Everyday Crusty No-Knead Loaf
This bread relies on time rather than muscle. By mixing flour, water, salt, and a small amount of yeast into a shaggy dough and letting it rest for at least 12 hours, you create a deep, complex flavor and a shatteringly crisp crust without ever touching a kneading board.
Patience is your primary ingredient.
The dough needs a long, slow rise at room temperature. If you try to rush the process, the crust won't develop the character you're looking for.
- Large glass or ceramic mixing bowl
- Plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel
- Dutch oven with lid
- Parchment paper
What goes in.
- 3 cupsall-purpose or bread flour
- 1 1/2 cupslukewarm water
- 1/2 tspinstant yeast
- 1 1/2 tspfine sea salt
Baking in a Covered Pot
Baking inside a lidded Dutch oven traps the moisture evaporating from the dough, creating a humid environment that keeps the surface soft initially so it can expand fully before the crust hardens.
The method.
Mix the dough
Whisk the flour, yeast, and salt in a bowl. Pour in the water and stir with a sturdy spoon until the flour is hydrated and you have a shaggy, sticky mass.
The long ferment
Cover the bowl tightly. Leave it on the counter for 12 to 18 hours. Look for the surface to be dotted with bubbles and the dough to have doubled in volume.
Shape
Turn the dough onto a heavily floured surface. Fold the edges into the center a few times to form a round ball. Let it rest, seam-side down, on a piece of parchment paper for 45 minutes.
Preheat
Place your empty Dutch oven into the oven and heat it to 450°F (230°C). Keep it in the heat for at least 30 minutes while the dough rests.
Bake
Carefully lift the dough by the parchment paper and drop it into the hot pot. Cover with the lid and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for another 15 minutes, until the crust is deep mahogany.
Other turns to take.
Seeded Crust
Toss 2 tablespoons of sesame or poppy seeds into the flour mixture before adding water.
Herbed Dough
Add 1 tablespoon of finely chopped fresh rosemary or thyme during the initial mixing stage.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Don't skimp on the flour when shaping; the dough is very wet and will stick to your hands if you don't use enough dust.
If the dough looks flat after the 12-hour rise, don't worry—it will spring up once it hits the hot Dutch oven.
Let the bread cool completely on a wire rack before slicing, or the interior will have a gummy texture.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I use active dry yeast instead of instant?
Yes, just make sure you dissolve the active dry yeast in the water for 5 minutes before mixing it into the flour.
How do I know if the loaf is done?
The bread should sound hollow when you tap the bottom, and the crust should be very firm to the touch.
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