5 Ingredients or Fewer
No Knead Country Loaf
Popular on Food52
31 Reviews
Charlene V.
April 25, 2021
This is also reminiscent of the country/ peasant bread in Nancy Baggett’s Kneadlessly Simple. A hit every time! She has you spritz the dough with water right before you put the lid on the Dutch oven.
My only quibble with this recipe is “throw a Dutch oven...”. I know it’s picky, and everyone wants to be hip and informal in their recipe writing, but when has anyone ever thrown a Dutch oven anywhere?!
My only quibble with this recipe is “throw a Dutch oven...”. I know it’s picky, and everyone wants to be hip and informal in their recipe writing, but when has anyone ever thrown a Dutch oven anywhere?!
daisy326
July 8, 2019
I'm curious what the science is behind using cool water as opposed to warm water? I feel like most yeasted bread recipes I've seen specifically want you to use warm water to encourage the yeast to ferment. How come this doesn't make the yeast sluggish?
Dan E.
May 22, 2019
Listen I've been trying to make a decent loaf of bread for about 5 years. I can never get a crumb that has those delicious irregular size bubbles, instead it's always a tight crumb, like a sandwich bread. Every single time . Until this recipe. This genius little gem gave me crusty, chewy bread with just a lil' stank, hinting at sourdough. My wife went nuts over this and it was gone in a day. Thank you.
Lisa
June 24, 2017
I wouldn't recommend using a scale to measure 1 gram of yeast. Just to check, I used an empty bowl and kept adding yeast and got up to 7 tsp and it still didn't measure as 1 gram on my Oxo scale.
Lisa
July 26, 2016
Can someone advise please whether I am supposed to knock it down at all before the second rise? Or just gently shape it? I had difficulty getting the dough to stay in a ball for second rise and it flowed alot. Any tips?
Excellent and delicious recipe though! Lived up to expectations!
Excellent and delicious recipe though! Lived up to expectations!
msmely
December 1, 2018
I scrape it out of the bowl onto a heavily floured surface and stretch and fold it a couple of times before tucking the edges underneath. I usually don't want big bubbles up top so I will spend some more time with a bench scraper and my fingers tucking the outside edge underneath (like I'm making a dough mushroom cap) to make a nice round shape. Try not to tuck dry flour up inside the loaf!! The dry flour is just to keep it from sticking to your hands. You'll lose enough gas from the dough this way that you don't need to "knock it down" any more than you would from just handling it. More tucking under = more knocking down = a more even / less open crumb.
The second rise won't really be the final shape, this dough really benefits a lot from oven spring. Preheating a dutch oven and starting with the lid on buffers the outside from the intensity of the oven and allows it to steam a bit; this means the crust on the outside doesn't form as quickly, the yeast gets a final burst of activity (=more CO2=more bubbles) and the final product will be taller and rounder rather than flat.
The second rise won't really be the final shape, this dough really benefits a lot from oven spring. Preheating a dutch oven and starting with the lid on buffers the outside from the intensity of the oven and allows it to steam a bit; this means the crust on the outside doesn't form as quickly, the yeast gets a final burst of activity (=more CO2=more bubbles) and the final product will be taller and rounder rather than flat.
Vera K.
January 21, 2016
Just made this and love it. It came out beautifully. The love is on the small side though, is it possible to simply double the recipe? Would the time in the oven change?
angie
August 3, 2015
simple and delightful. went with 1/3 whole wheat, and the resulting loaf had a beautiful crunchy crust with that slight tang i love to find in rustic loaves like this. i never would have imagined no knead loaves could come together to wonderfully! had difficulty getting a nice round boule shape, but that's a reflection of my lack of expertise in baking. but i'll definitely work on it! thank you for sharing this foolproof recipe. will definitely be referring to this and adding whatever tweaks to shake each loaf up a bit.
Penny
May 14, 2015
I've spent years looking for a simple fail proof bread recipe - and a few months ago I found this. The simplest, crustiest, most delicious loaf imaginable. I make it at least 3 times a week. mix it in the evening and bake it sometime the following day. One third wholewheat flour works best for me, and I shape the loaf onto floured baking paper. Easy to lift and drop into the Dutch Over without burning your self. Topped with a pat of unsalted cultured butter ....
pcskinner
February 4, 2014
By the way I followed your directions to the letter. It was the crusty chewy dunk in EVOO or pasta sauce kind of bread I have been looking for. Thank you for your great recipe. Making more this evening as the first loaf won't make it till tomorrow! Very similar to Chabatta bread my fav.
pcskinner
February 4, 2014
Just popped a loaf out of my oven!!!!!! Ohhhhh fabulous! Couldn't wait until it cooled slathered it with butter .....beautiful!! taste treat
Nancy
December 20, 2013
I don't have a dutch oven or pizza stone, can you just put it on a cookie sheet? What else would work?
Linda
October 16, 2013
For the final rise, I put the dough on a Silpat and cover it lightly with plastic film -- no towel fuzzies and easy release.
MillersMom
June 18, 2013
Anyone try this with whole wheat bread flour? It's the only bread flour my local Whole Foods stocks in bulk, and it's all I have!
Johnny R.
June 19, 2013
I've done this successfully with 100% Whole Wheat flour, and with Rye flour, but it will turn out pretty flat (although still tasty) if you don't add wheat gluten. Hopefully you have a source for that...
Fina62
May 22, 2013
Can you form these into several smaller boules? By how much would you reduce the cooking time?
Jennifer A.
April 21, 2013
Thank you! I just pulled a loaf out of the oven, and smeared a hot slice with lots of butter. So delicious and easy! This is the FIRST TIME I have ever had success making bread, and I will definitely put it in regular rotation :)
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