When I began this blog (2007), I promised myself to experiment, take chances and try new things. I used to fear baking and never thought to make my own bread but I tried, had moderate success and practiced and tried different methods.
Last month I tried the Jim Lahey no-knead bread method and I am delighted to share that this is the best bread I’ve made; nice open crumb, crusty exterior, easy preparation and consistent results. One caveat is that you need at least 12 hours before you can begin shaping the the dough.
This bread used far less yeast than most recipes but the magic happens from natural fermentation. I like making the dough in the evening and shaping takes place first thing in the morning.
As per Jim Lahey, you can add a bit of white vinegar to help with that sourdough flavour. Resist the urge to add more yeast and another bonus…no sugar! There are countless videos online (have a look) and most transfer the dough into a preheated cast iron Dutch oven. I don’t make bread one-at-a-time – I prefer to place my dough on parchment lined baking sheets.
The results are damn good!
No Knead Bread
Course: Appetizer, VegetarianDifficulty: Easy2
loaves5
minutesIngredients
3 cups bread flour (or unbleached all purpose flour)
1/4 tsp. active dry yeast
1 3/4 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. white vinegar
1 3/4 cup very warm water
Directions
- Into a plastic container (with a lid), add your flour, yeast. Mix with a wooden spoon to amalgamate.
- Add vinegar and water and mix until combined and there’s no more dry flour. Add a bit more water if needed. Cover and leave to bulk ferment for 12-14 hours.
- Your dough should be double to 2.5X in volume. Gently empty your dough on a lightly floured counter and divide into 2 or 3 pieces. Stretch the the top part of dough inward, then bottom end inward and now the sides. Invert the dough ball and gently tighten dough ball by pulling downward. Repeat with remaining dough.
- Cover your dough with oiled plastic wrap and allow to rise 30-60 minutes.
- At this point you can transfer the dough onto parchment-lined baking sheet or gently shape the bread into a shape you like (try not to deflate the dough).
- This is the final rise, dough should double in size.
- Pre-heat oven to 450F. When oven is ready, slash the tops of your dough with a razor or sharp knife and place in the oven. Throw a glass of hot water into your oven and bake for 30 minutes
- Allow your bread to cool before serving.
Notes
- After bread has cooled to room temp, you can wrap well and place in the freezer. When you want the bread, take out of the freezer and thaw on your counter. Place in a pre-heated 300F for 15 mins. to refresh then serve.
- Recipe says it makes 2 loaves but you can easily divide/make into three loaves.
