Bake Almost No Knead Bread

This bread is considered by many to taste just like artisan bread made by renowned bakers, and has even achieved its own "cult status" .[1] It doesn't need much kneading; just a little will suffice and the rest of the work is done by the dough itself and the cooking method. Just be aware that the dough needs time to rise, either during the entire day or better still, overnight – and that you need a Dutch oven or heavy cast-iron pot. The bread is delicious, so be sure to have plenty of people to enjoy it on the day it's baked,otherwise it loses flavor after each day.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (15 ounces / 425 grams)
  • ¼ teaspoon instant or rapid-rise yeast
  • 1 and ½ teaspoon table salt
  • ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons water (7 ounces / 200ml ), at room temperature
  • ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons mild-flavored lager (3 ounces / 85 grams)
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar

Steps

  1. Mix the ingredients to make the dough. Whisk the flour, yeast, and salt in a large bowl. Add the water, beer, and vinegar.
    • Fold (Baking). Use the spatula to scrape off the dry flour from the bottom of the bowl until a raggedy ball forms.
  2. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to sit at room temperature for 8 to 18 hours. If leaving it overnight, take care not to leave near an open window if there is a cold breeze.
  3. Prepare the skillet before proceeding. Place the sheet of parchment paper inside the skillet, and spray the top of the paper with non-stick cooking spray.
  4. Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a lightly floured work surface. Knead lightly 10 to 15 times. There is no need to knead it beyond this amount.
  5. Shape the dough into a ball. Do this by pulling the edges into the middle and creating a seam where the edges meet. Gently push the ball together.
    • Remove the dough ball from the work surface and place it onto the parchment-lined skillet. Place it seam-side down. Spray the surface of the dough with non-stick cooking spray.
    • Cover the dough ball loosely with plastic food wrap.
    • Leave the dough to rise for about 2 hours, until it doubles in size, and doesn't spring back when poked with your finger.
  6. Prepare the oven. About 30 minutes before baking, put the oven rack in the lowest position. Place the Dutch oven (with lid) on the rack. Preheat the oven to 500ºF (260ºC).
  7. Lightly flour the top of the dough. Make a slit in the dough; take a razor blade and make a 6 inches (15.2cm) long and 1/2 inch (1.27cm) deep slit along the top of the dough.
    • Another variation is to make a cross when slitting, as seen in this image.
  8. Move the dough into the Dutch oven. Lift out the pot from the oven with care (wear oven mitts), and remove the lid (keep your mitts on).
    • Pick up the dough by lifting the parchment paper from its opposite edges. Lower the dough into the pot gently and fold down any overlapping pieces of parchment paper over the pot's edge. Replace the lid and put the bread dough into the oven.
  9. Switch down the heat to 425ºF (218ºC). Bake the bread for 30 minutes with the lid sitting in place on the Dutch oven.
    • After 30 minutes, remove the lid. This will allow the top of the bread to brown. Continue baking until you can see a deep-brown color. You can also test the center of the dough with a cooking thermometer – the bread is ready at 210ºF (99ºC) in the center. This will take another 15 to 30 minutes.
  10. Take the bread out of the oven. Remove the bread from the pot and allow to cool on a wire cooling rack.
    • Leave it to cool completely on the rack. It will reach room temperature in about 2 hours.
    • Serve with butter or other spread as wished.

Cold Oven No Knead Bread

  1. Gather the ingredients. You'll need:
    • 300 g flour
    • 9 g kosher salt
    • 5 g powdered yeast
    • 1/4 quarter cup (or small handful) of flax meal or wheat germ
    • A handful of brown sugar
    • A big pinch of each dried thyme and dried rosemary
    • 200ml water.
  2. Select a mixing bowl that will hold the dough that will rise up during the maturing process. A cover is nice - but you could use plastic wrap, a damp towel or even place the whole bowl in a plastic bag.
  3. Mix all of the dry ingredients together.
  4. Add the 200ml water. Mix wet and dry - all you are trying to do is to get all the flour incorporated in the dough. Pretty doesn't count.
  5. Cover and let sit for 8-18 hours - longer is better. Short is still not bad.
  6. Prepare the baking pan. It needs a top to hold in steam. Spray oil on the top and bottom.
  7. Dump the 'mature' dough on a floured surface. Work in the surface flour (adding as necessary). When done, make a ball and place in the baking pan.
  8. Let rise for about an hour. Minimum is doubled in size but could be 4x size for lighter bread.
  9. Put the pan containing dough in cold oven. Set at 425ºF.
  10. When the oven reaches 425ºF, immediately reduce temp to 375ºF and set timer for 25 minutes.
  11. Remove the top. Spray mist the oven with water. Set the timer for another 15 minutes.
  12. Finally, remove the finished bread and dump onto a cooling rack. Let cool for 1 hour. Don't burn yourself.
  13. If, after ten minutes, you cannot wait any longer, slice off a piece with a serrated edge knife. Spread with butter. Congratulate yourself and decide with whom you will share the rest of this loaf.



Tips

  • This bread is best consumed the day of baking.
  • If you need to keep this bread longer than the day of baking, wrap in aluminum foil and store in a cool, dry place. Consume within 3 days.

Warnings

  • Be careful if you have a drafty kitchen; cold breezes will prevent the bread from rising properly.

Things You'll Need

  • Large bowl
  • Mixing implement
  • Rubber spatula
  • 12" x 18"(30.48cm x 45.7cm) sheet of parchment paper (baking paper)
  • Oven mitts
  • 10" (25.4cm) skillet
  • Non-stick cooking spray
  • Plastic food wrap
  • 6 to 8 quart (5.6 litres to 7.57 litres) heavy-bottomed Dutch oven with lid (enameled cast-iron is best) or a heavy stockpot with lid
  • Wire cooling rack

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  • The recipe in Method 1 was adapted from a NY Times article that was passed around the web for a couple years, and was eventually modified with great success by America's Test Kitchen.
  1. ↑ Chris Preovolos, America's Test Kitchen's Take on No-Knead Bread, http://blog.ctnews.com/lunchbreak/2009/09/12/americas-test-kitchens-take-on-no-knead-bread/
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