No-Knead Artisan Bread (Crusty Dutch Oven Loaf)

Why you’ll love it

• No kneading at all: a quick stir and a slow rise do all the work.
• Bakery-style crust: baking in a covered Dutch oven gives a crisp, crackly crust.
• Four ingredients: flour, water, salt and just 1/2 teaspoon of yeast.

Quick facts

Ingredients

• 4 cups (500 g) bread flour
• 1 1/2 cups (375 ml) water, at room temperature
• 1 3/4 tsp (10 g) fine salt
• 1/2 tsp (2 g) instant dry yeast
• 2 tbsp flour or semolina, for dusting

Step-by-step method

1. Mix. In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt and yeast. Add the water and stir until you have a wet dough with no dry spots. There is no need to knead.

2. Long rise. Cover the bowl and let the dough ferment at room temperature for 12 to 14 hours, until the surface is bubbly and the dough has clearly grown in volume.

3. Shape. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface. With a bench scraper or wet hands, fold the four sides in toward the center and gently shape it into a ball.

4. Second rise. Place the dough seam side down on a sheet of floured parchment paper. Cover and let rise 45 to 60 minutes.

5. Preheat the pot. While the dough rises, place a lidded cast-iron Dutch oven in the oven and preheat to 450°F (230°C) for at least 30 minutes.

6. Bake covered. Carefully lift the dough by the parchment into the hot pot. Make a slash about 1/2 inch (1 cm) deep across the top, cover and bake 30 minutes.

7. Bake uncovered and cool. Remove the lid and bake 12 to 15 minutes more, until the crust is deep golden brown. Cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour before slicing.

How to know it is done

The bread should sound hollow when you tap the bottom and read 205 to 210°F (96 to 99°C) in the center. The crust will firm up as it cools.

Variations and substitutions

• Replace up to 100 g (about 3/4 cup) of the bread flour with whole wheat flour and add 1 tbsp (15 ml) more water.
• No Dutch oven? Use a heavy oven-safe baking dish covered with another oven-safe dish.

Storage and reheating

Keep at room temperature in a paper bag or a loosely closed container for up to 2 days. Freeze sliced for up to 2 months and toast the slices straight from the freezer.