Flour, salt, yeast, and water. Mix it. Let it sit overnight. DO NOT knead it. Bake it. That’s it!!! This Not So Secret No Knead Bread recipe just became that thing you never knew you needed and your new best friend!
When I first saw a version of this recipe I fainted a little.
“What do you mean “No Knead””???
My mind was boggled. So, of course, I had to try it.
Catch?!
I don’t own a dutch oven or anything similar – MAJOR sigh.
I have been eyeing and lusting over the Limited Edition Maple Leaf Round French Dutch Oven from Le Creuset but my pockets aren’t deep enough – I’m dealing with a student salary over here!!!
BUT! I know someone who does have a dutch oven… and, yes, I took advantage on my last visit to do some recipe testing!
And, boy, I am so happy I did.
I’m not lying when I say this is a recipe you never knew you needed and that it will become your best friend. Even in the heat of summer turning on the oven to make this deliciousness is well worth it!
Before I attempted this amazingly crusty bread, I did a little search… and pretty much found versions of this recipe EVERYWHERE! Literally.
That’s why it’s not so secret!
I also have to say, while reading the multiple different no knead bread recipes, I realized that some bloggers that also posted about this recipe had comments that were not so nice!
Everyone get’s their recipes from different places… I personally looked at Pinch of Yum’s Miracle No Knead Bread, Jo Cook’s No Knead Dutch Oven Crusty Bread, and a whole bunch of other recipes (google no knead bread and I clicked on every link on the first two pages).
I also made my way over to see what Serious Eats’ Kenji Lopez-Alt had to say in the article: The Food Lab: The Science of No-Knead Dough. The recipe is pretty much the same as mine, as well as the other bloggers I mentioned and the other 20-odd links I used for my research. However, what’s different in The Food Lab’s recipe is the refrigeration of the dough for three days!!! Not to worry! I don’t make you wait that long for a tasty loaf of bread, I think it was good after one sleep-sleep, but of course I’ll have to try the three day method.
Even with the differences in recipe, I included the Kenji’s article because it’s a great read if you want the scientific reason why a no knead recipe works: like how yeast is needed because of it’s ability to make carbon dioxide… or if you want to explain it to a kid who thinks farting is hilarious, how yeast “farts” to puff up the dough and create air pockets in the resulting loaf of bread. #nerdalert LOL!
Now I mentioned how I developed my version and why it’s called Not So Secret No Knead Bread. I do need to give a shout-out all the way back to 2006 (yep, that long ago!) when the technique and recipe for no knead bread was unleashed on the world by Mark Bittman (his book How to Cook Everything: The Basics is a bible to me) when referencing the recipe from Jim Lahey of Sullivan Street Bakery. He actually has a new book coming out in November called: The Sullivan Street Bakery Cookbook,and I think I need to preorder it!
In the meantime, I’m considering dipping the bread into this soup, or even using the bean portion of Hearty Tomato Scallion White Bean Dip as a tasty spread.
Hope you enjoy!
Not So Secret No Knead Bread
INGREDIENTS
- 3 cups 470g all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. traditional yeast
- 1 1/2 cup 375ml, 375g water, room temperature
INSTRUCTIONS
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In a large bowl, whisk to combine the flour, salt and yeast.
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Add water slowly while mixing with a wooden spoon. You want the dough to come together and be slightly sticky, this consistency might be slightly less than 1 1/2 cups or slightly more. If you need more, add by the spoonful.
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Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for a minimum of 12 hours.
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When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 450F. Place a large dutch oven (at least 5.3 L or 5.5 QT) in the oven to preheat for 30 minutes.
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White it's getting hot, scrape the dough onto a well floured surface and shape into a ball or oval loaf and place on a piece of parchment paper.If you still have a long time to go before the dutch oven is ready, place plastic wrap on top to prevent drying.
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Once the dutch oven is heated, place the dough inside with the parchment paper. Cover and return to the oven for 30 minutes.
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After 30 minutes, remove the lid and continue to cook for 10 to 15 more minutes to get a nice golden colour.
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Serve anyway you like!
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