distinctive crunch and flavor.

Keywords: no knead bread, salt bread, soft bread rolls, yeast bread, bakery style bread, buttery rolls, savory bread, homemade bread, bread recipe, easy bread

Find it online: https://yumwithmia.com/no-knead-salt-bread-recipe/