This is another variation of the No-Knead Italian Ciabatta Bread, but same concept. Throw it together the night before, bake it the next day. There's no need to knead. Easy peezy. This came from this YouTube video, and "so easy a 6 year old can do it".
4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. active yeast
1 1/2 tsp. salt(I use sea salt in all my cooking)
2 cups warm water
In a LARGE bowl(I use my humongous Tupperware one, everyone seems to have one) mix the dry ingredients together, just use your fingers or a spatula. Pour in warm water and mix well. It will be VERY sticky and look too moist, then too dry, then too moist again. Don't worry about this! Cover with loose lid, saran wrap, or foil and set into a draft free area. This needs to set overnight, so if you prepare it the night before at say 9:00pm, you can bake it after 9:00am, all they way up until 3:00pm. 12-18 hours.
The next morning, heat your oven to 500', very hot. If you can, use a large dutch oven or non-stick oven proof casserole with a good fitting lid. Preheat the pot you're going to use. Dump the dough out onto a greased and floured counter. You'll want to grease up and flour your hands as well, it is very sticky. Stretch it out length wise and fold into thirds. Stretch opposite into a longer piece again, and fold again in thirds. Pull hot pot out of oven and drizzle just a little olive oil along bottom, you can also sprinkle with a little cornmeal. Plop, yes, PLOP, the loaf folded side down into the hot pot and sprinkle a little more flour or cornmeal on top. Put lid on and bake in the 500' oven for 30 minutes. Remove lid for another 10-15 minutes. The steam from baking with the lid on makes the loaf bubble and rise, and then removing the lid will brown it and let the top crackle. Beautiful!
I tried this a few weeks ago while my sister was visiting. We had trouble burning the bread in my cast iron dutch oven. Did you have any trouble with that? What did you cook it in?
ReplyDeleteHey Vicki, I just used a non-stick half size stock pot that can go in the oven. Cooked covered for 30 minutes, and took the lid off and kept cooking for 15. If I do it on the baking sheet, then I only cook for 25-28. It's come out perfect every time.
ReplyDeleteThey just did a piece similar to this in my FoodNetwork Magazine here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/no-knead-peasant-bread-recipe/index.html