Back during the 2008 recession, I slashed our grocery budget down to bare bones. At the time I was running on about a $70 per week budget that fed four of us (granted the kids at that time didn’t eat much) and diapers. That meant I had to get real comfortable making my own bread. For a good period of time, I became somewhat obsessed with breadmaking and this no-knead artisan bread was one of my favorites. Below is the original post. It’s a little wordy, but fun for me to look back on.
It started with Peter Reinheart’s Artisan Bread in a Day. From that cookbook, I made the Milk loaf sandwich bread. It’s my new favorite sandwich bread and has replaced the day old commercial loaves I have been buying on discount. Then I made a chocolate cream pie for my friend Diana and I to enjoy while our kids had a little playdate. Then, I went to the library to return my books and came home with My Bread by Jim Lahey. That’s when my obsession came to fruition.
It’s a revolutionary way to bake.
There is no kneading. None. Period. The whole process is based on a super long fermentation to not only develop the gluten ( instead of kneading) but also to develop more depth in flavor.
Another revolutionary idea was to bake these un-kneaded loaves in a large dutch oven instead of directly on a pizza stone or in a loaf pan. The theory being that the dutch oven creates an environment similar to brick ovens found in professional bakeries. The results so far are fantastic. The method is easy, the bread is beautiful and the taste rivals any $4 loaf you can buy at Kroger.
I am going to hate to take this book back to the library.
The Basic No-Knead Bread Recipe Method
In a Medium bowl, stir together the flour, salt, and yeast. Add the water and, using a wooden spoon or your hands, mix until you have a wet, sticky dough, about 30 seconds. Make sure it’s really sticky to touch; if not, mix in another tablespoon or two of water.
Cover the bowl with a plate, tea towel, or plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 12-18 hours ( 18 is better).The surface will be dotted and more than doubled in size.
After fermentation, generously dust a work surface with flour. Transfer the dough to the work surface with a bowl scraper or rubber spatula, making sure to keep it in one piece.
Flour your hands, but do not flour the dough. Lift and fold one third of the dough to the center. Repeating until you have a circle.
Place a cotton or linen ( not terry cloth) tea towel on the counter and liberally dust with flour. Place dough, seam side down on to towel.
Fold edges of towel over dough and let rise until doubled, about 2 hours. About 30 minutes before rising is complete. Preheat oven and a 5 quart dutch oven and lid to 475. You may need to remove the handle of your lid if it is plastic. It might melt.
Carefully remove the preheated pot from the oven and remove the lid. Turn the dough out of the towel and into the pot, seam side up Careful, it’s hot! Cover with the lid and return to the oven.
Bake for 30 minutes.
Remove the lid and bake for another 15 to 30 minutes or until the bread is a nice chestnut color, but not burnt.
Remove from the oven and pot. Let cool for at least an hour before slicing.
Ingredients
- 3 cups bread flour
- 1 1/4 t. table salt
- 1/4 t. active dry yeast
- 1 1/2 cups cool water
- additional flour for dusting
Instructions
- In a Medium bowl, stir together the flour, salt, and yeast. Add the water and, using a wooden spoon or your hands, mix until you have a wet, sticky dough, about 30 seconds. Make sure it's really sticky to touch; if not, mix in another tablespoon or two of water.
- Cover the bowl with a plate, tea towel, or plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 12-18 hours ( 18 is better).The surface will be dotted and more than doubled in size.
- After fermentation, generously dust a work surface with flour. Transfer the dough to the work surface with a bowl scraper or rubber spatula, making sure to keep it in one piece.
- Flour your hands, but do not flour the dough. Lift and fold one third of the dough to the center. Repeating until you have a circle.
- Place a cotton or linen ( not terry cloth) tea towel on the counter and liberally dust with flour. Place dough, seam side down on to towel.
- Fold edges of towel over dough and let rise until doubled, about 2 hours. About 30 minutes before rising is complete. Preheat oven and a 5 quart dutch oven and lid to 475. You may need to remove the handle of your lid if it is plastic. It might melt.
- Carefully remove the preheated pot from the oven and remove the lid. Turn the dough out of the towel and into the pot, seam side up Careful, it's hot! Cover with the lid and return to the oven.
- Bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove the lid and bake for another 15 to 30 minutes or until the bread is a nice chestnut color, but not burnt.
- Remove from the oven and pot. Let cool for at least an hour before slicing.
extra points for using the dutch oven to cook your bread – it looks very moist and tender, with an excellent crust. great job!
I agree with Brie, love the use of the dutch oven. I too love baking bread, and this sounds like a must try recipe. I just love bread that looks like that with the air hole, Thanks for sharing:)
Gorgeous loaf and great technique!
next purchase… dutch oven. I can't believe I don't have one.
Homemade bread is my weakness! This looks/sounds/IS fabulous!
I've been making this bread for the last couple of weeks. So far using a pizza stone which work well for me but I'm definitely picking up a cast iron dutch oven. Here in Sonoma artisan bread runs from 6.99 to 10 bucks…soooooo, I'm loving doing this instead of shelling out. My husband has also gotten me to make rosemary lemon artisan bread with Brittany sea salt sprinkled on the outside crust, price at our local Sonoma market..8 bucks. At home, 50 cents.
Whew! $10 for bread! Geez…I gotta move to California and become a baker. Check out this cookbook, Jim Lahey's My Bread and Peter Reinhardt's Artisan breads in a day. Some real winner's and easy techniques.
After you take that book back to the library, be sure to get Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day…even easier, their bread can be baked in a dutch oven as well. Their blog is excellent, recently came out with 2nd book…idea is you can ferment dough then store in fridge for baking on demand.
A simple bread like that sounds like something even I would consider making. Mmm!
Hello! I make this type of bread too and it's very good. Yours looks very nice.
What a gorgeous loaf. I have been wanting these books. I have a bread machine and make really good loaves in it, or dough. I made a No Knead bread a long time ago when the NY Times ran an article on The Sullivan Street Bakery and the No a knead bread that he created. I made a loaf in my Le Creuset pot but it really blackened the pot and it has never recovered.
Thanks form the inspiration.
Hi! Saw your lovely bread on Foodbuzz. Would like to ask if it is possible to bake this bread without the dutch oven? Thanks!
I'm sure you could bake it w/o the pot, but the results may not be the same.
I am making this right now. It's 90 degrees. That's how inspiring you are! : )