The Easiest, Super Delicious, No-Knead Bread

I like this better. This bread. It’s a thousand times better than store bought, even “artisan” breads and the bread the lady sold at our local farmers market (which flat out sucked and was expensive). It’s cheaper to make than those too and probably much simpler.

You need a cast iron pot/Dutch oven for this version. And I recommend it anyway. If you visit HomeGoods, Marshalls, or TJ Maxx you could find a rather nice one that won’t hurt your budget. I found mine for like $50 at Marshalls years ago and love it. Possibly the best thing in my kitchen besides my KitchenAid mixer from my ma-in-law. (Thanks, Eva.)

I am not a baker. Really. It intimidates me but sometimes I step out of that scared soft shell and put on my big gourmande apron and go for it. (Or boil a crab or something. I don’t know where I was going with that.) This is not one of those recipes. You don’t need an apron. Meaning you don’t have to pump yourself up to attempt making this bread like I believe you have to for others. This is not a poor-to-mediocre-at-best product from a bread machine. Because that’s what I remember with those. That and I recall several failed soda breads in my past whose directions I perfectly followed.

No failure here. I prepped this the other day, let it sit overnight and baked it yesterday morning and it’s gone. An entire boule of bread devoured by two people (and a little to 2 dogs) in less than 24 hours. And I want more. I could make this every other day for a while and not tire of its yeasty, crusty self. If I had more flour I would make it today. Greg was a huge fan too. I don’t think he wants me to buy bread ever again…even the good stuff we get at the co-op. That stuff is not cheap and gets pretty rough fast.

I guess this and similar recipes went around the blogosphere with plenty of food bloggers writing about “no-kneads” in 2006/2007 when Jim Lahey’s no knead recipe came out in Mark Bittman’s Minimalist column in the New York Times. I wasn’t in the foodie world then. I was too busy worrying about finding a job with a newly earned PSY degree, how to pay student loans and other bills (not much has changed), then once I found a job using my degree (although not my actual specific PSY area) being a good advocate for my clients as a social worker while trying to cope by crying my eyes out daily when I got home from work since the place treated me like crap and moving from our close to campus West Lafayette rental in a triplex (hey hey to my Purdue pals) to a bigger/cheaper apartment across the river/bridge in Lafayette, Indiana (best rental ever). Fun times. That’s when Greg got to meet the neat people on the bus that never got off, just spent their days riding around and talking to themselves. He soon started walking to work/campus which he said was some of his best thinking time besides his walks in the woods when he was home.

Making bread did not cross my worried mind…actually back then I probably wasn’t eating bread because I was doing the strict phase of the South Beach Diet or Weight Watchers or some calorie-restricting diet I created. Having carby deliciousness sounds way better than that life. Oh, we’ve come so far. Heh. Lots of this particular bread is needed. Slathered with butter, dipped in broth, covered in jam. Dammit, I need flour!

The Easiest, Super Delicious, No-Knead Bread (my name for it)

Ingredients:
3 cups all purpose four
1 3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp instant yeast
1 1/2 cups water (I needed just a smidge more)

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and yeast. Add the water and mix until blended, shaggy and sticky. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for 12 to 18 hours. Overnight is ideal. Preheat the oven to 450F. When heated, add a cast iron pot/Dutch oven with lid for 30 minutes to preheat the pot. Meanwhile, pour the dough on a floured surface and shape into a ball. Cover with the plastic wrap and let sit. Remove the pot from the oven and add the dough. Cover and return to the oven for 30 minutes. Then remove the lid and bake another 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack. I gave it 30 minutes then slathered it with butter and heard angels.