JIM LAHEY' NO-WORK BREAD
 
 
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Ingredients
  • Ingredients
  • 3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, plus flour for dusting (400 gms)
  • ½ tsp scant instant yeast
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 2 cups water at 70 F
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (optional)
  • cornmeal/semolina/wheat bran, as needed
Instructions
  1. Combine the flour, yeast, and salt in a large bowl. Add the water and stir until blended. The dough will be sticky and that's how it should be(add a little more water if it seems dry). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, or transfer the dough to another greased bowl, and turn the dough to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap.
  2. Let rest for about 18 hours at about 70 F. (You can put it in the refrigerator overnight and about 5-6 hours before you want to bake it.)
  3. Lightly flour a work surface, remove the dough and fold once or twice; it will be soft, but once sprinkled with flour, not terribly sticky. Cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let rest for about 15 minutes.
  4. Using just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking, gently and quickly shape the dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton (not terry cloth) towel with cornmeal. You can use silpat like I did. Put the dough seam down on the towel and dust with more flour or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel (or plastic wrap) and let risefor about 2 hours.
  5. When it's ready, the dough will be more than doubled in size and won't spring back readily when poked with your finger.
  6. At least half hour before the dough is ready, heat the oven to 450 F. Put a 3-to-4 quart covered pot (with the cover)- it may be cast-iron, enamel, pyrex, or ceramic- in the oven as it heats.
  7. When the dough is ready, carefully remove the pot from the oven and turn the dough over into the pot, seam side up. (It's messy, and it probably won't fall in artfully, but it will straighten out as it bakes.)
  8. Cover with the lid and bake for 30 minutes, then remove the lid and bake for another 20-30 minutes, until the loaf is beautifully browned. (If you feel the bread is scorching, lower the temperature.)
  9. Let the bread cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
Recipe by The Novice Housewife at https://novicehousewife.com/2011/05/08/mark-bittmans-no-work-bread/