Directions: |
Directions:In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 1/2 cups water, and stir until blended;dough will be shaggy and stick. Cover bowl completely with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 10-12 hours, preferably about 18, at room temperature, about 70 degrees (60 nite-68 day worked at teachers house too. TIMING: Start this step the day before you will bake the bread.
2. The next day, after the long rising(12-18 hrs.), check the dough. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with lots of tiny bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.
3.Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball, (the bread will be round). Generously coat a thin cotton tea towel not terry cloth) with flour.Put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour. Cover with another cotton towel (or the same towel just folded over on itself) and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be about double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.
4. At least a half-hour before dough goes in the oven, heat oven to 450º. Put a 6 to 8 quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, aluminum, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. We use a large stainless steel spaghetti pot & lid. When dough is ready, carefully remove hot pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is OK. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 10 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack. |
This recipe for No-Knead Bread is from