all you knead is love

Bread. Where do I even begin? My love for bread goes way back. I remember once in a blue moon my family and I would have dinner at this cute Italian restaurant, Dicicco’s. There were two things I always looked forward to. One, was the side salad with sliced mozzarella cheese, salami (YUM), and their vinaigrette dressing. The second thing, which always came out first, was those beautiful baskets of warm sliced bread! I would butter those babies up or dip them in dressing, and just be in heaven for a while. It was perfect.

Baking bread has always intimidated me though. Kneading? Proofing? What?! When I found this recipe for no knead bread a few days ago, there was no way I wasn’t going to try it. I mean, come on! Dutch oven + flour + yeast + salt + time = homemade bread. It’s so easy, this bread practically makes itself!

The end result was a beautiful golden crust, with a pillowy soft holey texture. I think everyone should experience the excitement of having homemade bread baking in your oven. The smell alone will fill you with glee!

No knead bread from Bread & Honey

Ingredients

3 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups of water
a pinch of cornmeal

Covered pot (five-quart or larger cast iron, Pyrex, ceramic, enamel… something that can go into a 450ºf oven.)

Whisk together the first 3 ingredients to combine evenly. Slowly add water, stirring gently, until dough forms. The dough should be sticky and shaggy, but not too wet. Place in a large, oiled bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest for 15-24 hours. The dough is ready when the surface is dotted with tiny bubbles.

Dump dough onto a nicely floured surface and flip it over onto itself so it’s kind of folded up. Let it rest for 15 minutes, then, as quickly as you can, attempt to form it into a ball and let it rest another 2 hours, covered with a cotton cloth. (Terrycloth will stick.)

After an hour and a half of rest, pre-heat your oven to 450ºf with the covered dish inside, and let it go for about half an hour. By then, your dough should be ready (you can test it by poking a floured finger into it- it will leave a dent that takes a moment to spring back. The dough doesn’t rise much, so don’t freak out if it’s still the same size when you go to bake it).

Remove the dish from the oven, sprinkle the bottom with a little cornmeal, and then do your best to flop the dough into the pan without burning yourself. Put the lid back on, put it in the oven, and bake for 20 minutes with the lid on, and then another 20 with the lid off.

(Thanks Alicia! I haven’t been this excited in my kitchen in a while.)