NO-KNEAD WHITE BREAD

By jarren

Ingredients

• 6 cups white bread flour (approx.)
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp quick-rising dry yeast
• 2 1/2 cups lukewarm water

Details

Servings 2
Preparation time 15mins

Preparation

Step 1

In large bowl, whisk together 5 cups of the flour, salt and yeast. Stir in lukewarm water until well combined. Cover with plastic wrap; let rise in warm draft-free place until bubbly and doubled in bulk, about 12 hours (make-ahead: Let rise for up to 18 hours).

Sprinkle work surface with 1/3 cup of the remaining flour. Scrape dough onto work surface; sprinkle 1/4 cup of the remaining flour over top. Cover with tea towel; let stand for 15 minutes.

Using flour hands, gently press dough out into 1/2" thick rectangle, sprinkling with up to 1/4 cup of the remaining flour if dough is too sticky.

Cut in half crosswise. Roll each half into scant 8" x 4" cylinder; place, seam side down, in greased 8" x 4" loaf pan. Cover loosely with lightly greased plastic wrap; let rise in warm draft-free place until almost doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.

Bake in 425F oven for 10 minutes. Decrease heat to 375F; bake until light golden and loaves sound hollow when tapped, about 30 minutes.

Transfer to racks; serve warm or let cool.

Variation: Follow first three paragraphs. Sprinkle rectangle with 1/3 cup finely chopped Kalamata olives and 1/3 cup finely chopped drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes. Knead until well combined, adding up to 1/4 cup more white bread flour if dough is too sticky. Reshape into rectangle; continue with recipe.