Today I thought I’d share with you our ‘lazy day’ bread. The method we use is known to have been used in Italy for decades, and an early written account is noted in a 1972 combination of cookbook and songs collection, haha. Suzanne Dunaway is usually accredited for the version that was popularised by food columnist Mark Bittman in 2006. Regardless of its origins, it is so easy to make that a child can do it, and it’s forgiving enough to allow for many variations in method. Here are a couple of things to note before you freak out over any ‘mistakes’:
– If your dough ends up too ‘liquid’ adjust the amount of flour; altitude and humidity can have an effect. (No matter how your dough turns out, do still bake it; it may end up a little flatter or heavier, but we’ve found even our biggest ‘failures’ still resulted in an edible loaf)
– The original recipe calls for a crock pot – don’t worry if you don’t have one – any container with a lid that can be used in the oven will work. Just make sure that it is covered well; the aim is to create a steam pot that will retain moisture during the initial bake.
– I’ve also read of people baking this bread in a greased uncovered tray, we think this would work better for rolls than a loaf, but we haven’t tried it so can’t really say.

No-Knead Bread

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Ingredients

  

Dry Ingredients

• 3 cups flour
• 1 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp dry yeast

Wet Ingredients

• 1 cup water (room temperature)

Instructions

 

Part 1

• Mix together the dry ingredients in a bowl.
• Stir in the water until everything is combined.
• Cover the bowl with cling film.
• Leave for 18 hours (18 is the recommended time, but it seems to work fine anywhere between 12-24 hours).

Part 2

• Place your crock pot in the oven and preheat it to 200c.
• Meanwhile, flour your surface liberally and tip your (very sticky) dough onto it.
• Gently form the sticky mass into a ball, don’t knead it, you want all those air bubbles to stay in the dough as much as possible.
• Leave to rise a second time for between 1/2 hour and 2 hours (return it to a clingfilm-covered bowl or simply cover with clingfilm in its place on the floured surface).

  Note: Some people skip the second rise for a more focaccia-like bread; I’ve encountered different rise times for this same recipe and they all work, they just result in different bread height/consistency.

  Note: Some people like to stand the dough on baking parchment to ease the transfer to crock pot later and avoid any possible sticking, but this isn’t a necessity – I have never used parchment paper and never had a loaf stick.
• After your dough has risen for the second time, and your oven and crock pot are hot. Carefully place the dough in the hot crock pot and return it to the oven.
• Bake for half an hour covered, then remove the lid and bake for a further 15 minutes uncovered.
• Remove and enjoy!

  Note: this bread is wonderful fresh but will lose its crispness or softness overnight depending on how it’s stored; it can be reheated to return it to its former glory (well close).