Artisan No Knead Bread

I have been making no knead bread for over a year now.

I started with the classic recipe from the NY Times video that you may have seen.

This recipe requires a covered cast-iron, or enamel Le Creuset pot for baking. While it worked for me most of the time, I felt limited by having to use the pot, I couldn't make regular shaped loaves or rolls or baguette.

Recently Genna turned me on to another method. I like the flexibility of this one a lot.

Don't be daunted by the process, after the first time it will all make sense and you will find the best way to incorporate the steps into your daily routine.

I do recommend the instant yeast rather than just the dry active kind, better rise , better results.

The pizza stone and paddle make it very easy too.

Here's the basic recipe:

3 cups lukewarm water
1-1/2 tablespoons dry instant yeast 

1-1/2 tablespoons kosher or other coarse salt
6-1/2 cups unsifted, unbleached all purpose white flour

1.  Warm the water slightly.  (Warm water will rise the dough to the right point for storage in about 2 hours).  

2.  Add yeast and salt to the water in a large bowl.

3.  Mix in the flour - kneading is unnecessary. Add all of the flour at once, mix with a wooden spoon - do not knead.  You're finished when everything is uniformly moist, without dry patches.  This step is done in a matter of minutes.  The dough should be wet and loose.

4) Allow the mixture to rise at room temperature for about two hours. Longer rising times will not hurt your dough.

5) You can use a portion of the dough any time after this period. It is easier to handle once it has been in the fridge for a few hours. You can store it a plastic container for up to two weeks. The trick is to let it breath a little, either by making a small hole in the container top or by not sealing the container completely.

When you are ready to bake:

6) Shape your loaf. Place a piece of baking parchment paper (Parchment paper is a must for all baking, Costco has huge rolls for cheap.) on a pizza paddle, bread board or rimless baking sheet. Dust the surface and your hands with flour. This is just to prevent sticking - you don't want to incorporate the flour into the dough.  Pull up and cut off however much dough you want to use. Put the rest back in the fridge for another time. Gently stretch the surface of the dough around to the bottom of the loaf you are forming.  The top of the dough should be smooth - the object here is to create a "gluten cloak" or "surface tension".  

Place the dough onto your parchment paper.

7) Let the loaf rise for about 30 - 60 minutes (it does not need to be covered).  If it doesn't look like it has risen much, don't worry - it will in the oven. 

8) Preheat a baking stone or pizza stone, (they are cheap at places like Target) on the middle rack in the oven for at least 20 minutes at 450 degrees F.  Place an empty rimmed baking pan on a rack below the baking stone.  This pan is for holding water for steam in the baking step.

9) Dust the loaf with a little flour and slash the top with a knife.  This slashing is necessary to release some of the trapped gas, You need a very sharp knife, you don't want the blade to drag across the dough and pull it.  Remember to score the loaves right before baking.  

10) Bake.  Set a cup of water next to your oven.  Slide the bread (including the parchment paper) right onto the hot baking stone.  Quickly pour the water right into the pan underneath the baking stone and close the oven door.  This creates the necessary steam  to make a nice crisp crust on the bread.  Bake at 450 F for about 25 - 30 minutes.  

11) Allow the bread to cool before cutting. I know it's tough but it is worth it.

I served this bread with the cheese from the previous post and it was all gone that evening.

You can make lovely whole wheat slicing bread with this process. 

3 cups lukewarm water
1-1/2 tablespoons dry instant yeast 

1-1/2 tablespoons kosher or other coarse salt

2-3 tablespoons sugar.
3 cups unsifted, unbleached all purpose white flour

3 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup oat or wheat bran.

Line your bread pans with parchment, do the "gluten cloak" as you are forming the loaves. Allow the dough to rise for an hour and bake for an hour. We love this bread toasted or as sandwiches.

Fresh bread is just heaven, we don't buy bread from the store anymore and lately even our bread machine has been languishing!