Monday, April 1, 2013

No Knead Bread

It's been...very long.

We moved! Yay - to the land of amazing produce and baking ingredients - US of A!

You'd think I would do a lot of baking but nope! Nada. I'm moving towards a healthier lifestyle so it's all low calorie eating here folks (which is so difficult in this country when you go out to eat).

Anyway, let's talk about this bread now. It'll change your world. It's so easy, albeit a bit time consuming - it'll change your world, seriously (I had to say it twice!)



No Knead Bread

- adapted from The Italian Dish

This makes about 2 medium sizes loaves

2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup oatmeal
1 tbsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
2 1/2 - 3 cups water

Warm the water for 30-45 seconds in the microwave. It should be warm to touch, not hot. Mix the sugar in the warm water and sprinkle yeast on top. Let sit till the mixture is foamy.

In the meantime, sift the flours, salt, and oatmeal in a large bowl, preferably one with a lid. Add in the yeast mixture and stir everything together with a spatula till well combined. The batter resembles a thick paste.

Cover with the lid (do not snap the lid shut, just place it on the bowl). Let rise for 2 hours and then keep in the refrigerator for another 2-3 hours or till you're ready to bake. The dough will improve in flavor every day.

To shape the loaf, follow instructions on The Italian Dish.

Once the loaf is shaped, place it on a floured sheet of parchment paper placed on an inverted baking sheet. Let rise for 30-40 minutes. The loaf will not rise much, but will expand in the oven.



Preheat oven to 450F. Place an empty cake pan on the bottom shelf of the oven. Once the oven is preheated, add 2 cups of water to the cake pan. This builds steam and gives a nice crust to the bread.

Score the loaf with a sharp blade or knife. Bake for 30-35 minutes till golden brown.

Cool completely before slicing. Keep at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Store the remaining dough in the fridge with the lid snapped shut on the bowl.

The Italian Dish has very detailed instructions. If you're confused about any step, read her post first.


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