How to make No-Knead Bread...

OK, I do admit that I was rather sceptical to the whole idea of "no-knead bread". Being used to sourdough bread, that takes sooo much kneading, stretching, bashing etc. I really thought that something like "no-knead bread" simply doesn't exist (and if the recipe works, it must taste nothing like a real bread). I'm glad I was finally brave enough to give it a go. Brave, because I didn't want to "waste" the flour, my time and electricity for something, that will turn out to be a complete disaster...

Hmmm, as I'm typing it now... I'm eating my words! Literally! It was not only effortless, easy, straight forward, but also delicious and my kitchen smelled like a small bakery, even when the bread was still in the oven!

Yes, you have to plan ahead with this one as it takes 6-8 h for the first stage of making your no-knead bread. I started mine late at night, just before I went to sleep and finished it first thing in the morning - fresh bread for... well, brunch that that stage, but very good. Don't delay - even if you've never succeeded in baking bread before - give this one a chance!

How to make it...

Ingredients:

- 3 cups white flour OR bread flour
- 3/4 teaspoon yeast
- 1 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups slightly warm water
- spray oil or olive oil

Method:

- Take a big bowl and add your flour to into it. 

- Add the yeast and salt and stir thoroughly. 

- Measure out 1 1/2 cups of barely warm (tepid) water, pour into the bowl and stir thoroughly. The dough will look rough and shaggy.

- Spray the top of the dough with cooking spray, or lightly oil the top of the dough with olive oil. 

- Turn the dough in the bowl so the whole ball of dough is coated with the oil. 

- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Throw a towel over top of the bowl and set it in a warm corner.

- Leave it alone for 6 to 8 hours.

- After at least 6 hours have passed the dough will have risen and will look rather bubbly and stretched out. 

- Lightly oil the counter top and turn the dough out onto it, folding it over on itself at least once. 

- Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it sit for another hour.
- About 20 minutes before the hour is up, turn on the oven to 230 C. 

- Place an oven-safe Dutch oven or pot in the oven.

- The dough will have risen and nearly doubled in size. 

- Quickly shape the dough into a round ball and drop it into the pot. 

- Even if you can't get it into a good ball, that's OK. Just try to roughly shape it. You can, but don't have to, slash or cut the top of the dough with kitchen shears or a sharp knife. 

- Place the lid on the pot and put it in the oven. 

- Bake for 30 minutes. 

- After 30 min remove the lid from the pot. 

- Bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown. 

- Remove from the oven, take out of the Dutch oven/pot and place on a wire rack for it to cool.


Smacznego!


You may also like:

            

Have you made any of my recipes? Tag @anulaskitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #anulaskitchen