No-Knead Bread
A simple artisan-style bread that requires no kneading, just time.
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour: 430 g
- Active dry yeast: ¼ tsp
- Salt: 2 tsp
- Water: 345 g
- Wheat bran (opt)
- Cornmeal (opt)
Cookware
- Large bowl
- Plastic wrap
- Cotton towel
- Oven
- Dutch oven
- Cooling rack
Method
In a large bowl, combine all-purpose flour, active dry yeast, and salt. Add water and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky.
- all-purpose flour: 430 grams
- active dry yeast: ¼ tsp
- salt: 2 tsp
- water: 345 grams
Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least , preferably about , at warm room temperature, about 70°F.
Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about .
Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran, or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, wheat bran, or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about . When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.
- wheat bran (opt)
- cornmeal (opt)
At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450°F. Put a dutch oven in oven as it heats.
When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is OK. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes.
Cover with lid and bake , then remove lid and bake another , until loaf is beautifully browned.
Cool on a cooling rack.