quote:

Originally posted by Bushie

I saved an article from the Austin Un-American Statesman a few months ago about this. They focused on someone else, but they sited Bittman as an authority.

I haven’t tried making bread like this yet, but it’s very appealing.

I gave this recipe to Greymo last year and she’s been making it ever since for her family. She says they call it the best bread they’ve ever eaten. Perhaps she’ll see this thread and chime in.

My 2008 gift to Roadfooders:

No-Knead Bread

3 cups all purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
1/4 teas. instant yeast
1 1/4 teas. salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed

1. In a large bowl combine flour yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups 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 temp., about 70�.

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 andlet rest about 15 min.

3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape 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, wheat bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel andlet 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 half an hour before dough is ready, heat anoven to 450�. Put a 6-8 qt. heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot fron oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake for 30 min., then remove lid and bake another 15-20 min. until loaf is beautifully brown. Cool on a rack.

New York Times, Nov. 8, 2006

Froim Mark Bittman, Dec. 6 – from reader comments and his own experiments

If you prefer to use weight measures: 430 grams flour, 345 grams of water, 1 gram yeast, 8 grams salt

Yeast: Can use any – regular or Instant

Timing: 18 hours is the preferred time, but you can go longer – he has gone up to 24 hours with no problems. Some readers have gone as little as 8. The important thing is to wait until you see bubbles and well developed gluten – the long strands that cling to the sides of the bowl when you tilt it – before proceding.

Second Rise: About 2 hours is suggested in the recipe but it might take longer. Some readers skipped this and shaped the dough after the first rise, letting it rest while the oven and pot preheat.

Flavorings: Caraway seeds, chopped olives, onions, cheese, raisins, walnuts, whatever you like is added after mixing the dough – but can be folded in before the second rise

Other flours: Up to 30% whole grain flour works well and 50% whole wheat is also excellent. Rye should be kept to 20% – it is delicious by notoriously impossible to get to rise

Other shapes: Baguettes in a fish steamer, rolls in muffin tins or classic loaves in loaf pans. If you stay roughly within the pattern it will work

Covering between rises: A silplat mat under the dough is a clever idea – not his! Plastic wrap can be used in place of a second towel

The pot: The size matters but not much. Bittman has settledon a 3-4 qt. one this produces a higher loaf. You can use just about any material. Note that the lid handles on Creuset pots can only withstand temp. up to 400 so avoid using them or remove the handles first

You can increase the initial temp. to 500� but be careful of burning. You can reduce the lengthof time the pot is covered to 20 min (from 30) and then increase the time the loaves bake uncovered. Most people have a good experience baking for an additional 30 min. once the pot is uncovered.

You’re all very welcome.

OK.