Easy No Knead Bread
Finding bread in the supermarket right now is proving to be a little tedious. Actually, trips to the supermarket on the whole are proving to be a little tedious.
Maybe your Tesco/Ocado delivery replaced your bread with something completely non-food related like soap. We know that feeling.
Worry not, this easy no knead bread recipe has come to the rescue! It requires 3 ingredients, little supervision, and no kneading at all. Basically, your dream bread recipe!
Mix together flour, instant yeast, salt, and room temperature water in a bowl and leave on the counter top the night before to grow. After 12 to 18 hours, your bread will have risen and look all bubbly. Pop it in the oven and after 40-45 minutes, you’ll have a crusty white bread ready to be slathered in butter.
12 to 18 hours certainly sounds like a lifetime but by making this the evening before, you’ll be asleep for half of the wait. The longer the duration of the rise, the better, so aim for the 18 hour mark.
Using a dutch oven to cook your bread in isn’t a necessity here but is certainly handy. You can replace the dutch oven with any oven safe dish with a lid, just be sure to check the cooking instructions. I bought my red dutch oven from here. (Affiliate link)
This recipe is extremely versatile so feel free to add any additional ingredients to make it that perfect crusty loaf of bread.
Some variations I’m going to try:
- Cheese and chilies
- Cheese and confit garlic
- Cinnamon and raisin
- Italian mixed herbs
- Za’atar
I had originally found this recipe on the NYT food website by Mark Bittman via Jim Lahey, and adjusted it slightly.Let’s cut to the chase. Here is the easy no knead bread recipe you didn’t know you needed!
EASY NO KNEAD BREAD RECIPE
INGREDIENTS
- 400g (3 cups) all purpose flour
- 1.5 tsp table salt
- ½ tsp instant yeast
- 350ml room temperature water
METHOD
- Combine flour, salt, yeast, and water in a large bowl until it is just mixed. Do not over mix.
- Cover loosely in cling film and leave on your kitchen countertop for 12-18 hours.
- When you are ready to bake, preheat oven to 210c and place your dutch oven pan in there for 30 minutes.
- Whilst waiting for the pan to heat up, place your dough on a floured parchment paper and shape lightly into a round mound. Do not knead at this point. Expect the dough to be sticky so use a spatula.
- Remove pan from the oven and slowly place your bread with parchment paper inside. Just be careful as it will get extremely hot!
- Close the lid and place the pan back in the oven.
- After 30 minutes, remove the lid of the pan so that the top of the bread can brown up.
- After 15-20 minutes, remove the pan from the oven. The bottom of the bread should sound hollow when tapped.
- Serve immediately with butter, curry, keema, whatever your heart feels.
This bread is best enjoyed on the day whilst it is still crisp!
