A winter recipe to get that bread
Okay, I know what you are thinking: how can bread be quick and easy? But trust me, this one is foolproof! All you have to do is mix the four ingredients together, let it sit for up to a day, and then bake it. Before you know it, you will have a steaming loaf of bread with a golden-brown crust, plenty of air pockets, and a soft interior.
This is a high-hydration dough and the long rest time will let the gluten form without you kneading it. Dip it in soup, spread some butter on it, or break off chunks and just stuff them into your mouth—all are guaranteed to be delicious!
The smell of bread baking will fill your apartment and tempt you to cut into the loaf right after you take it out of the oven. DO NOT DO THIS! Let the bread cool on a rack so the air can circulate around it, let the steam escape, and prevent the crust from getting soggy. Trust me, it will be well worth it in the end.
This loaf is an absolute crowd pleaser when my friends come over for wine and cheese evenings, and it pairs perfectly with spinach and artichoke dip. Alternatively, you could dip the bread in shakshuka, serve it with some jam from the St. Lawrence Market farmer’s market, or use it to mop up some chili. This is an easy weeknight recipe and will make you feel like a pro baker destined for greatness while helping you forget about all the readings you have yet to do for law school.
My favourite part about this loaf is that it requires very little kitchen equipment. All you need is parchment paper, a bowl, a spatula, and a Dutch oven. Don’t have a few hundred dollars to drop on a Dutch oven? Any oven-safe pot or casserole dish will work, but you may not get a very crispy crust.
The recipe calls for bread flour because of its high gluten content, but all-purpose flour is a suitable substitute. And make sure that when you add the yeast and salt, you are adding them to different areas of the bowl—salt is bad for the yeast!
Ingredients (Makes 1 Loaf):
- 400g of bread flour
- ¼ tsp active dry yeast
- ¾ tsp salt
- 1-1/3 cups (320g) of room temperature water
Method:
- Add the yeast and salt into a bowl of bread flour, and whisk until combined. Next, add the water and gently mix it all together until it forms a wet and shaggy ball. If the dough is too dry, add water, one tablespoon at a time until you get to the desired texture.
- Cover with plastic wrap, and let it sit at room temperature for 18–24 hours.
- Generously sprinkle your work surface with flour and place your dough onto it. Grab the corners of the dough and pull them into the center until you have a smooth and taut dough that you can pick up.
- Place the dough seam-side down on some parchment paper. Let it sit for about an hour.
- Place a Dutch oven into the (cold) oven and preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Cut off excess parchment paper from around the dough. Score the top of the dough with a knife.
- Drop the dough into the hot Dutch oven, replacing the lid.
- Place in the oven, and let it bake for about 20 minutes. Remove the lid and let it bake for another 15–20 minutes until your crust is golden brown and the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when you tap it.
- Let the bread cool and enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Basics with Babish’s No Knead Bread.
