Jim Lahey's No-knead Bread

[Dewesq55]

This was my fourth attempt. The first 3 were miserable failures. The recipe is dead simple and very little active time involved. The bread tastes awesome and had great crust and texture.

[rickgregory]

Looks awesome. What changed in the 4th try to make it work whereas the other 3 didn't?

[Dewesq55]

I'm not entirely sure, but I think it was using a brand name bread floor rather than supermarket brand AP flour. There recipe says you can use either, but the first 3 were all the AP from ShopRite. This one I used King Arthur bread floor.

[smokin fool]

Could you please share this dead simple recipe, I'm going to give this homemade bread thing ago.
Looks like off tis at least Oct on Disability and the days are getting boring.

[Thunder77]

I might also recommend The New Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day. Great book, and great, easy bread!

[MBMorgan]

I'm sure the OP will reply eventually but meanwhile, here's a link to what is claimed to be the real Jim Lahey bread recipe: https://leitesculinaria.com/99521/re...ead-bread.html

[Dewesq55]

That is the recipe I used. If you click on the "Metric" tab at the top of the recipe, you will get the whole thing in weight measurements, rather than volume. I highly recommend doing it by weight.

[Spinaker]

Are we talking about the same Jim Lahey? As in the drunk Trailer Park Supervisor? LOL

[Spinaker]

Ahhhhhhh, classic mix up. My mistake. Dewesq55

[Andrrr]

Are we absolutely SURE that after they got done rehearsing for the play that Randers wasn’t grilling up the biggest burger he could and this recipe is the result of Lehey trying to make him a suitable bun? I mean, if the shoe fits...

[Spinaker]

Very good point, and one that perhaps we may need to add to the recipe list on the free side of the site. Andrrr

[Skip]

Good job David. No failure this time. It looks great!

[Thunder77]

Looks great!

[AverageJoe]

Nicely done. Looks amazing

[mnavarre]

smokin fool As usual, Kenji has your back. Read the article too, it's a really good how-to and explanation of how it works. This is the recipe I use, but I up the salt to 6 grams and usually cut the yeast back to 1 gram. Cutting back on the yeast gives better flavor development, but does take longer to ferment.

[RonB]

Great job.

[Richard Chrz]

Great job. I think it was Henry Ford that said you can only fail, if you quit. Sounds like you learned 3 ways not to make it. Enjoy the process.

[FireMan]

This, from the bakin’ fool!

[scottranda]

Trial and error! Errors only cost 83 cents!! Per my calculations at least!

[Dewesq55]

Here's the recipe exactly as I did it this time:

INGREDIENTS

[]400 g bread flour or all-purpose flour, plus more for the work surface
[]1 g instant yeast
[]8 g salt
[]300 g water
[]Cornmeal or wheat bran, as needed

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, yeast, and salt. Add the water and mix with a spoon or your hand until you have a shaggy, sticky dough. This should take roughly 30 seconds. You want it to be a little sticky. (Many people who bake this bread find the dough to be sticker than other bread doughs they’ve worked with. Even though it’s not what you’re accustomed to handling, it’s perfectly fine.)
2. Cover the bowl with a plate, towel, or plastic wrap and set it aside to rest at warm room temperature (but not in direct sunlight) for at least 12 hours and preferably about 18 hours. (Ideally, you want the room to be about 72°F. In the dead of winter, when the dough will tend to rise more slowly, as long as 24 hours may be necessary.) You’ll know the dough is properly fermented and ready because its surface will be dotted with bubbles. This long, slow fermentation is what yields the bread’s rich flavor.
3. Generously flour your work surface. Use a bowl scraper or rubber spatula to turn the dough onto the surface in one blob. The dough will cling to the bowl in long, thread-like strands and it will be quite loose and sticky. This is exactly what you want. Do not add more flour. Instead use lightly floured hands to gently and quickly lift the edges of the dough in toward the center, effectively folding the dough over onto itself. Nudge and tuck in the edges of the dough to make it round. That’s it. Don’t knead the dough.
4. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran, or cornmeal. Place the dough, seam side down, on the towel and dust the surface with a little more flour, bran, or cornmeal. Cover the dough with another cotton towel and let it rise for about 2 hours. When it’s ready, the dough will be double in size and will hold the impression of your fingertip when you poke it lightly, making an indentation. If the dough readily springs back when you poke it, let it rise for another 15 minutes.
5. A half hour before the dough is done with its second rise, preheat the oven to 450°F (232°C). Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position and place a 6- to 8-quart heavy pot and its lid (whether cast iron or enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in the oven as it heats.
6. When the dough is done with its second rise, carefully remove the pot from the oven and uncover it. Also, uncover the dough. Lift up the dough and quickly but gently turn it over into the pot, seam side up, being very careful not to touch the pot. The blob of dough may look like a mess, but trust us, everything is O.K. Cover the pot with its lid and bake for 30 minutes.
7. Remove the lid and bake until the loaf is beautifully browned to a deep chestnut color, 15 to 30 minutes more. Use a heatproof spatula or pot holders to carefully lift the bread out of the pot and place it on a wire rack. Don’t slice or tear into it until it has cooled, which usually takes at least an hour.

Notes:
1. Rather than using a kitchen towel and flipping it over, for the second rise, put the "ball" seam side up on a piece of parchment paper which has been generously coated with cornmeal (what I used) or wheat bran. Cover with the bowl you did the first rise in. When ready, pick the whole thing up by the corners of the parchment and put the whole thing into the hot Dutch oven. Check the color after 10 minutes of uncovered baking (after the 30 minute covers bake which is essential. I think I took mine out after 15 mins uncovered. They parchment let's you take it out of the pot with no sticking.

[lemayp]

You guys are killing me. All the recent posts are making me want to try. It sent me looking for this post and now I've read the linked articles and am thinking it's over. You've won. Got a feeling this week I'll try loaves with and without the time in the fridge from Kenji's version.