No-knead bread

So this is not an outfit post. Today I’ll be talking about bread!

The truth is – I love bread! I grew up eating bread with everything (my Mom, 90% of the time, made bread). Bread for breakfast. Bread for lunch. Bread for dinner. Bread for Nutella snacks. Or just bread on its own with some butter.

 Even though I have cut on eating bread quite a bit (especially in the last year after I did Gluten Free diet for a year), I still enjoy it once in a while.

So when my sister told me about this No-knead-bread recipe from NY Times Cooking, it had to be tried.

If I can make it, so can you! Trust me! 

It’s super easy to make and it’s very delicious!  It only requires four ingredients. And maybe a little patience, as it needs 14-20 hours of rising (I went with 18 hours the first time). 

UPDATE 2020: I’ve been making a faster version too which just requires more yeast and warm water and it’s done in 2-3h. Sometimes I let the dough rise for 2h, sometimes just for 1h. The crust is thinner than the 18H version but just as good). 

Below is how mine turned out

I Baked it in the Cast Iron Dutch oven

Ingredients: 

3  Cups All Purpose or Baking Flour (a bit more for dusting) –  ( 430 grams  Flour ) 

1/4 teaspoon yeast (1 gram yeast )   (for 2h version add 1tsp instant yeast)

1 1/4  teaspoons salt – ( 8 grams salt )

1 1/2 cups water ( 345g water)  (For 2h version use warm water)

Preparation:

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Slowly add water and 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.  (For fast version do step #2 after 1-2 hours and then follow rest of the steps the same)
2. 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 2-3 times. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.
3. 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) or parchment paper works too, with flour, put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours (Fast version 15-30min*). When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.
4. 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.

* I hope I didn’t confuse you with the update of the fast version of this no knead bread. If I did, please let me know in the comments below any questions you might have. I’ve been making the fast version the last couple of months (during this COVID time) and it tastes just as good to me. As I mentioned above, the crust is thinner and easier to eat IMO lol

Bon Appétit!