Recently, I discovered the most wonderful, simplest way to make bread. I believe in it so much that I don’t think there’s any good reason not to make your own bread. All the time. Every day. I’ve tested out the no-knead bread method before here, but I I didn’t realize the importance of starting at the beginning (a very good place to start). Bread baking is something you need to get the hang of. This is a basic white, rustic bread, or boule adapted from Jim Lahey, founder of the Sullivan Street bakery in NYC – who henceforth, I will refer to as the bread genius. In his book, My Bread, Lahey provides the recipe for a straightforward, no nonsense loaf that’s unbelievably crusty on the outside and fluffy and chewy on the inside. Besides the requisite bread flour, yeast, salt and water, the major components to a successful no-knead bread are time (lots of it) and a durable Dutch Oven. Make sure you invest in a good Dutch Oven, such as Le Creuset or Lodge. Not only will you use it for everything from soups to baking, but the enamel can withstand a 500 degree oven. Trust me, I learned this the hard way.
The trick to a successful no-knead bread is leaving it alone. The dough needs to rest and rise for at least 12 hours, though I prefer 18. During winter months, it can be left alone for up to 24 hours. All in all, it’s a lot of waiting - but if you strategize, I bet you won’t even notice. I must admit, however, that every time I make this recipe, visions of fresh-baked bread dance through my head for hours at a time. The first time I made this bread, I began at 11 o’clock at night. By the time I came home from work the next evening, it was ready to slide in the oven. When the bread was done, it was a thing of beauty. I couldn’t believe I’d produced it - I felt like a proud parent. It was definitely a “you’ve got to see this” kind of moment. After baking this bread, you may want to call your friends over for a look. But only offer the special ones a taste.
The Basic No-Knead Bread
Adapted from Jim Lahey of the Sullivan Street Bakery
Ingredients
3 C bread flour – make sure you buy bread flour. Unlike all-purpose flour, bread flour has more protein, a necessary component to creating gluten. Bread flour makes for a chewier loaf.
1 1/4 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp instant or active drive yeast
1 1/3 C cool water (55 to 65 degrees)
Wheat bran, cornmeal, or additional flour for dusting.
In a medium bowl, stir together the bread flour, salt and yeast. Add the water and, using a wooden spoon or your hands, mix until you have a wet, sticky dough (about 30 seconds). The dough should be quite sticky to the touch. If it’s not, add another tablespoon or so of water. Cover the bowl with a plate, tea towel or plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature (about 72 degrees F), out of direct sunlight, until the surface is dotted with bubbles and the dough is more than doubled in size. This will take a minimum of 12 hours and preferably up to 18 hours. The slow rise – fermentation – is key to flavor.
When the first fermentation is complete, generously dust a work surface, such as a cutting board, with flour (all-purpose or bread). Use a rubber spatula to scrape the dough onto the board in one piece. When you begin to pull the dough away from the bowl, it will cling in long, thin strands (that’s the developed gluten). It will be very loose and sticky, but do not add more flour. With lightly floured hands, lift the edges of the dough in towards the center. Nudge and tuck in the edges of the dough to make it round.
Place cotton or linen tea towel (not terry cloth, which tends to stick and may leave lint in the dough) and generously dust the cloth with wheat bran, cornmeal or flour. Using your hands or a bowl scraper, gently lift the dough onto the towel, so it is seam side down. If the dough is tacky, dust the top lightly with wheat bran, cornmeal or flour. Fold the ends of the towel loosely over the dough to cover it and place it in a warm, draft-free spot to rise for one to two hours. The dough is ready when it is almost doubled. If you delicately poke it with your finger, the dough should hold the impression. If it doesn’t, let it rise for another 15 minutes.
Half an hour before the end of the second rise, preheat the oven to 475 degrees F, with a rack in the lower third position. Place a covered Dutch oven in the center of the rack.
Using potholders, carefully remove the preheated pot from the oven and uncover it. Unfold the tea towel, lightly dust the dough with flour or bran, lift up the dough, either on the towel or in your hand, and quickly but gently invert it into the pot, seam side up. Be careful – the pot will be extremely hot. Cover the pot and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove lid and continue baking until the bread is a deep chestnut color but not burnt – about 15 to 30 minutes. Use a heatproof spatula or pot holders to carefully lift the bread out of the pot and place it on a rack to cool thoroughly (if you can resist eating it, which I cannot). Try not to slice or tear into the bread until it has cooled, which typically takes at least one hour. The operative word here is “try.”
