Almost No-Knead Bread
Cook's Illustrated, Jan/Fed 2008
Use a mild-flavored lager, such as Budweiser. The bread is best eaten
the same day it is baked but can be wrapped in aluminum foil and
stored in a cool, dry place for up to 2 days.
This is a loaf of bread that both looks and tastes incredible.
3 cups (15 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus additional for
dusting work surface
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons water (7 ounces), at room temperature
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (3 ounces) mild-flavored lager
I tablespoon white vinegar
1. Whisk flour, yeast, and salt in large bowl. Add water, beer, and
vinegar. Using rubber spatula, fold mixture, scraping up dry flour
from bottom of bowl until shaggy ball forms. Cover bowl with plastic
wrap and let sit at room temperature for 8 to 18 hours.
2. Lay 12 by 18 inch sheet of parchment paper inside 10-inch skillet
and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Transfer dough to lightly
floured, work surface and knead 10 to 15 times. Shape dough into ball
by pulling edges into middle. Transfer dough, seam-side down, to
parchment-lined skillet and spray surface of dough with nonstick
cooking spray. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room
temperature until dough has doubled in size and does not readily
spring back when poked with finger, about 2 hours.
3. About 30 minutes before baking, adjust oven rack to lowest
position, place 6 to 8 quart heavy bottomed Dutch oven (with lid) on
rack, and heat oven to 500 F. Lightly flour top of dough and, using
razor blade or sharp knife, make one 6-inch long, l/2-inch deep slit
along top of dough. Carefully remove pot from oven and remove lid.
Pick up dough by lifting parchment overhang and lower into pot (let
any excess parchment hang over pot edge). Cover pot and place in
oven. Reduce oven temperature to 425 F and bake covered for 30
minutes. Remove lid and continue to bake until loaf is deep brown and
instant-read thermometer inserted into center registers 210 F, 20 to
30 minutes longer. Carefully remove bread from pot; transfer to wire
rack and cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.
ALMOST NO-KNEAD BREAD WITH OLIVES, ROSEMARY, AND PARMESAN
Follow recipe for Almost No-Knead Bread, adding 4 ounces finely
grated Parmesan (about 2 cups) and 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
leaves to flour mixture in step 1. Add l/2 cup pitted, chopped green
olives with water in step 1.
ALMOST NO-KNEAD WHOLE WHEAT BREAD
Follow recipe for Almost No-Knead Bread, replacing 1 cup (5 ounces)
all-purpose flour with 1 cup (5 ounces) whole wheat flour. Stir 2
tablespoons honey into water before adding it to dry ingredients in step 1.
ALMOST NO-KNEAD CRANBERRY-PECAN BREAD
Follow recipe for Almost No-Knead Bread, adding l/2 cup dried
cranberries and 1/2 cup toasted pecan halves to flour mixture in step 1.
Cook's Illustrated Notes: Transferring dough to a preheated Dutch
oven to bake can be tricky. To avoid burnt fingers and help the dough
hold its shape, we came up with a novel solution: Let the dough rise
in a skillet (its shallow depth makes it better than a bowl) that's
been lined with greased parchment paper, then use the paper's edges
to pick up the dough and lower it into the Dutch oven. The bread
remains on the parchment paper as it bakes.
An enameled cast-iron Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid yields best
results, but the recipe also works in a regular cast-iron Dutch oven
or heavy stockpot. I used a heavy Le Creuset Dutch oven.
My Notes: I didn't use the lowest position in the oven - I used the
next one up, because some people had experienced an almost burnt
bottom crust. I also followed Frank's suggestion - after the bread
was finished baking I didn't remove it from the oven. Just turned
off the oven and left the door opened for about another 40
minutes. Worked GREAT! Wonderful crust, great texture and no gumminess!
DMSawyer