No Knead Bread

I made my first batch of No Knead Bread this morning. I admit I mixed the sticky dough by hand before setting it aside for the first rise. But I did knead the 5 loaves of bread individually only 15 turns before shaping into loaves. Still and all it was a lot less kneading and on smaller dough balls, so it was easier. The recipe was just like French Bread.. Unbleached flour, yeast, water and salt. I baked mine in loaf pans though - no cottage loaves for me since I toast my bread quite a lot.

6 & 1/2 to 7 & 1/2 Cups Unbleached Flour

3 Cups Lukewarm Water

1 TB Salt

1 and 1/2 TB dry Yeast (4 and 1/2 tsp)

 If dipping measuring cup into flour before leveling off, use 6 and 1/2 cups. If pouring the flour into cups before leveling off, use 7 and a 1/2 cups.

Mix well and set aside for first rise in the fridge for 2 hours if you plan to bake the bread right away.  Then form into 2 loaves or 3 small loves and let rise again. Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes.

If you want to bake the later or the next day place dough in fridge for 2 hours up until 7 days before forming into loaves and letting rise before baking. The longer you let dough ferment in the fridge the more it tastes tangy like sour dough bread.