A classic no-knead recipe. Best baked in a cast-iron dutch oven. 

Known by friends as "Henny Bread"

Cast-Iron No Knead Bread

Makes one lovely loaf of rustic white bread.

Ingredients:

·       3 cups all purpose white flour (Variation: replace with up to 1/3 whole wheat or spelt flour)

·       1 ¼ tsp salt

·       ¼ tsp dry active yeast

·       1 1/3 cups warm water*

*You may eventually want to use more or less water depending on your humidity. First try the recipe as is. Take note of whether the bread turns out too wet/doughy, or if it is excessively hard to get a uniform dough after the rises (it’s normal to have some dry bits that aren’t incorporated after step 2, but these are ideally incorporated at step 4.

Equipment

·       Large bowl with a cover (Or plastic/wax wrap. I use one with a tight fitting plastic lid)

·   Cast-iron dutch oven http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-Pro-Logic-P10D3-Dutch-4-Quart/dp/B0001DJVGK

·       Smooth untextured kitchen towel

Methods

1. In a large bowl combine flour, salt, and yeast. Mix well.

2. Add water and stir to combine with a wooden spoon. It will look pretty dry, but keep working at it until almost all of the flour is moistened (up to 5 min).

3. Cover bowl (with tight fitting cover or plastic wrap) and allow to rise 12-24 hours. I usually do 24. The longer the rise, the better flavor. If doing a short rise, a somewhat warm rise is better, like in a sunny window, or on top of the fridge. If doing a long rise a somewhat cold room temp is actually better for flavor.

4. If you are doing a long rise (>16 hr), gently deflate the dough about halfway-3/4 of the way through the rise time. I do this by scooping the dough from the sides and bottom of the bowl and turning the entire dough mass over.

5. Scoop the dough from the sides of the bowl with your hands, loosely shape into a ball in the center of the bowl and turn out onto a floured surface. Fold or shape gently into a round loaf shape that will fit your dutch oven. Cover the dough with a floured towel and allow to rise in a warm place (not super warm) for 1.5-2 hours.  

.        Video: https://photos.app.goo.gl/BMFRf15cKh6T7dU78

.        The dough will be sticky. Use a light touch and don’t let it scare you.

6. After 1 hour - 1.25 hours, preheat oven to 450-500º F with dutch oven and lid on the bottom rack. If you have an enamel coated dutch oven, opt for a lower temp 425º F and bake the bread for a bit longer to prevent the enamel from cracking.

7. After the oven has preheated for at least 45 min, transfer the bread to dutch the oven. Bake covered 30 minutes.

.        Recommended: Add a salt water wash just before placing in oven for a salty crispy crust. You can then add sesame or other seeds and the water helps them stick. Simply prepare an almost saturated salt solution with cold water. I usually prepare approximately 1/4 cup but I don’t use the whole thing.

8. Bake uncovered 0-10 min more. Just until top is well browned.

9. Remove loaf from Dutch oven, cool on rack at least 15 min before cutting (ideally 1 hour).