No-Knead Bread
Ingredients
- 3 1/3 cups/430 grams all-purpose or bread flour
plus more for dusting
- Generous 1/4 teaspoon/1 gram instant yeast
- 2 teaspoons/8 grams kosher salt
- Cornmeal or wheat bran
as needed
Directions
- 1
In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 1/2 cups/345 grams water and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.
- 2
Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.
- 3
Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.
- 4
At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is OK. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.
No-Knead Bread
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About this Recipe
Craving the aroma and taste of freshly baked bread without the grueling work? This No-Knead Bread recipe, a true classic from Jim Lahey of Sullivan Street Bakery, delivers an incredibly satisfying loaf with minimal effort. It's one of The Times' most beloved recipes for a reason—you'll wonder why you ever kneaded before.The genius of this bread lies in its simplicity. You won't need special equipment or complicated techniques, just a few pantry staples and patience. The magic happens during a long, slow fermentation process, which coaxes incredible depth of flavor and an ideal texture from the dough, making all that waiting truly worth it.Prepare for an extraordinary bread experience that tastes like it came from a professional artisan bakery. This recipe, perfected through years of reader feedback and culinary expert updates, yields a perfect loaf that is both robust and wonderfully tender. While it requires about 24 hours from start to finish, the vast majority of this time is unattended, allowing the dough to slowly develop its remarkable character. You’ll be rewarded with a truly special bread that's surprisingly simple to achieve.This foundational recipe is wonderfully adaptable. While the original calls for all-purpose or bread flour, feel free to experiment with different ratios of whole wheat or rye flour for a nuanced flavor and texture. If you don't have cornmeal, a sprinkle of wheat bran works beautifully to prevent sticking and add a touch of rustic charm to the bottom of your loaf. Over the years, this recipe has been refined, with Mark Bittman adjusting the flour quantity to 3 1/3 cups (430 grams) and J. Kenji López-Alt even sharing his own tweaked version, showing just how versatile this base can be for your personal touch.This versatile No-Knead Bread is perfect for any occasion, from serving alongside a hearty stew to simply enjoying warm with a pat of butter. Its rustic appeal makes it an impressive addition to any meal, inviting you to tear off a piece and savor its wholesome goodness.