No-Knead Bread

This no-knead bread recipe is incredibly easy and is perfect for anyone who loves fresh bread but doesn’t want to spend hours in the kitchen. I can’t recommend this recipe enough! It gives you a delicious, crusty loaf of bread with a soft and fluffy interior. It’s the perfect bread to serve with a warm bowl of soup or just with a bit of butter and jam.

Ingredients

500 g (4 cups) bread flour
350 ml (1.5 cups) warm water
25 g fresh yeast or 8 g dry yeast
5 tsp (25 ml) oil
1 Tbsp (12 g) sugar
2 tsp (10 g) salt

You will also need a 5-7 liters (5-7 quart) dutch oven or heavy pot with a lid.

A Dutch oven pot with a lid is used to bake bread because it creates a moist environment that helps the bread rise and develop a crispy crust. The lid traps steam inside the pot, keeping the dough moist and preventing it from drying out as it bakes. The heavy pot also conducts heat evenly, producing a consistent and thorough bake. Baking bread in a Dutch oven also helps to produce a loaf with a large, round shape, which is not always possible with a standard baking sheet. Additionally, using a Dutch oven pot with a lid allows you to bake bread at high temperatures without the risk of burning the bottom of the loaf.

Directions

In a small bowl combine the fresh yeast, sugar and bit of warm water. Let is sit for 10 minutes or so until it starts to become bubbly.

In a large mixing bowl, pour in the water. Add the oil, yeast, flour and salt.

Mix everything with a spoon or a dough whisk just until the ingredients come together a bit. It’s ok if you still have lumps.

Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let the dough rest for 1 hour in a warm place. If you live in a cold place, just turn the oven lights on and place the bowl inside. The heat from the lights is enough to make the dough rise nicely.

After 1 hour, it’s time for some stretch and folds. Using wet hands, gently stretch the dough out and then fold it back onto itself. Repeat this process 6-8 times, until the dough becomes smoother and more elastic.

Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let the dough rest for 1 more hour.

After 1 hour, lightly flour your work surface and transfer the dough to it.

Shape the dough using a stretch and fold technique. Gently grab one end of the dough and stretch it up and away from you, then fold it back onto the center of the dough. Form it into a rough ball shape. Use your hands to gently shape it into a round loaf. To do this, cup the sides of the dough and pull the dough towards you, rotating the loaf as you go. Tuck the edges of the dough under, creating a smooth and tight surface on top.

Place the dough back in the mixing bowl, cover it with a clean kitchen towel and let it sit in a warm place for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C) and place a Dutch oven or any heavy pot with a lid in the oven to heat up.

After 30 minutes, shape the dough into a round loaf again using the same stretch and fold and shaping technique as before.

Place the shaped loaf into a floured banneton or proofing basket, seam-side up. Sprinkle some flour on top. Cover it with a clean kitchen towel and let it rise for another hour or until doubled in size.

Once the dough has risen, carefully remove the preheated pot from the oven and place it on a heatproof surface.

Place the shaped loaf on a piece of parchment paper and score it with a sharp pairing knife or blade. This step is optional.

Gently transfer the dough to the pot and place the lid on top.

Place the pot back in the oven and bake for 30 minutes with the lid on.

After 30 minutes, remove the lid and bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown and has a hard crust.