Most Awesomest Crusty No Knead Bread EVER!
January 22nd, 2013 | 
Author: 
I mean just look at that bread! 1 simple recipe, with a few add-ins and you have your very own GOURMET Cranberry Almond Citrus Crusty Bread that rivals the best bakeries!
When it comes to bread I go in spurts as to what types I want albeit Brioche, Sourdough, Challah and so forth. Lately I’ve been on this HUUUUUUUUUGE crusty and chewy no knead bread. Perhaps partly because I was crushed over the holidays with baking so I needed easier stuff to make that just rocked your socks off. This has quickly become a staple (again) in our house that I make at least once a week. What I love the most about this recipe is that it’s so simple, so basic that ANYONE can make it (well okay, providing you have the ingredients and a dutch oven/clay baker with lid) and PATIENCE.
I’ll share the base recipe however it’s up to you to tweak it with your add-ins. Don’t be afraid to be adventurous here. The recipe is very forgiving and you don’t need mad bread baking/shaping skills either.
BUTTTTTTTTTTTTT wanna know the best part out of all of this?!?! You DON’T need a stand mixer! No dough hook, kneading by hand like your grandma did – just a wooden spoon, a big bowl and love *yes, you NEED love when you bake!*
Hearty Grain Rustic Crusty Bread
See.. 1 recipe and you can turn it into a Hearty Grain Crusty Bread. Just LOOK at those holes!
Artisan Crusty Italian Bread
And if you just wanted to keep it simple – go for the base recipe for an amazing rustic crusty ‘n chewy bread that will blow your mind!
| Most Awesomest Crusty No Knead Bread EVER! |
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- 3 cups bread flour
- 1/2 tsp instant yeast
- 1 1/2 tsp table salt
- 1 1/2-3/4 cups water (room temp)
- Lidded cast iron dutch oven or clay dutch oven/pot – see note if you do not have one of these!
- Any add-ins you want (nuts, dried fruits, cheese, spices etc…)
- In a large bowl add in the flour, yeast and salt. You need to make sure the bowl is at least 2 times the size as this will easily double in volume.
- Whisk to combine.
- Add in the water and mix with a wooden spoon – do NOT use a stand mixer.
- Mix it until it’s combined and forms a ‘shaggy’ dough. Just make sure that all the flour is incorporated. It will not be a smooth dough – that’s how it’s supposed to be.
- Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place overnight for at least 12 hours but no more than 24.
- When you’re ready to bake, put the rack in the middle and preheat to 450F.
- When the oven reaches temp, put your dutch oven pot (cast iron or heavy ceramic {check to see that your ceramic can handle 450F temp first!}) in the oven WITH THE LID on.
- Let it heat up for 30 minutes.
- While that’s heating up, use a dough scraper and scrape your dough onto a heavily floured surface (or you can flour parchment paper and put it on there). *See note
- Shape into a ball, tucking the sides under. It will be sticky but that’s good.
- Cover lightly with plastic until the 30 minutes is up.
- Remove the pot from the oven and plop the ball down in. Or if you transferred it to a floured parchment paper, you can place the whole thing inside (try to remove the excess flour).
- Replace the lid and bake for 30 minutes. No peaking!
- Remove the lid and bake for another 15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and using tongs remove the bread and cool on cooling rack.
If you’re not comfortable with shaping the dough, when you remove the pot from the oven after 30 minutes you can carefully just pour the dough into the pot. It won’t be a perfectly round bread loaf but that’s okay – it’s just rustic. If you do pour it in, just jostle the pan around to kind of even out the dough before putting the lid on. But practice with shaping the dough. You can’t screw it up.
Don’t have a dutch oven or clay pot? Never fear! Grab your cast iron pan instead!
1. Take a 12″ round cast iron pan (with preferably a 2-3″ side wall) and place that into your 450F degree oven (just like the directions on the site). This pan will go on the middle rack.
