No-Knead Bread: What you don’t know
I know, I know…you already know all about this bread. While everyone’s homebound, a huge amount of people began learning some really cool things like knitting, gardening and cooking. This recipe though, was a HUGE hit (along with Dalgona coffee of course).
The history of how this bread came to be
I wanted to share the backstory that you may not know of, about how this bread got started, because it’s possible that like me, you may have thought “this is too easy, it must be the inferior bread”. However, nope, it’s not. In fact as I watched City Bakes with Paul Hollywood (that’s right the king of bread himself), I learned that it was Jim Lahey of Sullivan Street Bakery who came up with this method of baking bread. The reason for inventing this bread & method was to create an attainable way of making bread that enabled home bakers to produce bakery style, quality loaves.
So, NO, this bread is not some fast, less worthy version of what’s being produced by professional bread makers. In fact it’s a fancy, bakery counter worthy, show stopping quality loaf.
The ingredients are minimal, and the method is simple. All you’ll need is some parchment paper and a Dutch oven (thick-walled, seasoned cast iron cooking pot with a tight-fitting lid).
The beauty of this recipe that I want to share with you it’s it versatility. I’ve created both savory and sweet bread using this same simple recipe. I’m providing you with the basic recipe below, but here are a few options to get you thinking outside of the box:
- Cinnamon Raisin
- Cherry chocolate chip (cherry jam + chocolate chips)
- Sautéed Onions + Peppers
- Rosemary + Kalamata Olives
- Roasted Garlic + Italian Herb
As a general rule, if an ingredient is on the wetter side, you may want to give it a little dusting in flour to ensure it doesn’t make the dough too sticky, or the bread too soggy.
Sift (aerate) the flour, yeast and salt in a large bowl.
Stir in the water until combined (Reserve some of the water, if the dough is too dry, add the rest).
Cover with plastic wrap and let it stand at room temperature for 3 hours. I made the dough in a plastic bowl with a fitted lid, then use the lid to cover the dough.
After the 3 hour rise, your dough should have bubbles. Transfer it to a well-floured surface and sprinkle dough with a little flour. Fold dough about 10-12 times & shape into a rough ball. Don't over work your dough, you want it to be relaxed.
Place in a parchment paper-lined bowl and cover with a towel, or a fitted lid and leave it on the counter to rise for another 35 minutes.
Meanwhile, place your Dutch oven with lid in a cold oven and preheat to 450° F. When oven reaches 450° using oven gloves (because remember, your Dutch oven will be very hot), lift the parchment paper and dough from the bowl and gently place both the paper and the dough into the Dutch oven.
Cover and bake for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, remove lid and parchment paper. Return, uncovered, to oven and bake 10 - 15 more minutes (or however long it takes you to reach the desired crisp/crust on the top of your dough). Let it cool at least 15 minutes before slicing.
Ingredients
Directions
Sift (aerate) the flour, yeast and salt in a large bowl.
Stir in the water until combined (Reserve some of the water, if the dough is too dry, add the rest).
Cover with plastic wrap and let it stand at room temperature for 3 hours. I made the dough in a plastic bowl with a fitted lid, then use the lid to cover the dough.
After the 3 hour rise, your dough should have bubbles. Transfer it to a well-floured surface and sprinkle dough with a little flour. Fold dough about 10-12 times & shape into a rough ball. Don't over work your dough, you want it to be relaxed.
Place in a parchment paper-lined bowl and cover with a towel, or a fitted lid and leave it on the counter to rise for another 35 minutes.
Meanwhile, place your Dutch oven with lid in a cold oven and preheat to 450° F. When oven reaches 450° using oven gloves (because remember, your Dutch oven will be very hot), lift the parchment paper and dough from the bowl and gently place both the paper and the dough into the Dutch oven.
Cover and bake for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, remove lid and parchment paper. Return, uncovered, to oven and bake 10 - 15 more minutes (or however long it takes you to reach the desired crisp/crust on the top of your dough). Let it cool at least 15 minutes before slicing.
Enjoy!
°•🖤•°
Much love, tons of giggles & continued grace,
12 Comments
This is a beautiful looking bread! I’m sure it tastes delicious too. I’m looking forward to trying this recipe. 🙂
Thanks Alyssa-it’s such a fun recipe and makes you feel proud to create something so basic and homey to fill your family with goodness. Truly it makes you feel like a pioneer 🙂
This bread actually looks yummy and so easy to make. I’d love to give it a go at some point. Its so interesting reading about how and why this type of bread came about too! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Ruth, I was blown away buy the results. It’s the most simple recipe, I didn’t expect the results to be so delicious. I’m grateful to be able to make bread for my family.
This looks delicious! A well-written recipe, too. Thanks for sharing and you may have convinced me to finally make some no-knead bread. 😉
Linda, you really should give it a go. It’s a satisfying feeling to be able to put this on the table.
This is one impressive looking loaf! The rosemary & kalamata olive version would be amazing. It’s funny as I don’t love kneading bread, in fact, it prevents me from making bread. So I really need to give this recipe a try. Pinned to try soon1!
Yolanda, right?! Believe me, I was just as impressed. I was so happy to find out that the recipe is from a professional and still doesn’t need kneading.
Mmmm this is something I need to make soon. I’m always craving fresh bread and lately, I’ve been making a lot of sandwiches or having toast with my breakfast. This loaf sounds incredible and perfect for so many dishes!
Stephanie, the smell in the house is more than enough to get me to bake this bread. And yes IF there are leftovers, add an egg or sausage and you’ve got a great start to the day. Enjoy.
I love bread, but it always feels like a lot of work! No-knead bread really is a great way to get delicious bakery-style bread, trading in that extra work for time. It’s so good to make on weekdays when I’m working from home.
I agree Kait, I’ve wanted to make it but didn’t want to deal with the mess and process ( I didn’t think I had enough time). I’m working from home right now too, in fact as I write this, I’m making another loaf. Before the days starts, I put together the ingredients, now all I have to do is let is sit until I’m just about ready to make dinner.