Easy No-Knead Dill Gouda Artisan Bread
Made with nutty, buttery gouda, citrusy dill and freshly cracked pepper, this beginner-friendly No-Knead Dill Gouda Artisan Bread is packed with fresh flavours. This recipe builds on my simple 4-ingredient, no-knead Everyday Artisan Bread. It’s still super easy to make and requires just a handful of extra ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1½ cups water, room temperature (at or near 70°F/21°C)
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 3½ cups bread flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped
- 1 cup cubed Gouda cheese (see note below if baking with alternative flours)
Instructions
- Add the yeast to the water and let it sit for 10-15 minutes. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, pepper and chopped dill until evenly distributed. Let sit for 10 minutes.
- Add yeast mixture to the bowl and stir together using a rubber spatula just until combined. The dough should look a little sticky and shaggy and there should still be a little flour around the edges of the bowl.
- Cover and let rise somewhere warm until it has doubled in volume (see note below).
- Using floured hands (or a dough scraper if you have one) pull the dough out onto a floured surface. Flour your hands again and gently fold the dough into itself several times just until it holds together. Next, carefully stretch and smooth out the dough into a rectangular shape and scatter the Gouda cubes across the dough, pressing them into the surface. Roll up the dough into a log shape, adding bits of flour as needed to prevent sticking, then fold the ends underneath. Gently shape the dough, nudging it into the shape of a loaf. Lift and place the dough into a flour dusted bowl.
- Dust with flour, cover and refrigerate overnight. You can even leave it for as long as 48 hours at this point if you’re not able to bake it right away.
- When you're ready to bake your bread, preheat oven to 450ºF (232ºC) with your Dutch oven inside the oven.
- Once the oven is preheated, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. If needed, gently turn it with your hands and nudge it into the shape of a loaf. Place it on a sheet of parchment paper and score the top with a razor blade or the tip of a sharp knife with a design of your choosing. This will allow steam to escape while it’s baking.
- Remove the Dutch oven from the oven and transfer the dough, still on the parchment, into the Dutch oven. Cover and bake for 30 minutes, then remove the cover and bake for 15 minutes more. Your bread will be done once the top is browned, and it sounds hollow when you tap the top.
- Using parchment edges, lift bread from Dutch oven and transfer it to a wire cooling rack. Let cool for up to an hour before slicing to allow the cooking process to complete.
Notes
Flour: If using all-purpose flour or a gluten free blend rather than a high-protein bread flour, reduce the amount of Gouda called for by half and cut it into smaller cubes. Alternative flours are lower in protein and lack the structure to hold up to heavier add-ins.
Dill: While I love dill and think it’s the perfect complement to the Gouda, this loaf would also be delicious made with fresh or dried chives, rosemary or sage, or with just the cracked pepper, too!
Rise time and temperature: An ambient rise temperature somewhere between ~70º-75º/20º-23ºC is ideal but even high 60's/18º-19ºC should work if the dough is kept away from drafts. Note that rise times can vary based on temperature, environment and ingredients used. You will know your loaf is ready to bake when it has doubled in size, and this can take a minimum of 2-3 hours or as long as a full day. With a little experimentation, you will find the time frame that works best for you.
Storage: This bread will keep well stored in a paper bag or bread box at room temperature for 2 to 3 days or slice it and freeze in a well-sealed plastic bag for up to 3 months.