No-knead bread has been a staple in my life for a while now. I was introduced to it by my mother who, to be honest, is one of the chefs that Idolize in my life to date.
For those new to this world, no-knead bread differs from normal bread in the way in which it makes its gluten strands. Gluten strands are what gives bread its texture.
As compared to normal bread that uses kneading to get its gluten strands, no-knead bread depends on a long fermentation time to get its texture.
Enough of the science, now let’s get our hands dirty.
Focaccia from the No need to knead book by Suzanne Dunaway
No-knead enthusiasts swear by Suzanne Dunaway and it’s easy to understand why. History seems to credit her with bringing no-knead bread to the masses.
Here is a modified recipe from her original book that I found on a friend’s blog which has become a staple in my house.
I hope it touches your heart and taste buds the way it touches mine.
Ingredients
- 2 cups very warm water
- Sea salt
- 3-3/4 cups bread flour
- 1 package yeast
- Olive oil
- Pinch of sugar
- 2 to 3 teaspoons salt
Equipment
- Large bowl
- Wooden Spatula for stirring
- Plastic bag
- Oven
- Parchment paper
Step by Step Focaccia Bread Recipe
- Pour the measured water into your large bowl
- Add in your yeast and the pinch of sugar and let the yeast rest until it foams up
- Now add in the flour and the salt and stir the mixture until it is smooth. This step will take you roughly 2 minutes so be patient with it.
- Stir in the remaining flour until the product that you end up with is moist and a bit rough in texture.
- Cover it with a plastic bag and give it an hour to rise.
- When the dough is just about ready set the oven temperature to 500 degrees.
- Put your parchment paper on a baking sheet and scrape out the dough onto the baking sheet with your wooden spatula.
- Drizzle one tablespoon of olive oil on the dough and form it into a large oval about one inch thick.
- Make dimples on the surface with your index finger, then sprinkle them with salt.
- Place your dough in the preheated oven and immediately lower the temperature to 450 degrees
- Bake until it is golden brown which according to my experience takes roughly 30 minutes.
No-Knead Bread by Jim Lahey
This is an adaptation of the original recipe by Jim Lahey that was published in the New York Times by Mark Bittman.
It is easy to make and requires minimal effort and a few basic ingredients.
Let’s dive right in:
Ingredients
- 3 and a half cups of all-purpose flour
- Quarter teaspoon of instant yeast
- 2 teaspoons of kosher salt
Step by Step Procedure
- In a large bowl add your flour, salt and yeast then add in the water.
- Stir until it becomes a sticky shaggy looking mixture
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough sit for 12-18 hours at warm room temperature
- When the dough begins being dotted with bubbles, flour your work surface and place the dough on it.
- Sprinkle a bit more flour on it and fold it over itself twice then cover loosely with a plastic wrap and let it sit for another 15 minutes.
- Using enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to your fingers or the work surface, shape the dough into a ball and place it on a cotton towel generously coated with flour and cornmeal.
- Cover with another towel and let it rise for another two hours. The dough will have doubled in size when ready.
- At least half an hour before the dough is ready preheat your oven to 450 degrees and have a heavy covered pot in the oven while it heats
- When the dough is ready, remove the covered pot carefully and move your dough into your pot.
- Cover with the lid and bake for 30 minutes, then remove the lid and bake for another 15 minutes until the loaf is beautifully browned.
How to Make No-Knead Bread
Thank you if you have gotten this far into the post and have tried at least one of these recipes. I hope you have as much fun baking as I did writing this for you.
Don’t forget to have fun while you’re at it!