No Knead Bread

I am not a bread baker.  I'm assuming that you aren't either.  In the spirit of National Homemade Bread Day, I've made a bread recipe that ANYONE can make.  I promise!  As long as you can read a recipe, measure ingredients, and mix it together, you will make bread!

My family has a long history in bread-making.  Growing up, my family made their own bread in our bread machine.  I love the smell of baking bread!  When it was done, we would cut the top of the bread off, slather it in butter, and eat it in pure happiness!!!

Fresh homemade bread

Bread dough right after it's been mixed together

Dough after it has risen

Getting ready to bake

No-Knead Bread

Makes 1 medium loaf

3 cups bread flour (can substitute up to 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour)

1 5/8 cups warm water

1 envelope of active dry yeast

1. Place yeast in warm (NOT hot!) water; this is called blooming the yeast.  Since the yeast is in a dry form, it works best to rehydrate it before using it.  Just let it sit for 3-5 minutes or until the yeast looks like super soggy cereal.
2. Add yeast and water to flour.
3. Mix to create a sticky dough.
4. Cover bowl with plastic wrap (or lid) and let sit for at least 12 hours, preferably 18 hours, at a warm room temperature.  Dough is ready when the surface is dotted with bubbles.
5. 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.
6. Heavily flour the work surface with flour; form dough into a ball shape. 
7. Heavily flour the top of the dough and cover with a cotton towel.  Let it rise for two hours or until double in size.
8. About 30 minutes before the dough is done doubling, preheat an oven to 450.  Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in the oven as it heats.
9. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under the dough, and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but don't worry.
10. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes.
11. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned.
12. Cool on a rack.

How easy is that?  Mix it up; leave it.  Play with it a bit; leave it.  Bake it; DONE!  Fresh, homemade bread with no stress or worries!

For more easy recipes, head to a girl eats world!