2. WHILE you are heating that up, place a metal pan on the lowest shelf/rung in the oven at the same time. I just use an old cake pan that has seen better days.
3. When you remove the VERY HOT skillet from the oven and put your dough in it (have the dough resting on parchment paper so the bottom doesn’t get that ‘black’ color from the pan).
4. AND as soon as you put it in the oven put about 3 cups of ice cubes in the hot baking pan. DO THIS FAST as you want to trap the steam in the oven!
5. This will create steam (just like a dutch oven).
6. After 30-35 minutes check the bread. It should be done but if it’s not cook for 10-15 min more. If at 30 minutes it’s getting dark but not done (will sound hollow when tapped), just tent some foil over top for about 10 minutes.
7. Cool as normal.
Seriously LOOK at those holes!
More deliciousness awaits...:
Posted in Bread Basics, Recipes | 
Tags: Artisan Crusty No Knead Bread, Better than a bread bakery, Bread from Scratch, Chewy Bread
TKW,
You had me at No Knead! I have been waiting for this recipe to appear ever since you posted the pictures of it on Facebook. Love to make homemade bread and this sounds easy peasy! Can’t wait to try it.
Mary-Alice,
You are going to LOVE LOVE LOVE this! Definitely post a pic of your bread on our Facebook page and tell us how you made it your own!
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Ok honey….questions already…;)
Line 10. Shape into a ball, tucking the sides under. It will be stick but that’s good.
You mean stiff instead of stick right???
Should we oil the casserole dish before placing the dough into it? What about a piece of parchment paper, cut to the size of the casserole? I suppose that would be ok since your step 9 says that’s an alternate way to do this.
I’m just so excited to try this…I wanna’ do it right…;)
Hugs and talk to you later.
Hey Sue,
Line 10 – I fixed it. No, it should be ‘sticky’; tacky like. It’s a wet dough with a higher hydration percentage. Thus is why I say to heavily flour your board. You don’t want it caked on but you want enough so it won’t stick completely to the counter/surface.
NO NO NO no oil, no nuffin. Trust me on this. If you’re leery about it, put the dough on floured parchment paper and then plop the whole paper/dough down inside but please be careful not to burn yourself.
As for the size of the parchment paper, I have 16×16″ squares and 16×24″ pieces. You don’t have to cut it you just need to make sure it has a long enough sides (if you’re using it) that you have a good 3-4″ extra all around to plop it in without burning yourself.
Let me know if you have any more questions.
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Well….I could have screwed that up good huh???
Aren’t you glad I asked first…;)
Thanks for clearing things up. I was just nervous about messing up another heavy duty Dutch Oven. I’m still stuck with burnt on Wheat Bran from The NY Times recipe from years ago….;)
Dough is ready to wait it’s 12 hours now….I’ll let you know….;)
Thanks again!!!!!
Don’t get me wrong Sue, just like baking in any dutch oven/clay pot it gets dirty but you won’t ruin it. Again if you’re unsure go with the parchment.
I can’t wait to see how yours turns out!
Best Kitchen Wishes *hugs*
hehehehe…Burnt wheat bran DOES ruin a good dutch oven…;) That stupid NY Times/Martha Stewart version was just pure evil….;) Burnt beyond burnt….;) I think it’s out in the north 40 with a toilet and a bathtub to hold plants (weeds)…;)
Aw Sue
I can’t believe that recipe of hers ruined your pan 
hehehehe…..trust me, the pan was ruined. And…I followed it to the letter…I even had a thermometer in my oven at the time so I know it was at the right temp…plus everything else always came out baked to perfection. It was the wheat bran….it just burnt and became permanently part of the inside coating of the dutch oven…;) I SHOULD have put a layer of parchment paper down before adding the bran and then the bread ball but….it don’t even remember having any laying around at the time. I don’t think it was used as much then as it is now maybe??? Who knows…..but I have learned from that experience….;)