Jeffs No Knead Bread Recipes

JEFF'S NO KNEAD BREAD RECIPE

Steps:

• In a 2 quart Pyrex measuring bowl (or large bowl), combine flour, yeast and salt. Pour vinegar, beer and water over the dry ingredients, then, using a fork, mix thoroughly until a shaggy dough forms. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap, and let sit at room temperature for 18 - 24 hours. The dough should rise to the 7 cup mark on the bowl.
• Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured work surface, and sprinkle with a little extra flour. Using your hands, gently pat the dough into a rectangle approximately 10" wide by 8" high. Sprinkle with flour as needed if the dough is sticking. Gently fold the dough over itself like folding a letter. Turn 90 degrees, gently pat to a rectangle and fold again. Then shape the dough into a ball by pulling edges into middle. Place dough in the center of a large sheet of parchment paper, then lift and lower into a 4-quart cast-iron dutch oven. Cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let rise for 2 hours.
• Set an oven rack to the middle position. Uncover the dough, sprinkle the surface with a little flour, and using a sharp knife, make 3 parallel slits across the top of the dough about 1/2-inch deep. Cover the pot with its lid, and place in the cold oven. Heat the oven to 425°F, and when this temperature has been reached, let cook for 30 minutes. After the 30 minutes have elapsed, carefully remove the lid and continue to bake until the loaf is a deep brown (about 30 minutes longer). Using the parchment overhang, carefully remove the bread from pot, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely (about 2 hours).

NO-KNEAD WHOLE WHEAT SANDWICH BREAD

Steps:

• MIXING AND STORING DOUGH:.
• Whisk together flours, wheat germ, yeast, and salt in large bowl or lidded 5 quart container.
• Stir honey and melted butter into water; then add water, beer, and vinegar to the dry ingredients.
• Using rubber spatula, fold mixture, scraping up dry flour from bottom of bowl/ container until shaggy ball forms (use wet hands if needed).
• Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature until dough rises and collapses (or flatttens on top); 2 - 5 hours.
• Refrigerate in lidded (not airtight) container and allow to preferment for at least one day or up to 5 days.
• ON BAKING DAY:.
• Lightly grease a 9x4x3-inch nonstick loaf pan.
• With wet hands, pull up one end of the refrigerated dough. Using a serrated knife, cut off a 1 1/2 pound, or canteloupe-size, piece of dough. Dust the piece with flour and quickly shape into a ball by gently stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go. Most of the dusting flour will fall off. The bottom of the loaf may appear to be a collection of bunched ends, but they will flatten out during resting and baking. The dough ball should be smooth and cohesive and take no more than 30 to 60 seconds to shape. Form an elongated oval and place into the prepared pan.
• Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow to rest until doubled in size, approximately 2 hours.
• Twenty minutes before baking, preheat oven to 400 degrees, with an empty broiler tray or cast iron skillet on any other shelf that won't interfer with the rising bread.
• Place the loaf on a rack near the center of the oven. Pour 1 cup of hot tap water into the hot broiler tray or skillet and quickly close the oven door.
• Bake for 45 - 50 minutes or until golden brown and firm.
• Remove from pan and allow to cool on wire rack before slicing.

NO-KNEAD BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 1/2 cups/345 grams 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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 OK. 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.

CHEF JOHN'S NO-KNEAD CIABATTA

Steps:

• Place white and wheat flour in a large bowl. Add salt, yeast, and water. Mix until a wet sticky dough comes together, about 5 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl. Cover with foil. Allow dough to rise for 18 hours at room temperature. It should not be too warm.
• Punch dough down with a spatula and fold it over a few times.
• Lightly grease a heavy-rimmed baking sheet with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with cornmeal.
• Lightly spray a work surface with water. Place a long sheet of plastic wrap on the damp surface to hold it in place. Sprinkle plastic wrap with flour. Scrape the dough onto the floured surface. Sprinkle flour on top of the dough. Gently stretch and pull dough into a long, flat rectangular shape, 12 to 15 inches long. Bring plastic sheet to edge of prepared pan and flip the dough into the prepared pan. Reshape the dough, if necessary. Dust with flour. Cover with a light dry towel. Let rise about 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Bake dough in preheated oven until loaf is nicely browned, 35 to 45 minutes.

EASY NO-KNEAD CHALLAH BREAD

Steps:

• Mixing and storing the dough: Mix the yeast, salt, eggs, honey, and melted butter (or oil) with the water in a 5-quart bowl, or a lidded (no airtight) food container.
• Mix in the flour without kneading, using a spoon, a 14-cup capacity food processor (with dough attachment), or a heavy-duty stand mixer (with dough hook). If you're not using a machine, you may need to use wet hands to incorporate the last bit of flour.
• Cover (not airtight), and allow to rest at room temperature until the dough rises and collapses (or flattens on top), approximately 2 hours.
• The dough can be used immediately after the initial rise, though it is easier to handle when cold. Refrigerate in a lidded (not airtight) container and use over the next 5 days. Beyond 5 days, freeze in 1-pound portions in an airtight container for up to 4 weeks. Defrost frozen dough overnight in the refrigerator before using. Then allow the usual rest and rise time.
• On baking day, butter or grease a cookie sheet or line with parchment paper, or a silicone mat. Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a 1-pound (grapefruit-size) piece. Dust the piece with more flour and quickly shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go.
• Divide the ball into thirds, using a dough scraper or knife. Roll the balls between your hands (or on a board), stretching, to form each into a long, thin rope. If the dough resists shaping, let it rest for 5 minutes and try again. Braid the ropes, starting from the center and working to one end. Turn the loaf over, rotate it, and braid from the center out to the remaining end. This produces a loaf with a more uniform thickness than when braided from end to end.
• Allow the bread to rest and rise on the prepared cookie sheet for 1 hour and 20 minutes (or just 40 minutes if you're using fresh, unrefrigerated dough).
• Twenty minutes before baking time, preheat the oven to 350°F If you're not using a stone in the oven, 5 minutes is adequate. Brush the loaf with egg wash and sprinkle with the seeds.
• Bake near the center of the oven for about 25 minutes. Smaller or larger loaves will require adjustments in baking time. The challah is done when golden brown, and the braids near the center of the loaf offer resistance to pressure. Due to the fat in the dough, challah will not form a hard, crackling crust. Allow to cool before slicing or eating.