No-Knead Bread
Posted on 17 Jun 2013Bread, most people eat copious amounts of it but few bake it themselves. It may seem to be a daunting task –all that preparation and kneading– but this recipe requires very little effort (I’d wager the least of any bread recipe that I’ve come across) and should yield delicious bread every time.
I stole adapted this recipe from Mark Bittman (who in turn adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery) and is one I really enjoy because of how simple it is and how great the bread turns out every time –just look at that beautiful crumb structure.
No-Knead Bread Recipe
| Yield | 1 loaf |
| Prep Time | 5 minutes |
| Wait Time | 12-24 hours |
| Cook Time | 45 minutes |
| Special Equipment | A deep cast-iron Dutch oven |
Ingredients:
| Amount | Ingredient | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 3 cups | all-purpose flour | — |
| ¼ teaspoon | yeast | — |
| 1 ¼ teaspoons | salt (kosher) | — |
| 1 ½ cups | tepid water | — |
| a generous amount | cornmeal, semolina or wheat bran | enough to coat the exterior |
Preparation
- Combine the flour, salt and yeast in a large bowl.
- Add the water.
- Using your hands mix it until it comes together into a dough. Do not knead.
- Cover with a sheet of plastic wrap and let it ferment somewhere (at room temperature) for 12-20 hours.
A long fermentation period develops the gluten in the flour (in place of kneading) which is crucial to any bread’s texture and structure. So after fermenting for many hours your dough should be full of bubbles and have plenty of elasticity.
Directions
- Place your Dutch oven (and its lid) in your oven and preheat it to 500°F.
- Next, coat your work surface with cornmeal and carefully plop the dough onto this.
- Pinch and fold the dough onto itself couple times to make a nice round shape and coat liberally with more cornmeal.
- Place the dough in the preheated pot with folds face-up and bake for 30 minutes with the lid on.
- After 30 minutes, remove the lid and continue to bake for another 15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let it cool before slicing —if you can resist, that is.
When finished baking your loaf should have a nice dark crust and plenty of cracks along the top.
