If the pandemic had a silver lining, it was the chance to learn new skills and experiment in the kitchen. My escape was no-knead bread baking, and now I can’t stop! Here are some of my new favorites for you to try at home and enjoy—for a fraction of the price you would spend at the supermarket.
Ooh la la! This recipe for classic French bread is tres magnifique!
Photo by Gwénaël Le Vot
NO-KNEAD BAGUETTES
MAKES 2 LARGE OR 4 SMALL
3 cups bread flour
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
¼ teaspoon instant yeast
1½ cups water, room temperature
In a large bowl, mix flour, salt and yeast well. Add water and mix, using the handle of a large wooden spoon, until it forms a ball. Scrape down the sides of bowl and continue to stir until all the flour is incorporated into the dough ball. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm, dry area or lighted oven. Let proof 12–24 hours.
Scrape dough onto a clean, floured work surface. Sprinkle top of dough with flour and—with floured hands—fold dough over onto itself (sides, then top and bottom) until smooth, about two times. Form into a ball and cut into two or four equal pieces. Form each piece into ropes and let rest for 10 minutes. Roll and shape each rope into baguettes and place onto either parchment paper (if using a pizza stone to bake bread) or a baguette mold lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Cover with a clean dish towel and let proof 1–2 hours.
Preheat oven to 450 F for at least 30 minutes. Position rack in the middle of the oven. If using a pizza stone, preheat it along with the oven. Score each baguette with a bread lame or scissors.
If you are using a pizza stone, use a pizza peel to slide parchment and baguettes onto the stone. Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a cooling rack.
If using a baguette mold, place a small pan of water on or near the bottom of the oven. Place the baguette pan in the oven and spritz the top of the loaves with water and immediately close oven door to trap the steam. Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a cooling rack.
No-Knead Bagels
Stock up on your favorite toppings because once you’ve mastered this recipes you’ll never be out of bagels.
Photo by Gwénaël Le Vot
MAKES 8 LARGE BAGELS
4 cups bread flour
½ teaspoon instant yeast
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon sugar
2 cups water, room temperature
3 tablespoons honey
Flour or cornmeal, for dusting
Sesame seeds (or other desired toppings)
In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients well. Add the water and mix, using the handle of a large wooden spoon, just enough to form a dough. Do not knead. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit 18 hours at room temperature.
After 18 hours, wash your hands well and remove the dough to a clean surface sprinkled with flour. Fold dough over on itself a couple times: top, bottom and sides.
Wrap dough in the plastic wrap you just used for the bowl and let rest for 15 minutes.
Put down a clean cotton towel (or parchment paper) and sprinkle it with flour. Put the dough in the middle of the towel and wrap the towel around the dough. If using parchment paper, cover with a clean towel.
Let the dough “proof” for 2 hours. Around the 1:45 mark, start preheating the oven to 450 F, and boil water in a large pot. Add the honey to the water and stir it in well. Why honey? It improves the crumb of the bagels.
When the 2-hour proofing time has expired, unwrap towel and turn dough onto a floured work surface. With well-floured hands, divide the dough into eight pieces and form into balls. Flatten with your hand and make a 2-inch hole in the middle of each, using your thumb or small cookie cutter.
Dust a baking sheet liberally with cornmeal or flour. Or line baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
Boil 2–3 bagels at a time for 1 minute—flipping after 30 seconds. Using a spider spatula, remove bagels from the water and place on the baking sheet. Let the boil resume between batches.
Sprinkle top of bagels lightly with sesame seeds or other desired toppings.
Bake for 20–25 minutes or until nicely browned. Cool on baking sheet for 20 minutes and transfer to cooling rack. Bagels will keep for 2–3 days on counter in plastic zip-close bag or up to a week in the refrigerator.
No-Knead Sandwich Bread
With this recipe in hand, you can skip the bread aisle at the grocery store.
Photo by Iuliia Nedrygailova
MAKES ONE LOAF (8½ x 4½ inches)
1¾ cups water, room temperature
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
¼ teaspoon instant yeast
3½ cups bread flour
In a large bowl, stir water, salt and yeast together to combine. Add flour and stir into wet mixture with the handle of a wooden spoon until it forms a ball. Scrape sides of bowl and continue to stir until all flour is incorporated into the dough ball. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm, dry area or lighted oven. Proof dough for at least 8 hours, up to 24 hours.
Spray an 8½ x 4½ loaf pan with vegetable spray. Scrape dough onto a clean, floured work surface. Sprinkle top of dough with flour and—with floured hands—fold dough over onto itself (sides, then top and bottom) until smooth, about 2 times. Gently pat dough with hands into a disc. Fold one-third of dough to the center and then the other one-third over that. Place, seam side down, into loaf pan. Cover and proof again for one hour.
Preheat oven to 450 F for at least 30 minutes. When ready to bake, sprinkle dough again lightly with flour. Using a bread lame or serrated knife, score bread on top. Bake dough for 30–35 minutes until lightly brown on top.
No-Knead Challah
Braided stands of no-knead dough bake up into a tasty bread that’s as nice to look at as it is to eat.
Photo by Helen Rea & Rob Sugar
MAKES TWO LOAVES
4 cups bread flour
½ tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon instant yeast
1½ cups water, room temperature
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup honey
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 large egg, for egg wash
Sesame seeds, optional
In a large bowl, add flour, salt and yeast and mix well. Add water, oil, honey and 2 eggs and mix, using the handle of a large wooden spoon, just enough to form a ball. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and allow to rest at room temperature for 2 hours. Refrigerate for 2 days to allow the dough to form strong gluten strands that will give the bread strength and texture.
After 2 days, remove dough from refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature. Scrape dough onto a clean, floured surface and divide dough in half. Then divide each half into three even-sized pieces. Roll each piece into a long log—the same length. With three logs side by side, pinch the top ends together and braid the three logs. Bring the right log to the middle, then the left log to the middle (the same process as braiding hair). Repeat until you get to the end of the loaf. Make sure the ends are securely pinched together and tucked underneath the loaf.
Repeat with remaining three logs. Cover with a clean, dry towel and allow to rise for 1 to 2 hours or until dough has doubled in size.
Preheat oven to 350 F. Whisk together 1 egg and 1 tablespoon water, and brush onto the risen dough. Allow to sit another 10 minutes, then apply a second coat of the egg wash. If desired, sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake 25–30 minutes until golden brown, rotating the baking pan halfway through baking for an even crust color.
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Chef’s tip
What is a bread lame? A razor-sharp blade used to make cuts in bread dough. A paring knife or scissors will drag the dough, whereas a lame will make clean cuts.
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What’s cooking at SCLiving.coop
No-knead breads: Part I—Grab your apron and go back in time to September 2020 and explore Chef Belinda Smith-Sullivan’s first batch of no-knead bread recipes, including an experimental recipe for charcoal bread.