Jim Lahey’s quick recipe for no-knead bread was published in the in Mark Bittman’s New York Times Food Section in 2006. The concept made use of the fact that wheat doughs naturally form their own gluten over time.
So you mix this recipe up one evening, let it raise and form gluten over the next 12-18 hours, do a few quick stretch and folds, raise it and bake it.
And the Recipe, Please
This one is really easy, and the bread is as close to artisan you can get without going to all the trouble. A sourdough version follows.
Interestingly, while the recipe’s popularity took off with a NY Times article in 2006, I found a booklet in my Mom’s cookbooks from Pillsbury, title No-Knead Bread dated 1945-46.
There are 3 books I recommend, Lahey’s“My Bread”, Zoe Francois’ “Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day” , and Nancy Baggett’s “Kneadlessly SImple”.
No-Knead Bread Yields one 1 1/2 pound loaf
3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
¼ teaspoon instant yeast
1¼ teaspoons salt (may take a hair more)
1-5/8 c water
Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed. We, of course, recommend the NewClay Pottery No-Knead Bread Bowl (shown in the pictures here) for mixing and baking. But, if you have to, any bowl will do. Interestingly, a 10″ tagine makes a perfect baker also.
1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky.
Cover bowl lid or with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees. If your house thermostat cuts back at night, place on unlit stove-top, set oven to minimal temp (probably 150-170) and place a dish towel over the covered bowl or if you have the lidded NewClay no-knead bread bowl, just put the lid on.
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 once or twice. 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) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal.
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.
(Note, in the photos, I used a bread board, covered with the bowl in which the initial raising took place, and put the bowl over the dough upside down. Saves messing up a towel. If the bowl is warm, it will speed the raising).
4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put your NewClay Pottery No-Knead Bread bowl (or other bowl if you have to) with lid in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, use hot pads to carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into the 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.