Introduction
Since its introduction by the New York Times in 2006 by Jim Lahey (Sullivan Street Bakery), the recipe for no-knead bread has become popular amongst many chefs worldwide. One can even make pizza dough out of it by 1 cup of flour and kneading the dough. The recipe does take quite a while to complete, but the result is worthwhile.In a New York Times article, it is stated that "kneading just isn’t necessary for good homemade bread." I believe that less work can result in better bread, but there are some things to keep in mind:
- To make whole wheat bread, use 1/2 cup whole wheat flour and 2 1/2 cups of bread flour.
- You can use 3/4 tsp of kosher salt instead of table salt.
- The recipe calls for 1 5/8 cups of water. You can use just 1 1/2 cups.
- The dough SHOULD be sticky. Don't add too much flour.
- I warm up my oven (200 degrees Celsius), turn it off and then let the dough rest inside.
- You can knead the dough a little after wetting your hands.
- Know your oven and don't overcook the bread -- as I did.
The most important part of the process is letting the dough rest long enough (at least 18 hours) so that the dough has fermented long enough. You can modify the recipe as you wish and view another no-knead recipe online in the video in Mark Bittman's article.
When you follow the recipe and watch the 2 videos in support of it, keep 3 things in mind: 1) Make sure the expiry date on the instant yeast is OK, 2) Let the dough ferment long enough; mine only fermented for 12 hours, and 3) Don't overcook the bread.
To cook no-knead bread properly, you pot should be at least 4" high and be able to withstand 450 degrees (no plastic). You may use parchment paper if the bottom of your pot is old, but make sure that it has a good seal, as the pot is itself IS the oven and moisture from within will circulate throughout the pot.
Even Kids Can Make This Bread
