No Knead Bread in the Le Creuset

THAT BREAD - This one is for you Noelle and Keenan!  From NYT Cooking, Mark Bittman.  Uncle Frank made something similar when he visited us in Littleton a few years ago.  

It looks a bit different each time I make it.  I've slowly gotten it down to a process in the Japanese oven.  I didn't make this very much in the U.S.  Now I make it about once a week and we just love it.  It uses very little yeast and relies on a very long rise time.  It's just a great easy bread!

3 1/3 C flour (430 grams), plus more for dusting 

1/4 teaspoon instant YEAST 

2 teaspoons kosher salt (we use a scant 1 T salt) 

1 1/2 C water plus 2 T (345 grams)


1.  Put a large mixing bowl on your scale and zero out the scale.  Add the 430 grams of flour.  Add the yeast and salt, stir.  Zero out your scale again and add 345 grams of water. 

2.  Stir together with a wooden spoon.  Dough will be shaggy and sticky, messy.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.  Let sit out at room temperature for 12-18 hours!!  I mix this up at night and I know I can finish it anytime the next morning or afternoon.  

3.  Dough will have expanded and having bubbles all over its surface.  It's very wet.  Generously flour your counter, dump/scrape out the dough.  Sprinkle top with flour and lightly fold dough a few times in on itself.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rest 10-15 min while you wash the bowl.  

4.  Line the bowl with parchment paper.  Shape the dough into a ball, and put it into the bowl, seam side down.  Cover bowl with plastic or clean dishtowel and let rest for 2 HOURS. 


This dough is about halfway finished resting: 

5.  30 minutes before dough is ready, preheat your Le Creuset pot, lid on, in the oven at 450 degrees.  

6.  When dough is ready, carefully remove hot pot from oven, lift off the lid, plop the dough (still in its parchment paper), into the hot pot, using the parchment paper as a handle/sling.  COVER.  Be careful!  Remember your lid is piping hot.  

7.  Return pot to oven and bake covered for 30 minutes.  Then carefully remove lid and bake for another 15 - 30 minutes until loaf is "beautifully browned".   You will figure out what works with your particular oven.  It took me several tries to get the timing right.  Cool on a rack. 

It's so good and makes GREAT toast the next day. 

xoxo
Mom



for in JAPAN: 

210 degrees C in convection oven.  Le Creuset right on bottom of oven.  30 min covered, 10 min uncovered.