No Knead Bread: Unbelievably Easy, Incredibly Delicious!

Course Bread, Cookies & Pastries

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 40

Inactive Time 12 12

Total Time 12 57

Servings loaf

Calories 1947

Author Christina Conte

PLEASE NOTE: THIS RECIPE REQUIRES THAT YOU PLAN AHEAD! I usually mix my dough in the evening (9 pm or later) then when it is ready in the morning or afternoon, I put it on the cloth to rise for 2 hours and bake it. If you cannot be home for 3 hours during the time that the bread is risen, plan to make it at a different time.

Equipment

1 five quart cast iron dutch oven

Ingredients

4 cups all-purpose flour (good quality, like King Arthur)
½ cups whole wheat (or omit the wheat and replace it with ½ cup / 70 gram more all purpose flour)
18 oz water
2 ½ tsp Maldon salt (salt varies in saltiness, so taste your salt)
¼ tsp dried yeast (or 3 g fresh yeast, preferably not instant or quick-rise)
1 Tbsp wheat germ (optional, or crushed flaxseed)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

(See my tips in the notes section below): Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl until everything comes together. This will only take a few minutes, maximum.
Cover with a plate or plastic wrap and let rise for 12 to 18 hours or until it's risen (about 4 times in mass and is soft and bubbly.)
Using a spatula, mix down the dough/batter to remove all the air from it and form into a nice round in the bowl.
Put a tea towel on the countertop and sprinkle liberally with flour and some other grain like wheat germ or oat bran to keep the dough from sticking to the cloth. Don't be shy or the loaf will stick.
Using the spatula, dump the dough onto the floured cloth, put the edges of the cloth over the top and allow to rise for 2 hours.

Baking:

Preheat the oven AND THE POT for 20 minutes (longer than when it just comes to temperature). I bake my no knead bread on convection, 495 °F (260°C) for 30 mins., then lower to 465°F (240°C),
When the oven is at the 495 temperature for about 10 minutes, carefully remove the pot from the oven and put it on the counter near the dough. Lift both sides of the tea towel and dump the loaf into the hot pan. Place the lid onto the pot and put into the oven and bake for 30 minutes. After half an hour, REMOVE THE LID, and bake for 8-11 minutes longer, depending on your preference of color and crustiness.)
If you don't have a convection oven: 500°F (260°C) or as hot as your oven will go, then lower to about 475°F (245°C); adjust according to your own oven.
Carefully, remove the pot from the oven, and the loaf from the pot immediately, and place on a cooling rack.
Cool for at least 3 hours before slicing.

Notes

PLEASE NOTE: THIS RECIPE REQUIRES THAT YOU PLAN AHEAD! I usually mix my dough in the evening (9 pm or later) then when it is ready in the morning or afternoon, I put it on the cloth to rise for 2 hours and bake it. If you cannot be home for 3 hours during the time that the bread is risen, plan to make it at a different time.
The ingredients above make a loaf 50% larger than Jim Lahey's recipe. It will be a cross between batter & dough.
Use a spatula instead of your hand--much easier, and less messy.
After the 12-18 hrs. just work the dough into a loaf shape right in the bowl.
Drop the dough onto the cloth--again, less mess; then sprinkle with more flour and oat/wheat bran.
MAKE SURE TO LET THE LOAF COOL AT LEAST 3 HOURS BEFORE SLICING!

Nutrition

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