Speedy No-Knead Bread

Recipe from Jim Lahey

Adapted by Mark Bittman

Speedy No-Knead Bread
Evan Sung for The New York Times
Total Time
45 minutes, plus 4½ hours' rising
Rating
5(2,919)
Comments
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The original recipe for no-knead bread, which Mark Bittman learned from the baker Jim Lahey, was immediately and wildly popular. How many novices it attracted to bread baking is anyone’s guess. But certainly there were plenty of existing bread bakers who excitedly tried it, liked it and immediately set about trying to improve it. This is an attempt to cut the start-to-finish time down to a few hours, rather than the original 14 to 20 hours' rising time. The solution is simple: use more yeast. —Mark Bittman

Featured in: No-Knead Bread: Not Making Itself Yet, but a Lot Quicker

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Ingredients

Yield:1 big loaf
  • 3cups bread flour
  • 1packet (¼ ounce) instant yeast
  • 1½teaspoons salt
  • Oil as needed
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (1 servings)

1558 calories; 13 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 301 grams carbohydrates; 12 grams dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 52 grams protein; 986 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Combine flour, yeast and salt in a large bowl. Add 1½ cups water and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest about 4 hours at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

  2. Step 2

    Lightly oil a work surface and place dough on it; fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest 30 minutes more.

  3. Step 3

    At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6-to-8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under dough and put it into pot, seam side up. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes.

  4. Step 4

    Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
2,919 user ratings
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Comments

Chateau

Here is the updated recipe according to the video:

3 cups of bread flour (or 3 cups of all-purpose flour + 3 tsp of gluten)
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 tsp yeast
1/4 tsp red wine vinegar
1 1/2 cups extremely warm water

mojobo48

I used the video version. I've been baking bread for 30 years and I have NEVER gotten a crust like this. My 21-year-old picked up the loaf, and said, "How much of this can I eat?" He proceeded to have a dinner of potato soup and ate about 2/3 of the loaf. Does a mother's heart good.

Irene

It's actually 1/4 oz yeast or 2 1/4 tsp

Katie

@Diane just let it rise longer. No need to turn the heat up.

Mike

Excellent loaf - dense and cake-like. Delicious!

Jeanne

I've made it with onion and garlic bits, plain, with cinnamon and erithritol, and rosemary &thyme. All wonderful!

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Credits

Adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery

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