How to-No Knead Bread

I first saw this recipe on Pinterest. Here is the link: No Knead Bread
I do it slightly different.

No Knead bread is really easy to make. NO kneading for 10 minutes. The hardest part of this yummy, crusty bread is TIMING.  If you want to have bread with your dinner, you would have to get up really early to begin it as it needs to sit for six to eight hours. Because I work nights, what I do is start my bread before bed.  Then, I can let it do it's work while I'm sleeping! In the morning, when my dog wakes me up for breakfast, I do the second step (the second rising) and then when I get up for good it's almost ready to go into the oven.

This recipe calls for bread flour. It's important to use BREAD flour. This recipe calls for very little yeast and so you need the bread flour to help make it rise. Trust me-I have experimented with regular flour and it's a mess.

Ingredients:

3 Cups of bread flour

1/4 teaspoon of yeast

1 teaspoon of salt

1 cup and 1/2 lukewarm water

Next, you add 1 cup and 1/2 of lukewarm water. Cold water doesn't work very well. I measure out the water first, do something else and then I come back later and mix in the water.

Mix the dough until it's shaggy. It will not be smooth, or all connected. That's fine. Just mix the water in but don't over mix.

Cover tightly with plastic wrap and set in a warm spot for 6 to 8 hours.

After 6 to 8 hours (it's OK if you don't get to it RIGHT at 8 hours.)  It will have risen and have some air bubbles.

Put some flour down. Dump the dough out onto the flour. Sometimes it sticks a bit to the bowl. Gently nudge out the dough without breaking the bonds too much. Your goal here is to coat the outside with flour. (This will make the delicious crunchy crust!) Get your hands wet so the dough doesn't stick. Fold it over and tuck the ends under making a nice round loaf.  Put in a clean bowl and set back with the plastic wrap lightly on top.  

(Here is a difference between me and the Steamy Kitchen. They recommend putting the loaf on Parchment paper. I have never had luck with parchment paper. It sticks too much and ruins the nice shape.)  

Now, here's another TIMING thing. You set this bowl back for two more hours. 

After an hour and a half, you turn on the oven to 450 degrees. Put the covered dish into the oven for the last half hour. It has to get good and hot.  

I got mine at Crate and Barrel 

Lucerne Casserole Dish-Crate and Barrel

A Dutch oven would work too. You have to make sure your covered dish has a lid and can handle the high heat for almost an hour and a half. (in total- heating time and baking time)

After 30 minutes, (USE TWO OVEN MITTS!) to pull out the casserole dish. Turn the bowl over and coax the loaf into the casserole dish. Again, it may stick a bit-try and coax it out and keep the shape as much as possible. If it looks like a weird stick blob (see photo above!!!) don't worry because in the end it will be beautiful!

Bake for 30 minutes with the lid on.

After 30 minutes remove the lid. The bread is a light golden cover. Bake for another 15 minutes with the lid off till the crust is at the desired doneness.

Here is the beautiful, crusty, delicious, light and flully loaf. It's a big hit in our house and does not last long!!