Small Batch No Knead Bread Recipes

ENJOY NO-KNEAD, FRIDGE-FRIENDLY DOUGH HEALTHY BREAD-IN 5 MINUTES

Steps:

• In a 5-quart bowl, combine the yeast, water and salt. Add all the flour, then use a wooden spoon to mix until all ingredients are uniformly moist. It is not necessary to knead or continue mixing once the ingredients are wet. This will produce a loose and very wet dough.
• Cover with a lid (not airtight), or plastic wrap with several holes poked into it. Allow the mixture to rise at room temperature until it begins to collapse, about 2 hours, but no more than 5 hours.
• After rising, the dough can be baked immediately, or tightly covered and refrigerated up to 14 days. The dough will be easier to work with after at least 3 hours refrigeration.
• To bake, prepare a pizza peel by sprinkling it with cornmeal. Alternatively, overturn a baking sheet and sprinkle it with cornmeal. This will prevent the bread from sticking when you transfer it to the oven.
• Uncover the dough and sprinkle the surface with flour. Pull up and cut off a 1-pound (grapefruit-size) piece of dough (serrated knives are best). Recover the remaining dough in the bowl and refrigerate for baking at another time.
• Hold the mass of dough in your hands and add a little more flour as needed so it won't stick. Create a smooth ball of dough by gently pulling the sides down around to the bottom, rotating the dough as you go.
• While stretching, most of the dusting flour will fall off. The bottom of the loaf may appear to be a collection of bunched ends, but it will flatten out during resting and baking. This shaping should take no more than 1 minute.
• Place the dough on the peel or overturned baking sheet. Allow the loaf to rest for about 40 minutes. It does not need to be covered. The bread may not rise much during this time; this is normal.
• Twenty minutes before baking, place a pizza stone on the center rack of the oven. If you don't have a baking stone, use another baking sheet. Remove any upper racks. Place a broiler pan on a rack below the pizza stone or on the floor of the oven. Preheat oven to 450°F.
• When the dough has rested for 40 minutes, dust the top liberally with flour, then use a serrated knife to slash a 1/4-inch-deep cross or tic-tac-toe pattern into the top.
• Slide the loaf off the peel or overturned baking sheet and onto the baking stone. Quickly but carefully pour 1 cup of hot water into the broiler tray and close the oven door.
• Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the crust is nicely browned and firm to the touch. Allow the bread to cool completely, preferably on a wire cooling rack.

JAMIE GELLER'S NO KNEAD CHALLAH BREAD

Steps:

• 1. Combine flour, salt, yeast, water, eggs, sugar and evoo. 2. Mix until combined and then cover with lightly greased plastic wrap. 3. Allow mixture to sit at room temperature for 2 hours before refrigerating for up to 3 days, but for a minimum of 2 days (the flour needs that much time to form gluten strands to give the bread texture). 4. When you are ready to make challah, remove dough from refrigerator and braid as desired. Place braids on parchment lined baking sheets and cover with lightly greased plastic wrap. 5. Allow to rise at room temperature for 1-2 hours or up to 3 (a long rise is necessary for the dough). 6. Preheat oven to 350° F. Brush your challah with egg wash. Once your oven comes to temperature, brush on egg wash again. 7. Bake for 12 minutes, rotate the pan, and bake until 12 to 15 minutes more until golden brown and perfectly cooked. Want recipes like this delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up now for Jamie Geller's Weekly Newsletter.

SMALL BATCH NO-KNEAD BREAD

Steps:

• In small cup, dissolve instant yeast in lukewarm water and stir to mix together (the mixture should start to bubble and develop a yeasty aroma.).
• In a large bowl, add flour and salt. Pour in yeast mixture and whisk until fully combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl (there should be no dry flour particles visible). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature for 3+ hours (Note that a higher room temperature will speed up the fermentation process and will cause the dough to rise faster). After 3 hours, the dough will have risen and will approximately double in size.
• Transfer dough to a floured surface. Note that the dough will be sticky and that is okay. Sprinkle dough with a little flour and shape it into a ball by folding the edges over to the centre.
• Cut out a piece of 9 x 9-inch parchment paper and place the round dough at the centre. Place the dough together with the parchment paper in a medium size bowl (approximately 6 inches in diameter) and cover with a dish towel. Let the dough rest for about 30 minutes. This is called second rising or proofing. To check if the dough is ready, touch the dough lightly with your fingertip. If the indentation remains (ie. does not bounce back immediately), then the dough is ready.
• Place a small dutch oven or cooking pot (approximately 6 inches in diameter) with a metal lid in the oven and preheat to 450° F. Gently transfer the parchment paper and dough from the bowl into the preheated pot. Use a paring knife to score an "X" on the top of the loaf. Cover the lid and bake for 30 minutes.
• After 30 minutes, remove the lid and continue baking the bread uncovered in oven for another 10-15 minutes. This will yield a crustier bread. Let the bread cool for 20 minutes before slicing. (To check if the bread is done, you can tap the bottom of the bread with your finger. The bread will sound hollow when it's done).