No Knead Bread

By urbcindy

Ingredients

• 3 C flour (King Arthur works well) - may use up to 20% rye flour; 30% whole grain or 50% whole wheat
• 1/4 tsp instant yeast
• 1 1/4 tsp salt
• Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed
• Herbs, dried fruit, nuts as desired

Preparation

Step 1

- Combine flour, yeast, salt; add 1 5/8 C water (and any other additions desired) and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky
- Cover bowl with plastic wrap; let rest at room temp (70) 12-24 hours until surface is dotted with bubbles
- Turn dough out onto floured surface; sprinkle with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice; cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest 15 min.
- Using enough flour to keep dough from sticking, quickly form into ball; generously coat a cotton towel or silpat mat with flour, cornmeal or wheat bran and put dough seam side down, dust with additional flour or grain
- Cover with cotton towel and let rise 2-3 hours; when dough is ready, it will be more than double and will not readily spring back when poked with finger
- At least 1/2 hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450; put a 6-8 qt heavy covered pot (cast iron, ceramic, pyrex, enamel) in oven as it heats
- When dough is ready, carefully remove pot; slide hand under towel and turn dough overninto pot, seam side up; shake pan to evenly distribute dough - it may look a mess but will straighten as it bakes
- Cover with lid; bake 30 min then remove lid and bake 15 - 30 min more until browned
- Remove from pan and cool on rack