Almost No-Knead Bread
I’ve been wanting so badly to try my hand at bread, as I said in my English muffin post, but I am still very nervous. I don’t have a stand mixer, so it’s that much more intimidating. When I came across this recipe, at The Way the Cookie Crumbles, for an Almost No-Knead bread, I thought I’d give it a go. It is fairly time-consuming because of the sitting time, but I’m on Spring Break! Yay!
I started this last night and let it sit overnight. Now, I’ve never done this before, so I wasn’t sure what it was supposed to look like. I’ve also never kneaded bread. It was an…interesting…experience. I had fun doing this, but I think I will wait for that stand mixer for any further bread baking!!
After I took the lid off and let it continue to cook, I noticed that it was very brown on top but not cooked through yet, so I tented it for the last 15 minutes or so. When the bread came out, I noticed that the bottom was a little overcooked. Oh well.
The bread is tasty and very chewy. I don’t know if that’s how it’s supposed to be or not!! I like it…
Almost No-Knead Bread
Makes 1 large round loaf
CI note: An enameled cast-iron Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid yields the best results, but the recipe also works in a regular cast-iron Dutch oven or heavy stockpot. (See the related information in “Making Your Dutch Oven Safe for High-Heat Baking” for information on converting Dutch oven handles to work safely in a hot oven.)
Use a mild-flavored lager, such as Budweiser (mild non-alcoholic lager also works). The bread is best eaten the day it is baked but can be wrapped in aluminum foil and stored in a cool, dry place for up to 2 days.
Ingredients:
- 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (15 ounces), plus additional for dusting work surface
- ¼ teaspoon instant or rapid-rise yeast
- 1½ teaspoons table salt
- ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons water (7 ounces), at room temperature
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons mild-flavored lager (3 ounces) (I used Labatt Blue because that’s what we had on hand.)
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
Directions:
1. Whisk flour, yeast, and salt in a large bowl. Add water, beer, and vinegar. Using a rubber spatula, fold mixture, scraping up dry flour from bottom of bowl until shaggy ball forms. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 8 to 18 hours.
2. Lay 12- by 18-inch sheet of parchment paper inside 10-inch skillet and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead 10 to 15 times. Shape dough into a ball by pulling edges into the middle. Transfer dough, seam-side down, to parchment-lined skillet and spray the surface of dough with nonstick cooking spray. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until dough has doubled in size and does not readily spring back when poked with finger, about 2 hours.
3. About 30 minutes before baking, adjust oven rack to lowest position, place 6- to 8-quart heavy-bottomed Dutch oven (with lid) on the rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees. Lightly flour top of the dough and, using a razor blade or sharp knife, make one 6-inch-long, ½-inch-deep slit along top of the dough. Carefully remove the pot from oven and remove the lid. Pick up dough by lifting parchment overhang and lower into pot (let any excess parchment hang over pot edge). Cover pot and place in oven. Reduce oven temperature to 425 degrees and bake covered for 30 minutes. Remove lid and continue to bake until loaf is deep brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into center registers 210 degrees, 20 to 30 minutes longer. Carefully remove bread from pot; transfer to wire rack and cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.
