No-Knead Bread

Another use for the Dutch oven is, in my humble opinion, a magical one!

Who knew you could turn out a beautiful loaf of fresh bread, to rival any bread that the local supermarket bakery offers with minimal effort? All you need is time and some faith that you too can turn out a fabulous loaf.

This recipe has been on my back-burner for a good long while but the recent chill in the air was tempting me to bake some bread, and I was willing to oblige. I love the smell of yeast dough as it rises almost as much as I LOVE the smell of baking bread, and this made our kitchen smell so cozy and warm.

A few years back, this no-knead bread caused quite a sensation when it was published in the NY Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/08/dining/08mini.html?pagewanted=all.  As a matter of fact, I clipped the article and handed it to my mom, thinking that I would never have the time to make bread, with small children in the house. Knowing what I know now, I laugh. I will be making this weekly; it is that simple and that delicious.

I promise that you will be amazed at the magical moment when you first uncover the pot and see that sticky lump of dough transformed into a beautiful loaf of crusty bread!

Happy baking!

Sullivan Street Bakery’s No-Knead Bread

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, plus more for dusting

¼ teaspoon instant yeast

1 ¼ teaspoon salt

Cornmeal/wheat bran

In a large bowl, combine flour, yeast and salt.  Add 1-5/8 cups water and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap or kitchen towel. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18 hours, at warm room temperature in a draft-free area. (I use the oven – door closed with the light left on.)

Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles.  Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle with a little more flour and fold it over on
itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into ball. Generously coat a non-terry cloth cotton kitchen towel with flour, cornmeal or wheat bran. Cover with another cotton kitchen towel and let rise about 2 hours.  When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

At least one-half hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6-8 quart heavy covered pot/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 a mess, but that is ok! Shake pot once or twice if dough is not evenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes.  Cover pot with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15-30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on rack.

Makes one gorgeous loaf.