4 Ingredient No-Knead Bread

Take a deep sigh of relief with me, folks.  We have now conquered bread.  And it was delightful.  This recipe is almost too easy.  It makes your bread taste even better because you didn't have to work very hard for it. 

 

Four ingredients to make amazing bread.  No, this isn't April Fool's.  Kosher salt.  Warm water.  Active yeast.  Bread flour.  Boo ya!

 

The night before you plan on eating this bread, you need to mix all the ingredients together.  In a large bowl add 3 cups flour, 1/4 teaspoon instant yeast, and 3/4 tablespoon kosher salt.

 

Then add in 1 1/2 cups warm water. 

 

Mix together with a big wooden spoon until the dough just comes together.

 

That looks about right.  A big gooey mess. Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit on your kitchen counter for 12-20 hours.

 

Here's what mine looked like after 20 hours or so. 

 

Flour your counter and use a spatula to dump dough on counter.  Fold ends of dough on top of itself until a ball forms.

 

There we go!

 

Dust a cotton (non terrycloth) towel and place it in a bowl.

 

Place dough in towel with the seam-side down.

 

Fold the edges over the bread and allow to rise and rest for 2 hours.

Place your dutch oven in your oven as it preheats to 450 degrees for 30 minutes to heat it up before you plan to bake your bread.

 

Here is my beautiful risen dough.

 

Carefully place your dough in your hot dutch oven.  Cover and bake for 30 minutes at 450 degrees.  Uncover and bake 15-20 minutes until bread is fully browned.

 

If this doesn't make you want to carbo load, I don't know what does.

 

Remove bread to a cooling rack and try not to eat right away.  The bread with crackle loudly as it cools, which is something I've never experienced before.  You just have to hear it to believe it.

 

Fresh bread with butter is one of life's greatest pleasures. 

 

So go buy some bread flour (if you didn't have some, like me) and make this super simple bread.  It's especially nice now that it's cold --- if you are unlucky enough to live somewhere that gets cold in the winter.  Suckers.

No-Knead Bread
From Steamy Kitchen (from NYT)

3 cups bread flour
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
3/4 tablespoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups warm water

The night before you want to eat your bread, combine 3 cups bread flour, 1/4 teaspoon instant yeast, 3/4 tablespoon kosher salt, and 1 1/2 cups warm water in a large bowl with a wooden spoon until the dough just comes together.  Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 12-20 hours on counter.

The next day your dough will have risen a lot, but still be wet and sticky.  Use a wet spatula to dump the dough on a floured surface.  Use spatula to fold ends of dough over itself a few times make it a rough ball shape.  Dust a cotton towel (not terrycloth) with flour and place in bowl. Set dough seam-side down on towel and fold towel over the dough.  Let it rest for 2 hours. With 30 minutes left, put covered dutch oven in oven and preheat to 450 degrees.

The dough should have doubled in size. Remove hot pot from oven and place dough into pot.  Loosely shake to even dough out.  Cover pot and bake for 30 minutes at 450 degrees. Uncover and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until the crust is browned.  Let bread cool on wired rack.

Dough will turn soft overnight and can be re-crisped by placing in 350 degree oven for 10 minutes.