The idea, first developed by Jim Lahey in his Sullivan Street Bakery in New York City, is simple but beautiful. Mix up a wet dough, let it rise overnight, pop it into a very hot pot in a very hot oven, and out comes a loaf with a beautiful crust that crackles as it cools, with an airy, bubbly crumb, and a chewy texture. You’re going to pat yourself on the back so hard your whole body will hurt. Seriously, folks, this bread is easy and delicious.
Why and How No Knead Bread Works
Yeast breads typically need to be kneaded to develop strands of gluten in order to form structure to hold the gasses that yeast produces so the bread will rise. So how does this work with a no-knead bread? The simplest explanation is that in a very wet dough like this no-knead dough, the gluten floats around more, and strands form on their own over time. This is why the rising time is so much longer than typical bread recipes. The long rise also develops excellent flavor in the dough. The second important factor for making a crusty loaf of bread is a hot Dutch oven. When the wet dough goes into the hot pot, the lid captures the steam so the bread bakes in a humid environment, which gives it a beautiful crisp crust. Also, the pot acts as a mini-oven. The heat is actually compressed and concentrated around the bread much more than if it were baked on an oven shelf with the wider walls of the oven containing the heat.
The Best Flour for Dutch Oven Bread
All-purpose or bread flour works the best for this recipe, but other flours like whole wheat, spelt, or rye flour will work in combination with the white flour. Start by substituting one cup of alternate flour for one cup of the all-purpose flour. If you like the results, you can try using more of it the next time you bake.
The Yeast to Use for This Bread Recipe
I like to use instant yeast, also known as rapid rise yeast, but if you have active dry yeast on hand that will work too. I love this brand of yeast; I buy it in bulk and you might want to too if you start baking with yeast a lot. It keeps a long time in the freezer—as long as a couple of years, as far as I can tell!
How to Use Sourdough Starter Instead of Yeast
If you have sourdough starter, use it! You can use sourdough starter alone without yeast or sourdough by itself without any yeast.
Sourdough starter + yeast: If you’re new at using a starter or your starter isn’t robust, you might want to use a combination of yeast and starter. To do this, decrease the yeast in the recipe to 1/4 teaspoon. Add the yeast to the flour when you mix the dough. Then place about 1/4 cup (50g) of sourdough starter in a liquid measuring cup. Add enough room temperature water to measure 1 1/2 cups. Stir to combine the starter with the water and add to the dry ingredients.Sourdough starter only: If you have an active and robust starter, skip the yeast altogether. Just add 1 cup (200g) starter to a liquid measuring cup. Add 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cup room temperature water. Stir the starter and water together then add to the dry flour and stir to combine.
How to Make Perfect No-Knead Bread
I’ve gotten this bread down so I could do it in my sleep (if that were possible!) It has two rises, one of which happens overnight.
No Knead Bread on a Flexible Schedule
Mixing and Rising: As I mentioned before, you can throw everything into the bowl of a stand mixer and mix with the paddle attachment. Let it rise in the same bowl. If you are mixing by hand, also easy (and fun), be sure to use a large enough bowl. The dough will probably double or triple in volume when it rises overnight. Timing (stay flexible): My preference for this bread is to give it an overnight rise at room temperature. It also develops more flavor with a slow rise. But flexible timing is the beauty of this dough.
At almost any phase during the first rise, you can pop the dough in the fridge to slow down the rise. You can keep it in the fridge for up to five days for the first rise.For the second rise, shape the dough and let it rise on the counter, but if you forget you have somewhere to go you can pop the shaped dough into the fridge and it will be fine for 3 or 4 hours. If it has risen enough, take it directly from the fridge to the oven, or leave it out at room temperature to continue rising until it is pillowy and has doubled in size. (Hint: Take a picture with your phone so you can remember how it looked when you started.)
What’s the Best Way to Score Bread?
Scoring bread before baking serves as a release valve for the dough as it expands, and keeps the loaf looking nice. Without it your dough will probably burst in places. Not the end of the world, it still tastes great. You could use a very sharp knife, razor blade, serrated knife, or credit card (!) to cut into the dough. There are a lot of fun designs: hashtags, tic-tac-toe, or just a few 1/2-inch-deep slashes will help the bread rise evenly.
The Best Dutch Oven for Baking Bread
Use either a cast-iron pot or an enameled cast iron pot, 5-quarts or larger, because it has excellent heat-retaining qualities.
What If You Don’t Have a Dutch Oven?
Without a Dutch oven there are two options worth considering.
Let the Bread Cool Completely (No Cheating!)
Slow down, cowgirl! You’ve put some time into this, so don’t cut into the bread until it’s thoroughly cool. It continues to bake a little more after it comes out of the oven, and you will spoil its gorgeous texture if you’re impatient. The bread will compress and the texture will be squishy rather than airy and full of pretty holes.
How to Store Freshly Baked Bread
Your bread will not stay ‘forever fresh’ like most store-bought breads, but it will be really good for at least two days. When the bread cools completely (and not before), you can cut into it. On day one, leave it out, uncovered, with the cut side down on a counter or cutting board to keep the crust crisp and the cut edge from drying out. To store it overnight, or for up two days, wrap it in waxed paper and place it in a plastic bag or a cloth bag, if you have one. I like to store mine in one of the many lightweight canvas bags I’ve accumulated. You probably have at least one in your closet. To store it for more than two days, keep it in waxed paper inside a ziptop bag, but be aware that the crust loses its oomph and crispy texture. That’s why toasters were invented! P.S. My last meal, if I get to choose it, will be a thick slice of this bread, toasted so it’s crisp on the outside and soft on the inside and slathered with butter. If I don’t get to go to heaven, I will at least have experienced it on the earthly plane.
Ways to Use Up Stale Bread
The first go-to with stale bread is to toast it. But there are several other ways that make stale bread like money in the bank. Fresh baked bread usually dries out before it acquires mold, so be sure to turn it into something delicious. Here are a few ideas:
Turn it into breadcrumbs Make croutons and toss them in your soup or salad. Leftover bread is ideal for bread pudding (yum) or French toast. Tear it into pieces to add to vegetable bean soups like minestrone.
How to Freeze This Bread
It will be impossible to resist this bread, but if you don’t plan on eating a whole loaf within a day or two, wrap a whole or partial loaf well in foil and slip it in a ziptop bag. It will keep in the freezer for at least three months. To refresh a frozen loaf: Let it defrost at room temperature. Preheat the oven to 350oF. Spritz the loaf lightly with water and place it directly on an oven rack for 15 minutes or so, or until the crust feels crisp. Cool completely before slicing.
More Homemade Bread Recipes
Whole Wheat Bread Homemade Rye Bread Homemade Potato Bread Boston Brown Bread Anadama Bread Irish Brown Bread
Adapted from Jim Lahey’s No-Knead Bread recipe. You can also mix this quickly in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and let the dough rise in the mixer bowl. After the first rise, the dough can be refrigerated. Stretch and fold the edges in toward the center to make a ball, which deflates the dough and redistributes the yeast. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and store in the fridge for up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature before using. Pat the dough into a thick square, and bring all four corners toward the center to form a ball that is smooth on the bottom. Pinch the ends together firmly. Turn the dough over and, with cupped hands, shape it into a round with a smooth top. If your Dutch oven’s knob is not metal, cover the knob with foil to protect it. Bake the bread for 30 minutes. If you like, you can use an instant-read thermometer to test the internal temperature of bread; it should register from 190o to 210oF when the bread is done. Total baking time is 50 to 55 minutes.
