4 Ingredient No-Knead Crusty Bread
Artisan bread with that chewy exterior and soft, sponge-like interior is one of my weaknesses. This recipe gives you both and does not require any kneading!!!
I came across this recipe on an Instagram story from one of my favourite home chefs, Alice, who is behind the IG page hipfoodiemom1. This recipe caught my attention because :
It required no kneading,
It was just 4 ingredients
It looked amazing!
What I liked about this recipe is that you do not need any special skills to make it. What you do need, though, is a dutch oven or cast iron pot with a cover. This allows the bread to steam within the pot to form that paper-thin crust.
This bread is not for everyone though. If you are not a fan of crusty, rustic bread then you may not like this. I have never met anyone who has never like this type of bread though…lol….but I am still issuing that disclaimer. I followed TheKitchn’s recipe which was very easy to follow, so feel free to check them out as well.
Learning Time
What is No-Knead Bread?
No knead bread basically means that it does not need any kneading like traditional breads. Instead, the yeast is allowed to do it’s work at room temperature for an extended period of time (at least 6 hours). So usually you can mix this in the morning, and bake in the evening. The creator of this method is Jim Lahey, the owner of Sullivan Street Bakery, but he allows it to rest for at least 12 hours.
Tips for making this bread:
Lodge Dutch Oven
You need: parchment paper, and a cast iron pot or dutch oven with a cover. I used the Lodge brand which I got as a Mother’s day gift. This is needed because it holds the heat, and allows for steaming during the baking process.
I weighed the flour just to make sure, and 1 pound of flour equates to 3 cups of flour.
Use lukewarm water. Make sure of this because this is what activates the yeast and will form those lovely holes on the bread.
The dough will be wet…but that’s what you want.
When shaping the dough, do it in a tight high ball. As high as you can, because this will give that nice round loaf, instead of a flat one.
Ingredients
3 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon yeast
2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 lukewarm water
Method
Add all dry ingredients to a bowl. Make sure your bowl is large enough to handle the dough after it has doubled in sized. Add the water and mix to form a wet dough. Cover with plastic wrap, place in a warm place to rest for 6-8 hours. After resting, empty dough onto a floured parchment paper, fold the dough over a couple times and let rest for another hour. About 30 minutes after you have left the dough to rise (during this last rise), pre-heat your oven to 450 degF and place your dutch oven or cast iron pot in the oven to preheat.
Bake the bread: Remove the dutch oven and place the bread inside. Cut a shallow slit on the bread to allow for steam to be released during baking. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the cover and bake for a further 15 minutes. Let the bread rest for 15 minutes before cutting into it.
