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 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.

NO-KNEAD ENGLISH MUFFIN BREAD

Steps:

• Grease 2 loaf pans with butter; coat bottoms and sides with 1 tablespoon cornmeal.
• Mix 1 1/2 cup bread flour, 1 1/2 cup white whole-wheat flour, yeast, and baking soda together in a large bowl.
• Combine milk, water, sugar, and salt in a saucepan over low heat; heat until mixture registers 125 degrees F (52 degrees C) on a thermometer, about 5 minutes.
• Stir warm milk mixture into the flour mixture; add remaining 1 1/2 cup bread flour and 1 1/2 cup white whole-wheat flour. Mix until dough comes together.
• Divide dough in half; place 1 piece in each loaf pan. Sprinkle remaining cornmeal on top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Bake loaves in the preheated oven until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Invert onto a wire rack and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.