I missed the the No-Knead bread phenomena in 2006 when Mark Bittman posted Jim Lahey’s recipe for No-Knead Bread in the New York Times. Lahey’s ridiculously easy method for mixing bread dough and his method for baking it in a pot went viral as people around the world discovered they could, too, bake beautiful crusty artisan rustic bread at home without the fuss. It wasn’t until a couple years ago I heard about No-Knead bread when my neighbor brought over a loaf and we ended up sharing slices of yummy white bread slathered in buter and jam.
When Sarah told me how easy it was to make bread at home I didn’t believe her. I thought she was joking because I believe in the saying, if it sounds too good to be true then it probably is. But it was gloriously true. And since then I have become a convert.
I’ve always hesitated to write about this bread because it’s already been done. What left can be said about this bread? However, I’ve been baking two loaves every other day the last couple months and I thought it would be a great idea to share with you how I like to make this bread because it is faster and easier than Lahey’s original way of doing it.
To make the bread is fairly simple. You mix luke warm water, flour, yeast, and salt in a bowl with a spoon unil the dry ingredients have been completed mixed with the water. It takes less than one minute. From there you cover the bowl with a wet kitchen towel, plastic wrap, or foil. You let the dough rest overnight. This is where I do things a little bit different than Lahey. The original recipe calls for folding the dough and letting it go a second rise in a cloth generously covered in flour. When it comes time to bake, you preheat a cast-iron pot with the lid on. When the oven is ready, you are suppose to carefully remove the lid and transfer the bread into the hot pot without burning yourself.
I had multiple issues with doing it this way. Often times my bread would stick to the cloth – a bread baking no-no. I hated having to pull dough from the cloth and then throwing the cloth away because I was always afraid to wash it with my other laundry. Then there was the whole issue I had with making sure I didn’t burn myself when transferring the dough to the hot pot. This was a source of some bread baking anxiety that often occured for me. Sometimes the bottom crust of the bread would burn but I still found baking this bread worth it. That is, until I discovered a few tips and tricks to make it so easy, it’s practically fail proof.
The way I make No-Bread is by mixing the ingredients like the original method and letting it rest overnight. The next day when I’m ready to bake, I line the bottom of my pots (1 cast iron and the other one a normal non-stick soup pot) with a small square of parchment paper. Instead of punching the dough down for a second rise, I add just enough flour to the bubbly looking dough (because I make two at a time) so I can scoop the dough from the bowl without it sticking too much to my hands. From there I place the loosely formed dough ball in the center of each pot. I cover the pots with lids and stick them both in my cold oven. I set the oven temperature to 450 degrees F. and my kitchen timer for 30 minutes. When my timer goes off I carefully open the oven door and remove both lids and close the oven door for the bread to continue to bake. I set my timer for another 30 minutes. When the timer rings, I carefully remove the pots from the oven.
Inside the pots are beautiful, rustic, artisan-like bread which can only be described as glorious. I grab clean kitchen towels and tongs carefully removing the loaves from the pots. The smell of warm yeasted bread wafting throughout the house is incredible. As far as the flavor and texture, I can only describe it as glorious. Beautiful, glorious bread with no burned bottom crust.
My mother has taken to making bread almost daily. I converted her. And trust me, if she can do it, you can do it, too. This easier way of baking this bread is a game changer. You’ll want to bake bread all the time and I don’t blame you one bit. You’ll never want to buy artisan bread again.
Tips: If you have two pots with oven safe lids that can fit in your oven, make two batchs of this at the same time and bake both loaves at the same time. The baking times are the same and you’ll be happy to have two loaves because the first one always disapears so quickly. Any leftover bread can be stored in a ziplock bag. The crust will soften a bit in a ziplock bag but it makes for excellent sandwich bread, toast, and for making croutons.
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon instant yeast
- 1½ cup luke warm water
- In a medium large bowl, mix the flour, salt, and yeast together. Pour the water over the flour mixture and mix with a spoon until the flour is absorbed and the mixture resembles wet sticky dough. Cover the bowl with either plastic wrap, foil, or a clean, wet, kitchen towel. Place the bowl in a warm place.
- Allow the dough to rest overnight.
- Cut a piece of parchment paper slightly smaller than the base of the pot. Place the parchment paper inside the pot.
- Sprinkle just enough flour on the dough to be able to scoop the dough out with your hand without being too sticky. Place the loosely form dough ball in the center of the pot, on top of the parchment paper. Place a oven-safe lid on top of the pot and place it in the cold oven.
- Turn the oven on to 450 degrees F and set a kitchen timer for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, carefully remove the lid from the pot and bake for an additional 30 minutes. Remove the pot from the oven and carefully remove loaf from the pot.
- Allow the bread to rest for 5 minutes before cutting into slices.
Alice Currah says
Hi Valerie,
After trying this bread both ways I have to say that I love this method. No second rise and no ruined dish balls. Have you tried this way of making the bread? It was such a revelation to me after making it the original way. Would love to know your thoughts.
Valerie says
I have been making Jim Lahey’s bread for years. Totally agree with you about letting it raise on towels. Washed them with clothes and got little cement balls. I now let it raise the second time on cutting board, then scoop up with bench dough scraper. This dough scraper has been a lifesaver for any dough (scones, bisquits, bread, etc.) I use it for the kneeding before the second rise, then to scoop and throw into hot pot.
