Basic No Knead Bread Food

SUPER-QUICK NO-KNEAD BREAD

Steps:

• Mix all dry ingredients together.
• Add water and stir in until a really sticky dough has formed.
• Cover with a cloth and leave in a warm place to rise.
• Punch down and divide dough into two balls.
• If you are using the cracked wheat, roll the dough balls in the cracked wheat now.
• Place into well greased pans and bake at 400F for 1 hour.
• Cook's note: No need for a second rising as the bread rises perfectly in the oven on baking.

BASIC NO-KNEAD BREAD

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, salt and yeast. Add water and , using a wooden spoon or your hand, mix until you have a wet, sticky dough, about 30 seconds.
• Make sure it's really sticky to the touch; if its not, mix in another tablespoon or two of water.
• Cover the bowl with a plate, tea towel or plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature (about 72F), out of direct sunlight, until the surface is dotted with bubbles and the dough is more than doubled in size.
• This will take a minimum of 12 hours, and may take up to 18 hours. This slow rise - fermentation - is the key to flavour.
• When the fermentation is complete, generously dust a work surface (a wooden or plastic cutting board is fine) with flour. Use a bowl scraper or rubber spatula to scrape the dough on the board in one piece.
• When you begin to pull the dough away from the bowl it will cling in long, thin strands (this is the developed gluten), and it will be quite loose and sticky, but do not add more flour.
• Use lightly floured hands, a bowl scraper or spatula to lift the edges of the dough toward the center. Nudge and tuck in the the edges of the dough to make it round.
• Place on a piece of parchment paper, seam side down. Cover with a clean towel and place in a warm, draft-free spot to rise for 1-2 hours. The dough is ready when it is almost doubled in size.
• Half an hour before the end of the second rise, preheat the oven to 475F, with lower rack in the lower third position and place a covered 4 1/2 - 5 1/2 quart heavy pot in the center of the rack.
• Using pot holders, carefuly remove the preheated pot from the oven and uncover it. Gather up the dough by holding the four corners of the parchment paper and place the entire thing, paper and all, into the pot.
• Cover the pot and bake for 30 minutes.
• Remove the lid and continue baking until the bread is a deep chestnut color, but not burned, about 15 -30 minutes more.
• Use a heatproof spatula or pot holders to carefully lift the bread out of the pot and place it on a rack to cool thoroughly.
• Don't slice or tear into it until it has cooled, which usually takes at least an hour.

SULLIVAN STREET BAKERY NO KNEAD BREAD

Steps:

• EQUIPMENT: Two medium mixing bowls, 6 to 8 quart pot with lid, (Pyrex glass, Le Creuset cast iron, or ceramic), Wooden Spoon or spatula (optional), Plastic wrap, Two or three cotton dish towels (not terrycloth).
• PROCESS: Mix all of the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Add water and incorporate by hand or with a wooden spoon or spatula for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Lightly coat the inside of a second medium bowl with olive oil and place the dough in the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest 12 hours at room temperature (approx. 65-72°F).
• Remove the dough from the bowl and fold once or twice. Let the dough rest 15 minutes in the bowl or on the work surface. next, shape the dough into ball. Generously coat a cotton towel with flour, wheat bran, or cornmeal; place the dough seam side down on the towel and dust with flour. Cover the dough with a cotton towel and let rise 1-2 hours at room temperature, until more than doubled in size.
• Preheat oven to 450-500°F Place the pot in the oven at least 30 minutes prior to baking to preheat. Once the dough has more than doubled in volume, remove the pot from the oven and place the dough in the pot seam side up. Cover with the lid and bake 30 minutes Then remove the lid and bake 15-30 minutes uncovered, until the loaf is nicely browned.

NO-KNEAD BREAD

Steps:

• Pour 500ml warm water into a large bowl and sprinkle over the yeast. Stir to distribute the yeast, then add the flour, rosemary leaves and sea salt. Once everything is well mixed and you have a very, very soft dough (don't worry if it's sticky, you won't be kneading it), cover the bowl with cling film and leave to rise overnight, or for 8-12 hrs.
• Once the dough has risen, brush the inside of another large bowl with the olive oil and dust with 1-2 tbsp flour. Carefully tip the bread, which will be very soft and bubbly, into the floured bowl and dust the top with more flour. Cover again with cling film and leave to prove for 1 hr.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Place a large casserole dish, small roasting tin or cake tin in the oven to heat up. When it's really hot, take it out of the oven, line it with a square of baking parchment or a silicone liner and quickly tip in the dough. Sprinkle with a little more flour and bake for 45 mins-1 hr or until the bread is risen, golden and, if you tap the crust with your knuckles, it sounds hollow.
• Turn the bread out onto a wire rack and leave to cool for 10-15 mins before slicing. Delicious served warm with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and sea salt flakes.

EASY NO-KNEAD CHALLAH BREAD

Steps:

• Mixing and storing the dough: Mix the yeast, salt, eggs, honey, and melted butter (or oil) with the water in a 5-quart bowl, or a lidded (no airtight) food container.
• Mix in the flour without kneading, using a spoon, a 14-cup capacity food processor (with dough attachment), or a heavy-duty stand mixer (with dough hook). If you're not using a machine, you may need to use wet hands to incorporate the last bit of flour.
• Cover (not airtight), and allow to rest at room temperature until the dough rises and collapses (or flattens on top), approximately 2 hours.
• The dough can be used immediately after the initial rise, though it is easier to handle when cold. Refrigerate in a lidded (not airtight) container and use over the next 5 days. Beyond 5 days, freeze in 1-pound portions in an airtight container for up to 4 weeks. Defrost frozen dough overnight in the refrigerator before using. Then allow the usual rest and rise time.
• On baking day, butter or grease a cookie sheet or line with parchment paper, or a silicone mat. Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a 1-pound (grapefruit-size) piece. Dust the piece with more flour and quickly shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go.
• Divide the ball into thirds, using a dough scraper or knife. Roll the balls between your hands (or on a board), stretching, to form each into a long, thin rope. If the dough resists shaping, let it rest for 5 minutes and try again. Braid the ropes, starting from the center and working to one end. Turn the loaf over, rotate it, and braid from the center out to the remaining end. This produces a loaf with a more uniform thickness than when braided from end to end.
• Allow the bread to rest and rise on the prepared cookie sheet for 1 hour and 20 minutes (or just 40 minutes if you're using fresh, unrefrigerated dough).
• Twenty minutes before baking time, preheat the oven to 350°F If you're not using a stone in the oven, 5 minutes is adequate. Brush the loaf with egg wash and sprinkle with the seeds.
• Bake near the center of the oven for about 25 minutes. Smaller or larger loaves will require adjustments in baking time. The challah is done when golden brown, and the braids near the center of the loaf offer resistance to pressure. Due to the fat in the dough, challah will not form a hard, crackling crust. Allow to cool before slicing or eating.