Chuck Hughes No Knead Bread Recipes

CHUCK HUGHES' NO KNEAD BREAD

Steps:

• Mix together in a large bread-making bowl the water, yeast and sugar.
• Allow this mixture to bubble and foam, then add the oil and vinegar.
• Add the bread flour cup by cup, stirring well after each addition.
• Then add the salt and the whole wheat flour, cup by cup, stirring well after each addition. The dough will be a bit wet and spongy.
• Cover with a damp tea towel and let rise in a warm place for 30 to 40 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.
• Using a big spoon, spoon the dough into 2 well-greased loaf pans. If necessary, press the sides down, helping to create the perfect loaf shape.
• With a knife, make 2 or 3 diagonal shallow incisions in the loaves.
• Sprinkle with either the steak spice or raw sugar, depending upon whether you want sweet or savoury.
• Bake the loaves about 50 minutes at 375 degrees F or until they are golden brown and crusty on top and sound hollow when tapped on the underside.
• Let cool at least 5 to 10 minutes 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.