No knead sesame bread is chewy, springy and airy with the perfect crunchy crackly crust coated with sesame seeds. It is so easy to make at home with just 10 minutes of actual prep work and NO kneading required. The rest of time needed is to allow the yeast do it's thing and rise. So easy.
Nothing beats a freshly baked loaf of bread, especially one that took minimal effort with no kneading required. Just like small batch no knead bread, no knead french baguettes, no knead focaccia bread and no knead ciabatta rolls, this no knead sesame bread fits right in.
No Knead Sesame Bread Ingredients
To make no knead sesame bread, you will need the following ingredients:
- instant yeast - ready to use right away, and takes less time to prep than using active dry yeast.
- water
- flour - both whole wheat flour and all purpose white flour
- salt
- black sesame seeds
You will also need a kitchen scale (or measuring cups and spoons), mixing bowls, banneton, and 4 qt. Dutch oven (or oven-safe cooking pot with lid).
How to Make the Best No Knead Sesame Bread
Prepare the Dough (First Rise)
In a small cup, dissolve instant yeast and water and stir together. In a large bowl, add whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, and salt. Pour in the yeast mixture and mix with a silicone spatula until fully combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl (there should be no dry flour particles visible). Cover and let the mixture sit at room temperature for 3 hours, until doubled in size.
Shape the Dough (Second Rise)
Transfer dough to a floured surface and sprinkle dough with a little flour. Shape the dough into a tight ball by folding the edges over to the centre. Stretch the dough a little and fold all four sides to the centre like wrapping a present. Turn the dough over and use your bench scraper to push the dough back and forth to create a tight ball. Repeat this motion until the surface of the dough appears tight.
Cover the dough in black sesame seeds until it is evenly coated. Place the dough ball top side down into a proofing basket (banneton), or a medium-sized bowl (approximately 8-inches in diameter) to help the dough keep its shape. The sesame seeds not only act as toppings but also prevents the dough from sticking to the bottom. Sprinkle a little flour over the dough and cover with a lid or a dish towel so that the dough won’t lose moisture and dry out.
Let the dough rise for the second time at room temperature for approximately 1 hour. Gently touch the dough with your fingertip. If the indentation remains or bounces back slowly, the loaf is proofed and ready for the oven. If the indentation springs back immediately, the dough requires a bit more time to rise.
Bake the Bread
Place a 4 qt. dutch oven or oven-safe cooking pot (approximately 8-inches in diameter) with a metal lid in the oven and preheat to 450° F. Cut out a piece of parchment paper about 12x12-inches in size. Flip the bowl (or banneton basket) containing the round dough upside down onto the centre of the parchment paper. Carefully transfer the parchment paper with dough back into the same bowl but so that the parchment paper lines the bowl. Let the dough rest until the oven is ready. This helps the dough keep its shape instead of spreading outwards.
Carefully remove the preheated pot from the oven and gently transfer the parchment paper and dough from the bowl into the preheated pot. Cover the lid and bake for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, remove the lid and continue baking the bread uncovered in oven for another 15-20 minutes. This will yield a crustier bread. To check if the bread is done, you can tap the bottom of the bread with your finger. The bread will sound hollow when it’s done.
Allow the bread cool down completely before slicing, about 1 hour.
How to Serve No Knead Sesame Bread
You can serve no knead sesame bread on its own with a side of olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping. It is also great paired with soup such as creamy cauliflower and garlic soup or creamless cream of asparagus soup, or used to make sandwiches like a tuna melt or roasted broccoli grilled cheese.
How to Store
- How to store: Store no knead sesame bread in an airtight container or bread box for up to 2 days at room temperature, or for up to 1 week in the refrigerator.
- How to freeze: Wrap the bread tightly in plastic cling wrap and place into an airtight container or freezer bag, and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. If freezing, you could also slice the bread first so that you can easily reheat one or two slices at time.
- How to reheat: Place frozen slices directly in the toaster and toast on the freezer setting, or let the bread thaw overnight in the refrigerator or for a few hours at room temperature first and then reheat in the toaster, oven or air fryer.
Baking Bread Tips
- Use good quality and active yeast. Use yeast that has been stored in a cool, dark place. If stored in a warmer area, the yeast may no longer work. Also check the expiration date and make sure you are within that date.
- How to tell if yeast is active. When mixing the yeast with water, the mixture should start to bubble and develop a yeasty aroma. If nothing happens after 5-10 minutes, then the yeast is not active and you will have to use a different batch otherwise your bread will not rise.
- Let the dough rise at room temperature (as opposed to a warmer area of your home). This will allow the dough to rise slowly and longer (over 3 hours). The slower rise at room temperature yields a light and chewy texture, and a more pleasant flavour.
More Bread Recipes
- Small Batch No-Knead Bread
- Garlic Naan Bread
- Easy Small Batch Ciabatta Rolls
- Quick and Easy Pita Bread
- Homemade Sunflower Seed Bread
- Easy Homemade Everything Bagels
- Easy Challah Bread
Did you make this recipe? I would greatly appreciate a comment and rating below, letting me know what you thought of the recipe. You can also snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @aheadofthyme or share it on the Pinterest pin so that I can follow along.
