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!!  

Bread-No Knead vs Kneaded

No-Knead bread

Here is where I saw the recipe originally-No Knead Bread recipe

I pinned it to Pinterest and I revisit this recipe over and over. It is not a difficult bread to make but here are three important points-

1. You need a covered dish like a dutch oven or a covered casserole dish that can go into the over at 450 degrees for an hour

2. Prepare the dough overnight. It has to sit for 6 to 8 hours so the easiest thing to do is start it at bedtime and baking it in the morning

3. Use BREAD flour. Regular flour doesn't work very well. In fact it's stringy, sticky, hard to work with and doesn't rise enough. Make sure you have Bread Flour.

(The following recipe is copied from Steamy Kitchen)

http://www.steamykitchen.com

ingredients:

3 cups bread flour (I like Harvest King bread flour)1/4 teaspoon instant yeast1 teaspoon fine table salt (or 3/4 tablespoon of kosher salt)1 1/2 cups warm waterCovered pot (five-quart or larger cast iron, Pyrex, ceramic, enamel...something that can go into a 450F oven.)

directions:

1. Mix dough: The night before, combine all ingredients in a big bowl with a wooden spoon until the dough just comes together. It will be a shaggy, doughy mess. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit 12-20 hours on countertop.

2. Shape & preheat: The dough will now be wet, sticky and bubbly. With a wet spatula, dump the dough on a floured surface. Fold ends of dough over a few times with the spatula and nudge it into a ball shape. You can use your hands if you like, just keep your hands wet so that the dough does not stick. Place a large sheet of parchment paper on counter. Plop your dough onto parchment paper. Lift parchment paper up with dough and place into a large bowl. Cover bowl with a towel. Let it nap for 2 hours. When you've got about a half hour left, slip your covered pot into the oven and preheat to 450F.

3. Bake: Your dough should have doubled in size. Remove pot from oven. Grab the ends of the parchment paper and lift entire wobbly dough blob out of bowl into pot. Doesn't matter which way it lands. Shake to even dough out. Cover. Bake 30 minutes. Uncover, bake another 15-20 minutes or until the crust is beautifully golden and middle of loaf is 210F. Remove and let cool on wired rack. If not eating right away, you can re-crisp crust in 350F oven for 10 minutes. Best way to eat it? Smear a warm slice with some good butter (Kerrygold and Lurpac are both found in your grocery stores, usually on top shelf)

Pizza porn! After the bread was all baked and cooled, I cut two thick slices. I covered in pizza sauce, and mozzarella. I added cut up Kalamata Olives (obsessed with those-btw) and fresh chopped Cilantro.

Sprinkle with a little Oregano and now that I think of it-I should have added some Parmesan Cheese!

Bake in toaster oven till warm and cheese is a little brown and bubbly!

My lunch!! 

White Loaf Bread

Here is the recipe:  Classic White Bread

My two loaves both baked today. Which is better? The White Loaf Bread is sweeter and more dense whereas the No Knead Bread has a lighter bread but lovely golden crispy, crunchy outer crust. Both are excellent for eating!