Easy Artisan, no knead, Crusty Bread
Recipe by Nagi
Why this bread recipe works
Loose, sticky dough = easier to rise than firmer dough.
No kneading = rough dough, but because the dough is so soft, it puffs up enough to “smooth out” the roughness.
Super forgiving dough – too stiff, add water. Too wet, add flour. Dough not rising? Move it to a warmer place. Takes 45 minutes to rise or 5 hours? It will still work. As long as you let it rise to double the volume, this bread recipe will work as long as the yeast is not past its expiry date!
Why you need a preheated Dutch oven for no knead bread recipes – to create a steamy environment to give the bread a rise boost before the crust sets (which stops the bread from rising). Professional bakeries are equipped with steam ovens – the cast iron pot is the home method!
Don’t have a Dutch oven? No problem! Recreate the steamy environment by placing hot water in a pan in the oven, and bake the bread on a tray.
Big holes in the crumb – loose dough from less flour, high oven temp and preheated pot allows the yeast to give the bread a great rise boost, creating big air pockets. Also, the use of bread flour rather than normal flour helps – you get fewer large holes using normal flour.
Bake immediately if it’s a bread emergency….
…but you’ll be rewarded with tastier bread if you leave the dough 8+ hours in the fridge! Make dough first thing in the morning then bake that night. Or make dough at night and bake in the morning.
Why refrigerating the dough creates a better tasting bread – because the fridge slows down the fermentation of the yeast (dough stops rising, if it kept rising it would kill the rising power of the yeast), allowing the enzymes in the yeast to do their work, transforming starch into sugar which creates a more flavorful bread. So, we let the dough rise first, then refrigerate it.
Ingredients
3 cups bread flour
2 tsp instant or rapid rise yeast
2 tsp cooking / kosher salt
1 1/2 cups very warm tap water
1 1/2 tbsp flour, for dough shaping
Preparation
Mix flour, yeast and salt in a large bowl. Add water, then use the handle of a wooden spoon to mix until all the flour is incorporated. Dough will be wet and sloppy – not kneadable, but not runny like cake batter.
Cover with cling wrap or plate, leave on counter for 2 – 3 hours until it doubles in volume, it’s wobbly like jelly and the top is bubbly. If after 1 hour it doesn’t seem to be rising, move it somewhere warmer.
At this stage, you can either bake immediately (move onto Step 5) or refrigerate for up to 3 days. Refrigerating the dough for at least 8 hours will increase the flavor.
If you refrigerated dough, leave the bowl on the counter for 45 – 60 minutes while the oven is preheating. Cold dough does not rise as well.
Put Dutch oven in oven with lid on (10" or larger). Preheat to 450°F 30 minutes prior to baking.
Sprinkle work surface with 1 tbsp flour, scrape dough out of bowl. Sprinkle top with 1/2 tbsp flour.
Using a dough scraper or anything of similar shape (cake server, large knife, spatula), fold the sides inwards (about 6 folds) to roughly form a roundish shape. Don’t be too meticulous here – you’re about to deform it, it’s more about deflating the bubbles in the dough and forming a shape you can move.
Slide a large piece of parchment/baking paper (not wax paper) next to the dough, then flip the dough upside down onto the paper (seam side down, smooth side up). Slide/push it towards the middle, then reshape it into a round shape. Don't get too hung up about shape.
Remove piping hot Dutch oven from oven. Use paper to place dough into pot, place lid on.
Bake 30 minutes covered, then 12 minutes uncovered or until deep golden and crispy.
Cool on rack for 10 minutes before slicing.
Keyword: Bread