Don't forget to sign up for my email newsletter so that you don't miss any recipes. You can also follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for more recipe updates.
Recipe
No Knead Sesame Bread
- Total Time: 5 hours 55 minutes
- Yield: 12 slices
- Diet: Vegan
Description
No knead sesame bread is chewy, springy and airy with the perfect crunchy crust coated with sesame seeds. Easy to make with 10 minutes prep and no kneading.
Ingredients
- 4 grams instant yeast (1 teaspoon)
- 280 grams water (1 + ¼ cups)
- 260 grams whole wheat flour (2 cups)
- 130 grams all purpose white flour (1 cup)
- 6 grams salt (1 teaspoon)
- ¼ cup black sesame seeds
Instructions
Prepare the Dough (first rise):
- In small cup, dissolve instant yeast in water and stir to mix together. The mixture should start to bubble and develop a yeasty aroma.
- In a large bowl, add whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, and salt. Pour in the yeast mixture and mix with a silicone spatula until fully combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl (there should be no dry flour particles visible). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature for 3 hours until the dough at least doubles in size. This dough is quite wet (over 70% hydration) and impractical to knead to build gluten. By letting the dough ferment for a long period of time, it will naturally build up gluten strength instead of by kneading.
Shape the Dough (second rise):
- Transfer dough to a floured surface and sprinkle dough with a little flour. Note that the dough will be sticky and that is okay.
- Shape the dough into a tight ball by folding the edges over to the centre. Stretch the dough a little and fold all four sides to the centre like wrapping a present. Turn the dough over and use your bench scraper to push the dough back and forth to create a tight ball. Repeat this motion until the surface of the dough appears tight.
- Cover the dough in black sesame seeds until it is evenly coated. Place the dough ball top side down into a proofing basket (known as a banneton), or a medium-sized bowl (approximately 8-inches in diameter) to help the dough keep its shape. The sesame seeds not only act as toppings but also prevents the dough from sticking to the bottom. Sprinkle a little flour over the dough and cover with a lid or a dish towel so that the dough won’t lose moisture and dry out.
- Let the dough rise for the second time at room temperature for approximately 1 hour. Gently touch the dough with your fingertip. If the indentation remains or bounces back slowly, the loaf is proofed and ready for the oven. If the indentation springs back immediately, the dough requires a bit more time to rise.
Bake the Bread:
- Place a dutch oven or oven-safe cooking pot (approximately 8-inches in diameter) with a metal lid in the oven and preheat to 450° F.
- Cut out a piece of parchment paper about 12x12-inches in size. It should be large enough to cover the Dutch oven or oven-safe cooking pot used for baking the bread. Flip the bowl (or banneton basket) containing the round dough upside down onto the centre of the parchment paper. Carefully transfer the parchment paper with dough back into the same bowl but so that the parchment paper lines the bowl. Let the dough rest until the oven is ready. This helps the dough keep its shape instead of spreading outwards.
- Carefully remove the preheated pot from the oven and gently transfer the parchment paper and dough from the bowl into the preheated pot. Cover the lid and bake for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, remove the lid and continue baking the bread uncovered in oven for another 15-20 minutes. This will yield a crustier bread. To check if the bread is done, you can tap the bottom of the bread with your finger. The bread will sound hollow when it’s done.
- Allow the bread cool down completely before slicing, about 1 hour.
Notes
Use good quality and active yeast. Use yeast that has been stored in a cool, dark place. If stored in a warmer area, the yeast may no longer work. Also check the expiration date and make sure you are within that date.
How to tell if yeast is active. When mixing the yeast with water, the mixture should start to bubble and develop a yeasty aroma. If nothing happens after 5-10 minutes, then the yeast is not active and you will have to use a different batch otherwise your bread will not rise.
Let the dough rise at room temperature (as opposed to a warmer area of your home). This will allow the dough to rise slowly and longer (over 3 hours). The slower rise at room temperature yields a light and chewy texture, and a more pleasant flavour.
How to store: Store no knead sesame bread in an airtight container or bread box for up to 2 days at room temperature, or for up to 1 week in the refrigerator.
How to freeze: Wrap the bread tightly in plastic cling wrap and place into an airtight container or freezer bag, and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. If freezing, you could also slice the bread first so that you can easily reheat one or two slices at time.
How to reheat: Place frozen slices directly in the toaster and toast on the freezer setting, or let the bread thaw overnight in the refrigerator or for a few hours at room temperature first and then reheat in the toaster, oven or air fryer.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes (+4 hours rise time and 1 hour cooling time)
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Food Blogger Business School
A step-by-step program that teaches food bloggers how to grow and scale their blogs into a full-time business
in less time and without posting endless content until you burn out.
Rosemary says
I've got this in the oven now, and I can't wait to see the result. Looks amazing 🙂
Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme says
Yay! Excited to hear what you think.
Renee Goerger says
I'm super excited about this recipe. I don't always have black sesame seeds in my pantry, but I do know. This is happening today!!
Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme says
Yay so happy to hear that! Let me know how it goes.
Kelly Stilwell says
The kneading is the part I hate! The crust on this is so incredibly crunchy and the sesame seeds were brilliant! I love how easy your instructions were.
Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme says
Thank you so much Kelly! So happy you liked the recipe!