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FacebookIs it really possible? No-Knead Artisan Bread
There is absolutely nothing like the smell of fresh home baked bread straight from the oven. The siren call of the crackling crust as it cools is simply irresistible. For a piece of bread warm from the oven, I would break the cardinal rule, and that is to let it cool down long enough for the cooking process to complete, and for the moisture to be absorbed back into the bread as opposed to escaping as steam causing a dry crumb later.
A slice slathered in smooth creamy butter is heaven. The feeling of satisfaction and reeling euphoria from just one bite of first, the crusty exterior and then the warm soft fluffy center soaked in butter compounds quickly into an addiction that requires yet another bite and then another, and another, until the craving is sated. (For some, it would take the entire loaf!)
When I baked my first loaf of bread, it was a disaster. How difficult could it be? After all, it’s only flour, water, yeast and some salt. I had not anticipated the complications in ideal conditions for which the bread needed, all of the resting time and the amount of energy required to hand knead the dough. (Yes, I am a wuss.) I ended up with a brick I could throw through my kitchen window. I felt defeated. I questioned my abilities in the kitchen.
It was several years before I would venture back into the foray of bread baking. I’d read about a recipe for Artisan bread that was easy to make and required no kneading. No-knead bread? Why it’s blasphemy! I simply had to investigate. It led me to the recipe below that was heard around the internet and surprisingly stirred a new personal obsession in bread baking.
It is truly a no-knead bread. The recipe was first introduced by Jim Lahey and author Mark Bittman on NY-Times.com’s, Bitten Blog, though it was by no means, a new technique. But it started an online craze as foodie bloggers and the like tweeked and adapted the recipe to create some incredible variations of the this no-knead European-style boule. Traditionalists might turn their noses up on this radical technique but the results are undeniable. And if I can get a flavorful loaf with little effort, I’m all in favor of it.
The texture, while full of airy cavities retains a dense, chewy consistency and the flavor is indescribably delicious. The picture perfect crust and craggy holes would make any baker proud.
From this one recipe, I’ve found the confidence and interest to return to the traditional techniques. But quite often, I find myself making the no-knead version because of its simplicity. It literally takes the “science” out of bread baking for those of us “science-challenged”. Try it, and you’re sure to impress family, friends and maybe even surprise yourself.
No-Knead Artisan Bread
- 3 cups all purpose flour (or bread flour), more for dusting
- 1/4 teaspoon Instant yeast (or bread machine yeast)
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 1 1/2 cups water
- Cornmeal (or wheat bran), as needed
Directions
In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 1/2 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky.
Cover bowl. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees. (My house was bit warm that night and it still turned out so exact temperature is not a prerequisite to make this work, note “about” 70 degrees, if it’s warmer, shorten your resting time, if it’s cooler, lengthen your resting time.)
Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles.(See how it’s doubled?) This dough is a rather wet dough, which makes it tricky to handle but it’s what gives it the nice open texture.
Lightly flour a work surface and gently scrape dough onto it; sprinkle with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice.
Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let rest about 15 minutes. (I just placed a large bowl over the dough)
Spray a mixing bowl lightly with cooking spray. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly place the dough, seam side down into the bowl.
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 475 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic. Pretty much anything heavy will work as long as the handles are tested for high temperatures. I bought my cast iron pot at Walmart, though Allen’s, K-Mart, Big G and Herberger’s carry a wide range of options for you to choose from.) in oven as it heats.
When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Sprinkle the bottom generously with cornmeal.
Gently nudge and turn dough out of the mixing bowl into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but it will be a beautiful mess. Carefully shake pan (it’s hot) once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid, carefully slide the pot back into the oven, close the door and turn the oven down to 450 degrees. Bake 30 minutes.
Then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned.
The loaf should feel hollow when thumped on the bottom. Let rest on a rack for at least 30 minutes before cutting. (It’s a challenge to not just tear into it but if you can exercise patience, the crumb will retain moisture keeping its chewy texture when you toast it the next morning for breakfast. Yummy!)
If you’re interested in more about no-knead bread, read this article that appeared on NY-Times.com.
If you decide to try this, I welcome comments on your experiences and adaptations on your experiments on the no-knead bread.
Cheers!
—
Grocery stores in Hastings include:
- Allen’s
- Sunmart
- Russ’s IGA
- Walmart
Tags: Bread, flour, Freanch bread, no-knead, recipe, wheat
About the author: Jeannette Bierman
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