No Knead Bread

Alexander The Baker measuring his first cup of unbleached all-purpose flour

Adding in the second cup of flour

The last and third cup of flour

Add in 1/4 tsp instant yeast

Add in 1 1/2 tsp of salt

Mix all the ingredients

All mixed

Add in 1 1/2 cups of water

Stir well

Thumb up, all well mixed

Cover with lid

Done

Leave to proof for at least 12 hours or 18 hours

Freshly baked

Cooling

Cool enough for slicing

Eat with lots of butter

Look at those holes

Schlemmerpotf used for baking the bread


After reading this The Secret of Great Bread: Let Time Do the Work By MARK BITTMAN http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/08/dining/08mini.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1 and watching several videos,blogs, I decided to try making it cos i have now own a Schlemmerpotf . I would have tried to make this when it was first introduced by Jim Lahey, 2 years ago, if only i could afford a Le Creuset enameled cast iron pot.

After seeing this handsome guy making this bread here http://steamykitchen.com/blog/2007/09/10/no-knead-bread-revisited/. I fell in love with him at first sight and he inspired me more to tackle this bread. Thanks Steamykitchen,for all the tips posted in your blog and give my handsome guy a big big hug. I showed that post to Alexander and he said 'me help', 'me can do'. Alexander The Baker went into action.

The crust for the first try did not crackled as the second try, perhaps the clay-pot was not hot enough after 1/2 hr preheat, so i gave it another extra 1/2 hr. The second bread was crackling as soon as it was turned out onto the cooling rack.

I used bread flour for the first bread and let it rest for 18 hrs as suggested. The second bread, i changed to unbleached all purpose and the resting time to 12 hrs. I did not find any difference in the texture and taste. I added 1/4 tsp of salt as food tends to be more bland with altitude. The recipe calls for 1 5/8 cups water, i used 1 1/2 cups and wet my hands as often as possible when handling the dough, so that should take care of the 1/8 cup of water.

The third try, i replaced 1 cup of flour with whole meal flour and the taste was so good, even the color of the bread was more appealing.

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour or 2 cups all-purpose + 1 cup whole wheat flour, more for dusting
¼ teaspoon instant yeast
11/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups - 1 5/8 water
Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed.

Method:

In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt.

Add 1 1/2 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky.

Cover bowl with plastic wrap or put the lid on if the bowl has one.

Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles.

Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice.

Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball.

Generously sprinkle cornmeal onto a 12 inch piece of parchment paper; put dough seam side down on parchment paper .

Lift the parchment paper with dough on it and place onto a basket and place basket and all back to the large bowl.

Put the lid on and let dough rise for about 2 hours.

When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

If using a cast-iron skillet, preheat the skillet at least a half-hour before dough is ready. I am using a claypot and i preheat for 1 hour.

Heat oven to 500 degrees(i use convection roast). Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats.

When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven.

Lift the parchment paper with the dough on it and place on to hot pot and cover with the lid.

Bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned.

Cool on a rack.