Here is the best recipe I have found for bread... no kneading required, and because you let it rise so long it tastes fantastic! It uses less yeast, too, and I think each loaf (2 lbs!) only costs 82 cents with the electricity it takes to run the oven included in there.
One adjustment I made is using a regular stock pot with a lid instead of a dutch oven, because I don't have one.
Anyway, here is the recipe!
Ingredients:
6 cups bread (recommended) or all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
1/2 t. instant or active-dry yeast2 1/2 t. salt2 2/3 c. cool water
Instructions:
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, yeast, and salt. Add the water and stir until all the ingredients are well incorporated; the dough should be wet and sticky. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest 12-18 hours on the counter at room temperature. When surface of the risen dough has darkened slightly, smells yeasty, and is dotted with bubbles, it is ready.
- Lightly flour your hands and a work surface. Place dough on work surface and sprinkle with more flour. Fold the dough over on itself once or twice and, using floured fingers, tuck the dough underneath to form a rough ball.
- Generously dust a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with enough flour, cornmeal, or wheat bran to prevent the dough from sticking to the towel as it rises; place dough seam side down on the towel and dust with more flour, cornmeal, or wheat bran. Cover with the edges or a second cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours, until it has doubled in size.
- After about 1 1/2 hours, preheat oven to 425-450 degrees. Place a 6-8 quart heavy covered pot, such as a cast-iron Dutch oven, in the oven as it heats. When the dough has fully risen, carefully remove pot from oven. Remove top towel from dough and slide your hand under the bottom towel; flip the dough over into pot, seam side up. Shake pan once or twice if dough looks unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes.
- Cover and bake for 40-50 minutes. Uncover and continue baking about 5-10 more minutes, until a deep chestnut brown. The internal temp of the bread should be around 200 degrees. You can check this with a meat thermometer, if desired.
- Remove the bread from the pot and let it cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.
Also, this recipe works well if you want to add some spices such as rosemary, thyme, basil, parsley, or whatever. I have done that and it turned out delicious! Especially with some olive oil. It made great olive oil dipping bread.
What is your favorite bread recipe?
