Recipe: No-Knead Bread

Photo by Pixabay from Pexels

Bread can be fun to make, but kneading is hard work. If you're in a hurry or just don't feel up to the task of kneading your bread, this no-knead recipe is perfect for you. This is also an excellent bread to make if you've never made bread before, because it's simple and requires few steps. No-knead bread also rises overnight, as a result, it uses very little yeast. The only catch? This bread requires about 24 hours from start to finish, so it's not the best option if you're in a hurry.  

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cup cool or cold water
• 3 cups all purpose flour or bread flour
• 1/4 teaspoon yeast
• 1 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Time Requirements

• 10 minutes prep time
• 20-24 hours total

A Short Tutorial On Bread Crusts

Bread needs moisture to create a crispy, attractive crust. Without moisture during the baking process, bread crust turns out pale and lifeless. Some roll and bisquit recipes rely on a glaze of egg white, milk or butter to turn the crust golden brown.

Larger loaves generally rely on an infusion of steam during the baking proces to brown the crust to perfection. Some bread bakers leave a tray of water in the bottom of the oven; others mist their bread just as they're putting it in.

This recipe calls for a large (6 quart) Dutch oven with a lid. You'll place the Dutch oven in your oven while it's pre-heating, and leave it in the oven for an additional 15 minutes after pre-heating is finished. When the time comes, you'll bake the loaf inside the Dutch oven, with the lid on. The loaf will emit steam into the Dutch oven while it heats up. The steam will create the perfect crust, without requiring a tray of water or misting from a water bottle. 

No-Knead Bread Recipe Instructions

• Mix together the ingredients to form a wet, shaggy dough.
• Leave the dough covered with a tea towel in an oiled bowl overnight.
• 18-20 hours later, the dough should be risen and doubled in size. You will see bubbles at the surface of the dough. Scrape down the dough from the sides of the bowl with a wooden spoon. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees Fahrenheit. Put the Dutch oven (with lid) in the oven while it preheats.
• Sprinkle flour on the dough and cover it with a tea towel again. Allow the dough to rise again for about an hour.
• Remove the Dutch oven from your oven. Sprinkle the inside of the Dutch oven with flour. Place the dough in the Dutch oven and put the lid on. Put the Dutch oven back in the heated oven. Bake for 30 minutes.
• Remove the lid on the Dutch oven and reduce the temperature of the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake the bread for another 10 minutes. 
• Remove the bread from the Dutch oven. The crust should be golden brown. Place the bread on a wire rack to cool.

This bread is excellent for slicing, makes a good loaf to serve with dinner and can even be given away to friends or relatives as a gift. It has a rustic, irregular appearance that will impress anyone.