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Mark’s No-Knead Flatbread

Kerri Conan

BY Mark Bittman, Kerri Conan

PUBLISHED June 30, 2026

My bread baking has evolved into all sorts of pleasant surprises since Jim Lahey and I worked together 20 years ago on No-Knead Bread. The same innovative technique informs this yeasted flatbread. All that's required are four ingredients, plus the time and patience to sit back and do nothing – rather than work.

This recipe features Bob's Red Mill high fiber flour. If you want to substitute all-purpose flour, cut the water back to 11/4 cups and add more as needed until you get the dough texture described here. Then enjoy the ciabatta-like flatbread in slices or hunks or use it for Detroit-Style Pizza by the Slice; Boiled Water Soup with Flatbread, Vegetables, and Parmesan; or Crunchy Seasoned Breadcrumbs with (or without) Steamed Vegetables. One batch of flatbread is enough for 2 servings of each. But if you're planning on extra for snacking or feeding a crowd, better make two loaves!

 

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Mark’s No-Knead Flatbread

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Makes 1 large loaf (about 6 servings) 1x

Time 13 to 19 hours (almost entirely unattended)

Scale

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Combine the flour, yeast, and salt in a large bowl. Add the water and stir with a soft spatula until combined; the dough should come together into a shaggy, slightly sticky ball. If some flour remains in the bowl, stir in water 1 tablespoon at a time until it’s all absorbed, careful not to make the dough sticky or lose shape. Cover the top of the bowl tightly and let the dough rest for at least 12 and up to 18 hours at room temperature. (The bread will become a little more flavorful and chewy with the extra time, but it’s not crucial.) The dough is ready when it spreads in the bowl and is dotted with bubbles.
  2. When you’re ready to bake, line a 9- x 13-inch metal baking sheet or baking pan with parchment and make sure there’s a rack positioned in the center of the oven. Don’t heat the oven yet. 
  3. Use a soft spatula to collapse the dough in the bowl by scooping around the edges and folding the dough on itself a couple times to form an oblong ball. Turn the dough into the center of the prepared pan and add an inch or so of water to the mixing bowl. Dip your hands (or the soft spatula) in water and gently press down on the center of the dough to spread it in the pan. Only wet your hands (or the spatula) when needed to prevent sticking. Be careful to press without pulling or stretching. Try to make the dough as even and square as possible with minimal handling; it’s okay if it won’t go all the way to the edges of the pan.
  4. Transfer the pan to the middle rack in a cold oven and set the temperature to 350°F. Bake undisturbed for 35 minutes, then check. The bread is ready when it’s lightly browned and firm on top and an instant read thermometer registers 200° to 205°F. If it’s not quite ready, return the pan to the oven and check again in 5 minutes. Or for a darker crust, increase the oven to 450°F and carefully remove the flatbread from the paper to finish baking directly on the rack until it’s as crusty as you like, 5 to 10 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack before slicing.

– Recipe developed by The Bittman Project for Bob’s Red Mill

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