That famous no-knead bread

It’s been a year to the day since Mark Bittman’s Minimalist column in The New York Times turned conventional wisdom upside down and prompted who-knows-how-many people to make bread for the first time. This crusty, holey no-knead bread featured in that column is the brainchild of Jim Lahey of Manhattan’s Sullivan Street Bakery. It’s become so closely associated with Bittman, though, that some refer to it as his bread and after a certain domestic diva embraced it, many think it’s her bread.

It’s Lahey’s.

Making bread without kneading is not revolutionary; a whole book about it was written in 1999 by Suzanne Dunaway, who used the method to make Italian breads in about ninety minutes. This bread goes in the opposite direction, with a first fermentation of 12 to 18 hours — the longer, the better — and a second rise of about two hours. As the master artisan bread baker Dan Leader has said, time equals taste.

Also different here: it’s baked in a pot and produces a shattering crust without all the tricks and jumping through hoops I abandoned long ago. And, no small thing, it’s foolproof.

This bread uses just a tiny amount of instant yeast, which could seem alien to beginning bread makers, especially those who have used only bread machine recipes with their near-standard quantity of 2 1/4 teaspoons — one packet — per loaf. (It’s so prevalent that King Arthur actually sells a measuring spoon for 2 1/4 teaspoons.) Have faith; after 18 hours your dough will be bubbly and risen and smell wonderfully yeasty.

A few words about the recipe: the original, which is here, calls for a first rise in a warm environment of about 70 degrees. I don’t keep my thermostat set that high and I know from experience that yeast dough rises in the fridge, albeit more slowly, so don’t fret about the temperature in the kitchen. What is important is to keep the dough in a spot that’s not drafty.

Since it’s baked in a pot or Dutch oven at 450 degrees (230 C) – preheated to ward off sticking — if your only pot is non-stick make sure your brand’s non-stick coating is safe at that temperature. All-Clad’s is, most are not. If you’re using enameled cast iron, as many people do for this, ensure the lid’s knob is safe. Many are not.

I encourage everyone to follow the first link to the column, which not only explains how and why this works but also includes a helpful video tutorial. And since this bread has nothing in it to retard staling, wrap and freeze leftovers or use as croutons or stuffing for the Thanksgiving turkey.

No-Knead Bread

Adapted from The New York Times

3 cups/375g bread flour
1 1/4 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp instant yeast
1 5/8 cups/13 oz water, warm but not hot

In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients to combine. Add the water and stir until it’s a blended and shaggy dough. It will be very wet.

Cover with plastic wrap and set aside to rise for 12 -18 hours.

Dump the risen but still-sticky dough onto a well-floured surface and turn it onto itself once or twice to deflate. Drape with plastic wrap and let rest for 15 minutes.

Heavily flour your hands and a cotton dishtowel or silicone sheet. Form the dough, as best you can, into a ball and place it, seam-side up on the towel. Cover with another floured towel and let rise about two hours, until doubled in size. [I lift the towel a bit after an hour to make sure it's not sticking.]

Place a large covered pot in the oven and preheat to 450 degrees/ 230 C/ Gas Mark 8 for at least 20 minutes.

Dump the dough into the hot pot, seam-side down, and shake to distribute, if necessary. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove cover and bake another 15-30 minutes until bread is browned.

Cool on a rack.

Ella’s notes: Resist the urge to put the gooey mixing bowl into the dishwasher. Sticky dough cleans up much easier with cold water. And if you forget to put the pot in the oven during preheating — as I once did — put a round of parchment on the bottom to prevent sticking. Heating the pot is important; as users of stainless cookware know, get a pot or pan hot enough and nothing sticks.

Related: About Bread Baking    What is Instant Yeast?  Faster Wholegrain No-knead Bread

Tagged as: easy