Lauren's notes: After trying this recipe once when I found it online, I was hooked and went out and bought the book. Seriously, you need to buy this book. I have never owned a recipe book that I felt was so worth its cost. Fresh, homemade bread with dinner every night...and it really is as simple as the title makes it sound.
This recipe is easily halved...half a recipe is enough for about two loaves, while a whole recipe gets you about four.
No Knead French Bread
From Artisian Bread in 5 Minutes a Day via Honey + Jam and The Ivory Hut
- 3 cups of lukewarm water
- 1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
- 1 1/2 tablespoons coarse salt
- 6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Grab a very large mixing bowl, or a large container that you can cover. In it, mix the water, yeast, and salt. You don’t have to heat up the water to a precise optimal temperature for the yeast. I’ve even used just regular tap water, and it’s worked well for me. Just let that sit together for a while (you don’t have to wait for the yeast to dissolve completely), then dump the flour all at once and stir with a wooden spoon. You don’t need to knead this, and you’re not looking to make it come together into a dough ball. You just want everything mixed well, with no streaks of flour left, and you’re done.
Leave it in your container, covered (but not airtight, or it’ll pop), for a few hours. When it has risen and then deflated a bit, your dough is done. It’s ready to be used or stored in the refrigerator. (Lauren's note: This dough is very sticky but is easier to work with if you have refrigerated it for at least three hours. It'll keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.)
To bake the bread, just grab a chunk of dough, about the size of a grapefruit. Dust your hands with flour to help prevent sticking, and gently pull the sides of the dough toward the bottom, rotating the dough, until you get a roundish shape with a smooth surface. It should only take you about a minute or less to do this. The dough won’t be entirely in the bottom, where it may look bunched up, but don’t worry about it. (Lauren's note: The authors of the book call this gluten cloaking. I had trouble figuring out how to do it properly, but then I found this video. It's basically the same thing but upside down...I found it much easier! Just watch til the point she's formed it into a ball...you don't need to make it formed for a loaf pan.)
Put it on a cutting board that’s been dusted with cornmeal to prevent sticking, and let it rest for at least 40 minutes. No need to cover it. If the dough has been refrigerated, it helps to let it rest a little more, until it’s no longer chilled.
Twenty minutes before you are ready to bake, put a cast iron skillet (or a pizza stone) in the middle rack of your oven, and put a broiler pan or cookie sheet in the bottom rack. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Dust some flour on the top of your loaf, and slash the top, about 1/4-inch deep.
After twenty minutes of preheating, it’s time to bake. (You can put the bread in after 20 minutes, even if your oven hasn’t reached 450 degrees yet.) Slide the loaf onto the baking stone, and then quickly pour 1 cup of hot tap water into the broiler pan. Then quickly shut the oven door to keep the steam inside.
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until you get a nice brown crust. Remove and let cool completely, if you can wait that long.
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