No Knead Crusty Artisan Bread

No Knead bread recipes abound on the internet. This recipe I am sharing with you is tried and true and has never failed. I have taught many people to make this easy delicious bread.

You can make it as is, or add herbs, cheese, garlic or olives. I have even added sun dried tomatoes and basil, soooo good. The sky is the limit, experiment with what you like, that’s what cooking is all about.

Main Ingredients:

3 cups organic flour (Bread or All Purpose)
1 1/2 cups luke-warm water
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp active yeast
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp sugar (optional) gives the yeast extra food.
And a dutch oven 😉

You will start the night before. in a bowl, whisk together flour, salt and any herbs you are using. Set aside. In a large bowl place luke warm water, (Not HOT) yeast and sugar. Wait till the yeast starts to bubble and get frothy. Once yeast is ready, add oil and stir. Add flour mixture to yeast liquid and mix until well combined. (no need to Kneed ;)) *NOTE If you are adding wet ingredients, dust them with flour first and add them on top of flour before mixing. After mixed scrape down the sides into a lump like pictured above. Cover with plastic wrap and leave out on counter overnight. It can stay in bowl covered up to 18 hours.

In the morning it should be raised substantially. You can bake it now or wait. When you are ready to bake your bread, preheat oven to °450. Remove plastic wrap and using your fingers, scrape the dough down from edges and make into a lump. It should be sticky.

Using floured fingers helps.

You can use a a ceramic or cast Iron dutch oven to bake your bread in. (It must have a lid though.) Place bottom of pan in oven and allow it to preheat for 30 minutes. While pan is preheating, dump dough onto well floured surface and shape into a ball. Cover and let rest until the 30 minutes is up.

When pan is preheated, be very careful and sprinkle flour, corn meal or oats in the bottom of pan so the bread doesn’t stick. Now being extra careful not to burn yourself, place the dough ball inside hot pan and cover with lid. Bake at °450 for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes remove lid and bake an additional 15 minutes or until top is golden brown. Walla, you have a beautiful loaf of rustic bread to showcase with any meal.