I've had bread-baking on my list of to-dos for awhile. However, as the process is long and requires alot of patience and waiting time, I never found the time try it until now. This recipe first appeared in the New York Times and apparently, has set off a revolution of sorts. For those like myself who love fresh, artisan bread, we now have the know-how to make delicious, Wholefoods-worthy bread in the comforts of our own homes, without the fuss and complexity normally associated with bread-making.
Bread-making cannot get any easier than this: mix 3 ingredients together by hand, let the dough rest, let it rest some more, then put it in a hot dutch oven and bake it. The quality of the bread was very,very impressive. Crisp and crunchy outer shell with a soft, chewy, sponge-like center. It was pretty darn good. The only adjustment I would make next time is to add a little more salt for flavor. This recipe is a definite keeper and lends itself to many different variations with herbs and spices.
No-Knead Bread
Adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery
Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
¼ teaspoon instant yeast
1¼ teaspoons salt
Directions:
Note: Do this the night before you expect to eat the bread.
In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water.
Stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.
Note: These steps are for the day you want to eat the bread. You still need to let the dough rest so start this step 3 hours before you want to serve the bread.
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 15 minutes.
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, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for 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 a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6-to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) 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 O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes.
Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.
Pretty crazy, huh?