With this method you prepare the dough, let rise overnight, then add more flour and rise a couple more hours before baking.
Mix the dough by hand or in a stand mixer with a dough hook. My stand mixer bowl is large enough that I can use the mixer bowl for all the steps, including shaping it into a ball inside the bowl, instead of on parchment paper as the instructions below specify.
The dough is baked in a small, round enameled cast iron "dutch oven" dish with a lid. Mine is 7" diameter at the top and 5" at the base, so my finished bread looks a little like a golden, crusty mushroom.
If you don't have an enameled cast iron pan, you can also try baking the bread on a preheated pizza stone. If you do this, the bread will spread out flatter and you'll probably have to shorten the baking time.
Ingredients:
- 3-4 cups (750 ml) all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp (10 ml) salt
- 1/4 tsp (1 ml) instant quick-rise dry yeast
- 1-1/2 cup (750 ml) warm water (120 to 130 degrees F)
In large bowl, combine 3 cups of the flour, the yeast and salt.
Add water, stir to blend. Dough will be very sticky.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap.
Let dough rest overnight at room temperature.
Next day, add about 1/2 cup more flour to the dough.
Fold the dough over on itself once or twice.
Cover loosely with the plastic wrap again and let rest 15 minutes.
Generously dust a piece of parchment paper with flour.
On the paper, shape dough into a ball, adding just enough flour to keep dough from sticking.
Cover with a towel and let rise for 2 more hours.
Place your enameled cast iron Dutch Oven in your oven.
Turn the oven on to preheat to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) with the Dutch oven inside.
When oven is preheated, wearing oven mitts, carefully remove the hot Dutch Oven.
Keep the oven on to maintain the temperature.
Turn the dough into the hot enameled Dutch Oven.
Cover with the lid and put back in the preheated 450 degree F oven.
Bake 30 minutes.
Remove lid .
Bake 20-30 minutes more until golden and thermometer inserted into loaf registers 200 degrees F to 210 degrees F.
Remove from oven but let bread cool inside the pan.
Seeded No-Knead Bread
A round loaf baked in a 4 to 6 quart Dutch oven with lid.
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting parchment
- 1-1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp instant yeast
- 1-1/3 cups lukewarm water
- 3 tsp seeds: 1 tsp. each fennel and white sesame seeds and 1/2 tsp each black sesame seeds and caraway seed.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, salt and yeast. Add water and mix until a rough, sticky dough forms.
- Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size and surface bubbles (12 to 18 hours).
- Use rubber spatula to turn dough onto a floured piece of parchment paper.
- Flour hands. Pull edges of dough toward center and pinch together to form a round. Flip over so seam faces down.
- Sprinkle top of dough with flour and cover dough with plastic wrap. Let rise again until puffy and when poked, a finger mark is left in the dough (1-2 hours more).
- Before second rise is complete, place Dutch oven (lid on) on middle rack of oven and heat oven to 450 degrees F.
- Trim excess parchment around loaf, leaving enough to lift loaf.
- Slash top of dough 3 times with a sharp knife.
- Combine seeds in a small bowl.
- Wearing oven mitts, carefully remove hot Dutch oven from oven then remove lid. Using parchment paper to lift, transfer bread to Dutch oven. Sprinkle with seeds, replace lid, bake 30 minutes at 450 degrees F.
- Remove lid and continue to bake bread, about 15 minutes, until crust is golden and digital thermomter inserted in centre reads 210 degrees F.
- Remove from oven, remove bread from Dutch oven, cool on wire rack before slicing.
