No Knead Croissant Bread (Without Sourdough)

Face on photograph of a half loaf of laminated croissant bread on a wooden cutting board in front of a subway tile backdrop.

5 from 3 votes

No Knead Croissant Bread (Without Sourdough)

Learn how to make a simple No-Knead Croissant Bread with flaky, buttery layers. Perfect for beginners, this easy recipe uses a folding technique for a bakery-worthy loaf - without sourdough!

This recipe makes a 1 ½ pound loaf.

Prep Time30

Cook Time50

Rising and Resting Time14

Total Time15 20

Course: Bread

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 261kcal

Author: Cynthia Christensen

Equipment

Ingredients

3 cups bread flour
1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
¾ cups unsalted butter Divided in three ¼ cup inclusions (1 ½ sticks American sticks)
1 teaspoon instant yeast can use active dry yeast
1 ¼ cup warm water

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Making Dough and Bulk Fermentation

Add all purpose flour, salt, and the first inclusion of ¼ cup (½ stick) cold and cubed butter to your food processor and run until the butter is completely incorporated into the flour mixture.
Add in room temperature tap water and your instant yeast. If using active dry yeast, dissolve in some warm water to activate it before adding to the butter-flour mixture.
Use a Danish dough whisk, or a sturdy spoon, to mix everything together until all of the dry flour mixture has been incorporated. Cover with plastic wrap, or a disposable shower cap, and leave at room temperature on the counter overnight, or at least 12 hours.
In the morning, your no-knead dough should look bubbly on top, with a flat or slightly rounded surface that stretches all the way across the bowl.

Incorporating Butter: First Fold

Add your second inclusion of ¼ cup cold butter, this time grated straight out of the fridge or freezer, on the top of your dough.
Start your folds by gently grabbing one side of the dough, stretching it up and over the butter, and folding it over to the opposite side.
Turn the bowl a quarter turn and repeat—stretch up and fold over. Do this two more times, turning the bowl each time, until you've folded all four “sides” of the dough. That’s one full set of folds. Cover and let the dough rest for 30 minutes in a warm spot of your kitchen.

Incorporating Butter: Second Fold

Add the final inclusion of ¼ cup cold grated butter on top of your risen dough.
Perform another full set of four folds, enclosing as much of the butter as possible. Some of the butter may peek out, but don't get crazy about it. There are two more sets of folds coming. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest another 30 minutes.

Third and Fourth Folds: No Butter Added

Perform two more more sets of folds, with a 30 minute rest between them. As the dough gets stronger, it may become more resistant to stretching, but that's a good sign—it means the gluten is developing.
If you find it tough to stretch the dough, try using one hand to gently hold the dough down while you stretch and fold with the other. This will help you maintain control and prevent the dough from pulling away. Cover and let rest another 30 minutes.

Shaping Boule (Round Bread Shape)

Gently turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and use your hands to stretch and fold the edges of the dough inward, starting by folding the top half over. Then pull the two top "corners" or "wings" in towards the center.
Then bring up the bottom two wings and fold up the bottom half, forming a ball shape.
Then, flip the dough over so the smooth side is facing up. Using your hands, carefully tuck the edges underneath as you rotate the dough, pulling it toward the center to create tension on the top. This will help form a round, tight shape.
Once it’s nicely shaped, place it into a parchment paper lined bowl or proofing basket, and chill in the refrigerator for one hour while you preheat the oven and a medium dutch oven with a lid or a lidded bread pot to 450°F (230°C).

Chill, Score, and Bake

If desired, using a very sharp knife, make score marks across the top of the dough. about ¼ to ½ inch deep. This gives the bread a place to open as it expands, allowing for a fuller rise and more airy interior. Remove your medium dutch oven or bread pot from the oven and remove the lid.
Use the parchment paper to transfer your boule into the hot baking vessel. Place the lid back on and bake for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, carefully remove the lid and bake for another 15–20 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. To check if the bread is fully baked, insert an instant-read thermometer into the loaf—it should read between 205° to 210°F (95 to 99°C)
Remove pot from oven and remove bread, using the parchment as a carrier. Place the bread on a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before slicing (I know, it's soooo hard!). Store bread in a paper bag, wrapped in a light kitchen towel, for 2 to 3 days to keep it fresh.

Video

Notes

Make ahead dough: You can refrigerate the dough after the bulk fermentation for up to 24 hours. Just let it come to room temperature before shaping and continuing with the recipe.

Storage: Store the cooled bread in a paper bag or wrapped in a clean kitchen towel (I use both!) at room temperature for 2–3 days. This keeps the crust crispy while preventing the bread from drying out.

Bake as a loaf: After the dough has rested from its final fold, gently pat it into a rectangle with the short side about the length of an 8 inch loaf pan. Begin rolling upwards. Roll the dough tightly into a log, pinching the seam to seal as you go. Tuck the ends under and place the loaf seam-side down into a greased pan. Cover and chill in the fridge for an hour while you preheat the oven, then it's ready to bake. Brush the top of the loaf with an egg wash and bake for 30 minutes, then tent with aluminum foil and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown and the internal temperature is 205°f to 210°f.

Nutrition