Jim Laheys No Work Bread Recipes

JIM LAHEY'S NO-KNEAD BREAD | LODGE CAST IRON

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, salt, and yeast. Add the water. Use a wooden spoon or your hand to mix until you have a wet, sticky dough-about 30 seconds. Make sure it's really sticky to the touch; if it's not, mix in another 1-2 tablespoons of water. Cover the bowl and let set at room temperature, out of direct sunlight, until the surface is dotted with bubbles and the dough is more than doubled in size (about 12-18 hours).
• When the first fermentation is complete, generously dust a work surface with flour. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the dough onto the surface in one piece. When you begin to pull the dough away from the bowl, it will cling in long, thin strands (this is the developed gluten), and it will be quite loose and sticky-do not add more flour. Use lightly floured hands or a bowl scraper or spatula to lift the edges of the dough in toward the center. Nudge and tuck in the edges of the dough to make it round.
• Place a cotton or linen tea towel (not terry cloth, which tends to stick and may leave lint in the dough) or a large cloth napkin on your work surface and generously dust the cloth with wheat bran, cornmeal, or flour. Use your hands, a bowl scraper, or wooden spatula to gently lift the dough onto the towel so it is seam-side down. If the dough is tacky, dust the top lightly with wheat bran, cornmeal, or flour. Fold the ends of the towel loosely over the dough to cover it and place it in a warm, draft-free spot to rise for 1-2 hours. The dough is ready with it is almost doubled. If you gently poke it with your finger, making an indentation about ¼-inch deep, it should hold the impression. If it doesn't, let it rise another 15 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F 30 minutes before the end of the second rise, with a rack in the lower third position, and place a cast iron dutch oven in the center of the rack.
• Using pot holders, carefully remove the preheated pot from the oven and uncover it. Unfold the tea towel, lightly dust the dough with flour or bran, lift up the dough, either on the towel or in your hand, and quickly and gently invert it into the pot, seam side up. (Use caution-the pot will be very hot). Cover the pot and bake for 30 minutes.
• Remove the lid and continue baking until the bread is a deep chestnut color, 15-30 minutes more. Use a heatproof spatula or pot holders to carefully lift the bread out of the pot and place it on a rack to cool thoroughly. Wait until it cools to slice or tear into it, about an hour.

JIM LAHEY'S NO-KNEAD BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, stir together the flour, yeast, and salt. Add the water and mix with a spoon or your hand until you have a shaggy, sticky dough. This should take roughly 30 seconds. You want it to be a little sticky. (Many people who bake this bread find the dough to be sticker than other bread doughs they've worked with. Even though it's not what you're accustomed to handling, it's perfectly fine.)
• Cover the bowl with a plate, towel, or plastic wrap and set it aside to rest at warm room temperature (but not in direct sunlight) for at least 12 hours and preferably about 18 hours. (Ideally, you want the room to be about 72°F. In the dead of winter, when the dough will tend to rise more slowly, as long as 24 hours may be necessary.) You'll know the dough is properly fermented and ready because its surface will be dotted with bubbles. This long, slow fermentation is what yields the bread's rich flavor.
• Generously flour your work surface. Use a bowl scraper or rubber spatula to turn the dough onto the surface in one blob. The dough will cling to the bowl in long, thread-like strands and it will be quite loose and sticky. This is exactly what you want. Do not add more flour. Instead use lightly floured hands to gently and quickly lift the edges of the dough in toward the center, effectively folding the dough over onto itself. Nudge and tuck in the edges of the dough to make it round. That's it. Don't knead the dough.
• Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran, or cornmeal. Place the dough, seam side down, on the towel and dust the surface with a little more flour, bran, or cornmeal. Cover the dough with another cotton towel and let it rise for about 2 hours. When it's ready, the dough will be double in size and will hold the impression of your fingertip when you poke it lightly, making an indentation. If the dough readily springs back when you poke it, let it rise for another 15 minutes.
• A half hour before the dough is done with its second rise, preheat the oven to 450°F (232°C). Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position and place a 6- to 8-quart heavy pot and its lid (whether cast iron or enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in the oven as it heats.
• When the dough is done with its second rise, carefully remove the pot from the oven and uncover it. Also, uncover the dough. Lift up the dough and quickly but gently turn it over into the pot, seam side up, being very careful not to touch the pot. The blob of dough may look like a mess, but trust us, everything is O.K. Cover the pot with its lid and bake for 30 minutes.
• Remove the lid and bake until the loaf is beautifully browned to a deep chestnut color, 15 to 30 minutes more. Use a heatproof spatula or pot holders to carefully lift the bread out of the pot and place it on a wire rack. Don't slice or tear into it until it has cooled, which usually takes at least an hour.

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.

JIM LAHEY'S NO-WORK BREAD RECIPE

Steps:

• Combine the flour, yeast and salt in a large bowl. Add the water and stir until blended; you'll have a shaggy, sticky dough. (Add a little more water if it seems dry.) Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or put the olive oil in a second large bowl, transfer the dough to that, turn to coat with oil and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest for about 18 hours at about 70 degrees. The dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Rising time will be shorter at warmer temperatures, a bit longer if your kitchen is 60-65 degrees. Lightly flour a work surface, remove the dough and fold once or twice; it will be soft, but once sprinkled with flour, not terribly sticky. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest for about 15 minutes. Using just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking, gently and quickly shape the dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton (not terry cloth) towel with cornmeal, semolina or wheat bran (or use a silicone baking mat); put the dough seam-side down on the towel and dust with more flour or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel (or plastic wrap) and let rise for about two hours. When it's ready, the dough will be more than doubled in size and won't spring back readily when poked with your finger. At least a half-hour before the dough is ready, heat the oven to 450 degrees. Put a 3- to 4-quart covered pot (with the cover) - it may be cast-iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic - in the oven as it heats. When the dough is ready, carefully remove the pot from the oven and turn the dough over into the pot, seam-side up. (Slide your hand under the towel and just turn the dough over into the pot; it's messy, and it probably won't fall in artfully, but it will straighten out as it bakes.) Cover the lid and bake for 30 minutes, then remove the lid and bake for another 20-30 minutes, until the loaf is beautifully browned. (If at any point the dough starts to smell scorched, lower the heat a bit.) Remove the bread with a spatula or tongs and cool on a rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Optional "Sped Up" variation: Reduce the initial rise to eight hours and skip the 15-minute resting period. (It won't be quite as light and flavorful as the regular method.) Flour variations: • Substitute 1 or 2 cups (maximum) of whole-wheat flour for the same amount of white flour. • Substitute 1 cup of rye flour for the same amount of wheat flour. • Substitute 1/4 cup of cornmeal, preferably fine ground, for the same amount of white flour. Liquid variations: Substitute up to 1 cup of beer of any kind - flat is OK, too - for the same amount of water. Substitute 1 tablespoon of vinegar for the same amount of water. Additions: Here are just a few of the items you can toss in to the dough of your No-Work Bread: • Golden flax seeds • Sunflower seeds • Sesame seeds, either sprinkled atop the loaf or incorporated in the dough • Whole-wheat berries - soaked and softened beforehand. (The soft white wheat kernels will soften up faster than the hard red kernels.) • Cracked wheat - no need to soak • Parmesan cheese (add just before the second rising) • Chopped, pitted olives • Raisins • Dried cranberries • Toasted pecans (pairs well with the dried cranberries) • Chopped walnuts • Minced fresh rosemary, sage, or oregano • Minced fresh chives, parsley or dill • Roasted garlic, mashed or chopped