Jennifer says
Thanks for the recipe! I just tried it, and the bread looks awesome. I haven’t cut into it yet, but it looks very promising. 🙂 The first recipe I used for no-knead bread says to stab the loaf in several places after removing from the dutch oven, to let steam escape. Do you do that? I did this time, just to be safe…but if it makes no difference, I’d rather skip that step. I also made it into a tighter ball than you say. It looks just like a loaf I used to buy in Berkeley, which makes me very happy.
Preeti says
Hey, thank u sooo much for this recipe and method. I tried it just this morn and we have lovely bread for breakfast. What a wonderful suggestion abt putting the bread inside a cold oven. I did sometimes think abt it but always thought it was a no-no
Alice Currah says
Hi Jill,
I have baked two small loaves in the same pot before. They bake together and do touch, like a 2 ball snowman. You would have to pull them apart. Otherwise you can just bake them in 2 separate pots.
Alice Currah says
Hi Lynnae,
Well it’s a bubbling soupy mess, so I suppose you could try it the way you suggested but it won’t be a loaf, maybe more of a flat bread. Not only that, it you could have it sticking to the parchment.
Jill says
We live on no-knead bread around here. When you make multiple small loaves, do you put them all in the same dutch oven? Do they stay separate, or do you have to break them apart? Thanks in advance.
Lynnae says
Can’t you just let the dough rise in the cast iron so you don’t have to transfer it after it’s risen?
Alice Currah says
Hi, yes! However I use half and half.
Heather says
Could you make this with whole wheat flour?
Christine B. says
LOVE. I am in love. I doubled the recipe last night but when I went to bake it this morning, tall husband and son had left for the day and my casserole dishes where still on top of the cabinets where I can’t/won’t reach. (I’ don’t like my step stool) So I faked it with a pasta pot and a crockpot insert (both covered with foil). Everything came out wonderfully. Only change is that I will grease the sides of the insert next time.
Timing was perfect in my oven. I would suggest that the lady who had trouble with the timing (Lisa?) get her oven checked or use an oven thermometer. Our house came with an old oven that lied about the temperature so I used a thermometer until we replaced it.
belama says
It sure would be nice not to have to do the second-rise thing. I have been making no knead bread for a few years now and timing the shaping/second rise can be inconvenient. I’m actually a bit skeptical about your short-cut (because the dough does change during th 2nd rise wrapped in a cloth) – – and alatho I have a ton of questions. I guess I should jump in and try it!!!!!!! Thanks for thesuggestion. Wish me luck!!!
Sherald Friend says
Try breaking the dough down into multiple loaves. I break mine into four min-loaves. More crust is just what I was looking for. Unfortunately, my dutch oven will only accommodate two loaves at a time, but so be it!! I get the enjoyment of all that additional crust. Dunking is for real bread lovers!!!
Sherald Friend says
I just posted below a pice concerning smaller loaves. I actually divide the dough into fourths so I get smaller loaves. I love the smaller loaves, as it gives me more crust to munch on. My cast iron dutch oven will only accommodate two at a time, but so be it!!
Sherald Friend says
I have been making this awesome bread fro about 8months now for my wife and I. We sometimes do not finish the loaf for health reasons before it goes bad. What I have learned to do, is once I have the finished dough ready for the pot, I cut and seal the dough in 4 equal parts. I now bake 4 small loaves that come out scrumptious, and I never have to throw any away. Besides, I love the crust best anyway!!! Enjoy!! I hope this helps some others out there.
Kelley says
I made this bread for dinner tonight…HOLY SNAP. It was by far the most delicious bread I have ever made. When my husband saw the golden brown loaf, he said “wow, that looks really pro.” Then we ate the entire thing in one sitting.
Meryl says
Sorry, that was 1+1/4 tsp salt (8g).
Meryl says
PS. In his book he also avocates using bread flour. That makes a difference too.
Meryl says
I love this recipe and now make it almost daily but although the proportions are a bit forgiving, you actually get quite different results therefore I think it is useful to note quantities by measurement. In Laheys book “My Bread” he gives these as :
Flour 3 cups (400g)
Salt 1+1/2 teaspoons (8g)
Yeast 1/4 tsp (1g)
Cool water 1+1/3 cup (300g)
Like you, I was using 1+1/2 cup water but I actually find this Lahey update of his recipe superior in structure. I sometime add 1/4 cup sourdough starter to the recipe to boost the sour flavour.
Sandra says
I have not baked bread for many years. My daughter shared this recipe with me over the holidays and now I bake bread once or even twice a week.i’m hooked and have experimented with different variaitons, whole wheat flour, herbs, raisens are next. I even used my old corning ware dish as well as a cast iron pot. No difference in results, both came out perfect! Keep the hints comimg……..
Lisa says
Also, 60 minutes was too long for this bread. I baked it 30 with lid, 15 without and it was still burnt. Last night did it 15 and 15, and it was not burnt, and still had good loaves.
Lisa says
Found I had instant yeast (saf-yeast). Two tsp of salt was too much. Only use 1 tsp and it was better. I also made this with gluten free bread. Cut salt down to 1/2 tsp for gluten free or it is like eating a salt lick.
Lisa says
Can I use active dry yeast instead? I don’t have instant yeast.
Marie M says
Could you divide this amount of dough and bake two small loaves instead of one big one? Would the baking time be the same? Thank you.
Alice Currah says
I love that you described the sound as a cheap pine door. Love!!