“No Knead” Crusty Bread

Our biggest complaint used to be “I never have enough time”. Now, during this global pandemic, we all have nothing but time and absolutely no where to go, while in quarantine. It’s time to do all of the things we always wanted to do, things we always wanted to master but didn’t have the time.

On my list was making homemade bread. It’s tricky to make homemade bread, especially in Italy when all of the bread is so fabulous and cheap! Why would I go through the trouble? Well, now we are trying not to go to the grocery store so often so I thought it was a good time to give it a try.

This recipe was so easy and delicious! Really, really delicious. It was crusty on the outside and soft and aromatic on the inside. You just need to mix the ingredients and leave it for 12-24 hours. This is the perfect recipe to make in this “Coronavirus” period because you just need time, and we all have plenty of that.

The one thing to know about this recipe is that you need an ovenproof pot and lid to bake it in. The pan cannot have any rubber or plastic parts that can’t take the heat. So an enamel pan or cast iron or clay is best. A regular pot used for cooking is good as long as it’s ovenproof and you have a lid. I’ve heard some interesting options if you are in a pinch: a cookie sheet with a metal bowl inverted on the top like a dome, cast iron skillet with tinfoil tent or even the ceramic insert from a crockpot with a semi-fitted lid works! I found a clay pot with a lid that worked beautifully. For best results use a pan that is approximately 8” in diameter, otherwise it will be too flat, but will still taste good, like focaccia!

There is also a strict warning to use silicon parchment paper to keep the paper from sticking to the bread but I don’t have that in Italy, I just used regular oven paper but added a toss of flour or corn meal on the bottom between the paper and the dough to keep it from sticking.

If you want to be extra adventurous (as if making homemade bread is not adventurous enough!) try saving a cup of the dough and adding another three cups of flour and 1 cup of warm water (temperature of a baby’s bath) to the reserved dough. This way you keep it going and have a new loaf of bread everyday! (the loaves are tiny, you will want another one tomorrow, trust me!) This technique is also called “lievito madre” or natural yeast in Italian. This fermented dough is considered much easier to digest and better for your health!

“No Knead” Crusty Bread

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 package yeast
• 1 1/2 cups warm water (the temperature of a baby’s bath water)

Instructions

• Pour warm water into a small bowl and add yeast. Allow to sit for a few minutes while it “proofs”
• combine flour and salt in a large bowl and add the water and yeast mixture, stir until it is well combined. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit 12 to 24 hours. (Or overnight)
• when you are ready to bake it, preheat the oven to 450 degrees and place your pot inside the oven to preheat it. Since mine was a clay pot I also had to presoak it in water but you don’t need to do that for a regular pan, just preheat it.
• dust your wood board with a healthy layer of flour and dump the soft and sticky dough onto the floured board and shape into a round loaf.
• remove the pot from the oven.
• place the oven paper (wax or parchment) into the cooking pot, add a pinch of flour to the parchment paper, then scoop up your bread loaf gently in both hands and transfer it to the parchment papered pot. Cover with the lid and bake 30 minutes.
• remove the lid and continue baking 15 additional minutes. it should be golden and crusty
• enjoy!