Easiest Bread Recipe

This recipe is so simple and produces the best tasting bread. Easy to change up. Sometimes in the last step I will  fold in shredded cheddar and jalapenos to make Jalapeno Cheese bread otherwise just stick with the method and it will turn out great. These also make excellent chowder bowls when baked like this.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/08/dining/081mrex.html

Recipe: No-Knead Bread

    Sign In to E-Mail or Save This
    Print
    Reprints

Published: November 8, 2006

Adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery
Time: About 1½ hours plus 14 to 20 hours’ rising
Related
The Minimalist: The Secret of Great Bread: Let Time Do the Work (November 8, 2006)
Readers’ Opinions
Forum: Cooking and Recipes

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
¼ teaspoon instant yeast
1¼ teaspoons salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed.

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

4. 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 towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. 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.

Yield: One 1½-pound loaf.

Sounds Awesome    Sara loves to bake bread, but I need to get some bread pans apparently   

Al,
 You don't use a bread pan but a nice round pot or cast iron. I found a nice old baking pot at Goodwill along with a lid . THis bread turns out a great round crusty bread loaf. It will surely add to the WAF poitns 

I'm a big fan of the Stoneware (not stoner ware ) baking stuff, and since my ex took it all, i've wanted an excuse to buy them again    The brand I remember was called Heartstone?  Their stoneware was amazing, able to be taken from the freezer to the oven!

I have made this before and it is pretty good stuff and super easy.