No Knead Bread

For our Early Childhood Director, Terri, this No Knead Bread recipe is her go-to for the easiest and best, rustic crusty loaf to make at home. Once you get the hang of it, you can have a bowl of dough sitting on the counter, ready to go at all times. Adapted from Jim Lahey at the Sullivan Street Bakery in Manhanttan.

 

Prep Time: 18 to 26 hours
Bake Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 1 loaf

 

Ingredients

  • 3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, plus more for dusting
  • 1½ cups plus 2 tbsp water
  • ¼ tsp instant yeast (or use about ⅓ tsp regular active dry yeast)
  • 1 tsp salt

 

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl stir together the flour, yeast, and salt.
  2. Add 1½ cups plus 2 tbsp water.
  3. Stir until blended – dough will be shaggy and sticky.
  4. Cover bowl with plastic wrap or a plate and let it rest on the countertop for 18 to 24 hours at room temperature.
  5. The dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles.
  6. Flour a work surface and place dough on it.
  7. Sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice, then roughly shape into a ball.
  8. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour.
  9. Fold towel over the bread or cover with another cotton towel and let it sit for another hour or two.
  10. While the bread is resting, preheat the oven to 450°.
  11. Put a six- to eight-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex, or ceramic) in oven as it heats.
  12. When the dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven.
  13. Slide your hand under towel and flip the dough over into the pot; it may look like a mess, but that’s okay.
  14. Cover and bake for 30 minutes, then remove the lid and bake another 10 to 15 minutes, until it’s golden
  15. Enjoy and eat up!