No-knead Bread

My family and friends know that I regularly bake an easy to make bread that I enjoy each morning with my coffee.

I recently met people interested in my bread and asked about my recipe. I suddenly realized that although I had mentioned it on this blog I never posted the recipe. So, here it is:

 

 

No-Knead Bread - Adapted from Mark Bittman’s recipe

 

Ingredients:

• 675g flour (300g white – bread flour - + 375g whole meal)
• 10g instant dried yeast
• 1 ¼ tsp salt  
• 2 cups lukewarm water (adjust water depending on humidity level)
• 50g walnuts (coarsely chopped)

 

Steps:

- Mix flour, instant yeast, salt and water together and stir well with plastic spatula.

- Add walnuts; stir well.

- Let dough stand for ~ 2 hours at room temperature and then for another 12 hours (or more) in the fridge (or at room temperature of about 20⁰C). No need to knead.

Note: The texture of the dough is springy.

12 hours (or more) later:

 

 

 

- Flour a board and fold dough in 3. Form a mount; flatten it (smooth surface on top – folds underneath).  No need to knead. Let it stand for about 1 hour.

- During this time preheat oven (with cast iron pot and lid in it) at 240º C for 15 minutes.

- When oven is ready, transfer dough in cast iron pot (lined with baking paper). Sprinkle with corn flour or oatmeal.

- If dough is not too soft score slashes on top.

- Put lid on cast iron pot and bake (at 240º C) for 30 minutes.

- Remove lid and add a bowl of water on the bottom of the oven. Bake for another 30 minutes or until top is slightly golden brown.

- Turn off oven and take out the cast iron pot from oven. Take out the bread and let it cool down on a metal rack.

With no bread robot, no dough mixer and a home electric oven I don't pretend to reach professional level but I am very pleased with the results. 

I sometimes put rye flour and different types of dried fruit (raisins, apricots, etc.) Be creative and you will get a delicious and healthy bread. I hope you will enjoy doing this recipe and like the result as much as I do.  This bread can be kept up to 1 week in an airtight container in the fridge. Give it a try! 

 

Toast thin (or thick) slices in oven and enjoy!

Bon appétit!