no-knead crusty bread

no need to knead… the perfect bread. you can also adjust the size of the loaf easily by just using more or less flour, then adjusting all the other ingredients accordingly—and the process of making the loaf is the same!

recipe:

• 3 cups (450g) bread flour (you can use all-purpose flour if you really can’t find bread flour, but bread flour will yield the best result due to its gluten content)
• 2 tsp instant yeast
• 1.5-2 tsp salt, depending on taste
• 1 & a half cups warm water, or gradually add more if your dough is too dry

method:

1. Combine flour, yeast, salt, and water in a bowl, adding water gradually if needed. It will be a very sticky and wet dough.
2. Cover and let rise at room temperature for 2-3 hours.
3. We’re baking our bread in a dutch oven*, so around 30 minutes prior to baking, preheat oven to 230 degrees Celcius (with cast iron pot inside). You want your baking vessel to be as hot as possible.
4. Flour your work surface and transfer dough out—it will have doubled in size and still be very wet. Fold the dough in on itself until it starts to form a tight ball.
5. Transfer the dough ball onto baking paper with its seam side down, then place into your hot cast iron pot and cover. Bake for 30 minutes covered, then 12 minutes uncovered.
6. Once you’ve removed from the oven, let the bread rest for at least 15 minutes before digging in. This is important—if you cut into the loaf straight out of the oven, your bread will be quite gummy.
7. You’re done!

*Dutch oven: The reason we are using a hot cast iron pot to make a dutch oven is to create steam, allowing the bread to rise and also create that crispy crust exterior. If you don’t have a cast iron pot, you can also place a dish of water in your oven to create steam. Remove the water after 30 mins similarly to when you’d remove the lid of the cast iron pot. While the result won’t be as perfect, it will still do the trick.