Easy No-Knead Bread
This recipe couldn’t be simpler and this bread is delicious! It has a crusty crackling crust and a fluffy inside. It takes only a few minutes to mix, but it will need to rest for at least 12 hours, so make sure you plan ahead.
All you need are 4 basic ingredients, and a dutch oven. In fact, the first time I made this bread, I used a casserole dish with a glass lid and it worked fine. You might also want to get our your kitchen mixer if you have one. If not, a big spoon will work just as well (it’s just a bit more work to mix).
Typical dutch oven.
What you’ll need:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups water (room temperature)
A big bowl
A big spoon or stand mixer
A dutch oven or oven-safe pot and lid
Instructions:
Add the dry ingredients into a big bowl. Be sure to add the salt in a different spot than the yeast (the salt can inactivate the yeast). Mix it up. Add the water and mix until combined (your dough should look “shaggy”)
Cover the bowl with a beeswax wrap or a plate, and leave the dough to sit on the counter for 12-18 hours.
When you’re ready to cook, preheat your oven to 450 degrees fahrenheit. Put your pot in the oven while it’s heating up.
Sprinkle some flour on the counter and turn your dough out onto the floured surface. Sprinkle a bit of flour over the top of the dough. Shape the dough into a ball by tucking the sides under and turning the dough. Continue tucking and turning until the dough forms a ball and it’s no longer sticking to the counter (it won’t be perfectly round).
Use your oven mitts to take your pot out of the oven and take off the lid.
Get your hands under the dough, and drop it into the pot. Don’t worry if it’s not perfectly centred. BE CAREFUL to not touch the hot pot!
Use your oven mitts to put the lid back on (be careful, the lid will still be HOT!) and place the pot back into the oven.
Bake for 30 minutes. Take off the lid and cook for 15 minutes more.
Take it out of the oven and congratulate yourself for making a beautiful loaf of bread!
Note: the bread will be easier to cut into slices once it’s cooled. Slice into pieces and store in paper bag on the counter for a day or two. You can also store it in the freezer and take out the slices as you need them!
Recipe adapted from: https://www.jocooks.com/recipes/no-knead-bread/