This last Monday night, just before I went to bed, I had an urge to start a batch of No-Knead bread. No-Knead bread has been on my mind a lot lately, mostly because somehow Lifehacker came across my post about it on my personal blog from last January and linked to it, making it the most hit-upon post in the history of that blog. So the recipe has been on my mind. I stirred up a batch that night, using yeast I had bought over the weekend, and went to bed.
The next afternoon, after about 14 hours of bubbling, my dough was nice and bubbly. I turned it out on to a board, folded it over on itself a couple of times and let it hang for another couple of hours. I preheated my pot (I used an oval cast iron pot that belonged to my grandmother. It's just a tiny bit small for the job, but creates a really nice shape) and when the two hours were up, I tossed my bread into the pot, put the lid on and slide it into the oven.
It's been about eight months since I last made this bread and I forgot how gorgeous it gets. I literally gasped when I took the lid off to brown up the top, because it was so perfect. So, I want to remind you all, once again, that you really should be making this bread. It's easy, it's tasty and it gives you a sense of satisfaction in the kitchen that is often hard-won. Oh, and if you need more convincing, Megan at Not Martha made it this week as well, incorporating tips from Cooks Illustrated into her batch.
Cheese Course: Brebis Pardou
A transcendent summer tomato salad
Sliced bread turns 80 today
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
12-06-2007 @ 11:53AM
Laura said...
I've made your No Knead Bread twice now and it's just "dreamy good!" With the nice cold weather we have now, I think it's time to make it again. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe. The bread is phenomenal!
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12-06-2007 @ 12:03PM
Teresa said...
Is there an adaptation so that I can use active dry yeast instead of instant?
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12-06-2007 @ 12:04PM
Marisa McClellan said...
Teresa, I always use active dry yeast. Deb at Smitten Kitchen did the math last year when this recipe was all the rage and determined that you could substitute 1/3 teaspoon of active dry yeast for the instant. That's what I always do and it has worked perfectly each time.
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12-06-2007 @ 1:48PM
ann said...
I made it this week too, but with many tweaks. I substituted whey for water and, I, are you ready for this, kneaded the no-knead bread. Mine was too wet so I kneaded in some additional flour and it came out GORGEOUS. It's the loaf I've longed to make for years.
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12-06-2007 @ 2:06PM
Myron said...
Nice loaf. I've been meaning to try the mini variation Rose Levy Beranbaum suggests.
http://www.realbakingwithrose.com/2007/01/baby_breada_great_new_techniqu.html
Has anyone tried the recipe from 'bread in five minutes a day'?
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0DEEDB153FF932A15752C1A9619C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all
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12-06-2007 @ 2:29PM
Myron said...
The Postindustrialist: Professional bakers often refer to the step that kneads dough as mixing, because they do it in a mixer. However, In general kneading is a process depicted in this video (starting about 20 seconds in)
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6525876399378502066&q=knead+bread&total=113&start=10&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=4
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12-06-2007 @ 2:29PM
David said...
For more flavor, try the no-knead using sourdough starter. I've gotten the best sourdough loaves using this method.
More details from the authority on sourdough:
http://www.sourdo.com/no-knead_sourdough.html
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12-06-2007 @ 2:33PM
The Postindustrialist said...
I never understood the "no Knead" part of no knead bread. When you normally make bread, the first kneading is little more than mixing it. The second kneading still seems similar to the second mixing in "No Knead"
What's really so different?
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12-06-2007 @ 2:34PM
Marisa McClellan said...
Postindustrialist, when it comes to making this bread, I don't do anything more than fold it over a couple of times. With tradition bread recipes, they call for as much as 20 minutes of vigorous kneading. This recipe saves you from that.
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12-06-2007 @ 2:45PM
Coto said...
Can I use active dry? I've never got good results with instant dry
http://www.spymac.com/details/?2315603
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12-06-2007 @ 2:47PM
Marisa McClellan said...
I have always used active dry yeast in place of the instant. Substitute 1/3 of a teaspoon of active dry yeast in place of the 1/4 teaspoon instant. Just remember to stir the yeast into the flour first, before adding the salt.
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12-06-2007 @ 4:42PM
joshua said...
this recipe started my cooking foray.
i have made it with
regular
chipotle peppers and cheddar cheese
chipotle peppers and asiago cheese
and with just asiago cheese patted on top
i also brined 2 turkeys because of your blog...
your blog is the first place i look for any ideas
love it love it love it
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12-06-2007 @ 4:42PM
Marisa McClellan said...
Joshua, I'm so glad to hear that we've been so inspirational for you!
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12-06-2007 @ 8:04PM
The Postindustrialist said...
Ouch. I see your point if you tend to follow the 20 minute regime of kneading. Usually when I bake bread myself, however, kneading's only been a five to ten minute activity, and never much more. In most cases, if I have, the dough, and thusly the loaves, have come out tooth-shatteringly hard, and more often than not, so dense I might as well take up masonry with them.
As the saying goes, "To each his/her own..."
It IS a good time to heat your house with a little help from the oven. I think I'm off to bake. :)
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12-07-2007 @ 10:01AM
Alastor said...
I get that beery tangy taste from letting the dough sit for two days instead of one. I mix at 6pm. When I wake up I'll beat it up, then go to work. The next AFTERNOON I bake. You can smell the difference when you wait the extra day. Also if I can't make the bread when I should I stick it in the fridge to suspend the action. I eat mine with parmigiano-reggiano butter.
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12-07-2007 @ 10:02AM
Marisa McClellan said...
Oo, that's a good tip. It wouldn't have occurred to me to let it sit an additional day.
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12-10-2007 @ 12:49PM
Rebecca said...
Has anyone tried the version by Hertzberg and Francois of Mpls? They say it can be kept in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, and is even better for the waiting. They also cook it on a flat sheet rather than an pot/bowl.
http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/taste/12149761.html
The link to the article also includes the recipe and a video.
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12-19-2007 @ 12:58AM
Cindy. said...
[…]Sorry to hear another old favorite has taken a nose dive. On the positive side, if it had been good, you would be tempted to keep going and paying $10 for a sandwich.
I haven't had luck finding great Italian food in San Diego either. It could be that I'm gun-shy after a few mediocre experiences, but I should probably start trying again.
http://hotels.lifeinitaly.com/
[…]
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