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SubscribeMonday, September 10, 2007
No Knead Bread: so easy a 4-yr old can make it!
It’s been almost a year since NY Times unveiled the secret to the revolutionary No-Knead Bread. And while fads come and go, this certainly is a recipe that has transcended the fickleness of foodies. It’s time to revisit the bread…. as many of us have been brainwashed by this summer’s ice cream! We’ve made close to 60 loaves since last November and I’ve got to tell you, it is still one of our family’s favorite things to eat.
I firmly believe that every person should bake a loaf of bread at least once in their lifetime. Granted, it’s easy to just drive to your local bakery to pick up a loaf, but have you ever experienced the intense joy of smelling freshly baked bread coming from your very own oven?! Foodgasmic eyes-roll-to-back-of-head, soul softly moaning as you tug a piece of warm, pillowy mound gently with your teeth. In case you’ve not heard of No Knead Bread….let me tell you about it. Baking bread does sound intimidating…all that kneading and loaf-shaping business is best left to pros. But what if I told you that you don’t even have to knead or shape, that it is so easy my little son makes it.
No Knead Bread recipe so insanely brilliant – no sticky fingers, no doughy mess, no intricate measuring, no complicated kneading. Totally hands-off. The crust is thin, crisp and snaps as you cut into the loaf. The interior of the bread holey, chewy, airy and light. If bread could sing, this would be an angelic choir. In Dolby digital surround sound. Now, with that, how could you not try No Knead Bread? It only takes 3 minutes to mix and a wooden spoon. You can’t even boil spaghetti in 3 minutes!
So, without further blabbering, I’ve pimped out my son to demonstrate that baking No Knead Bread is so simple a 4-year old can do it.
Of course I had to bribe him with 2 temporary tattoos. Cheap labor. 10 cents apiece. There is nothing that says, “I’m a kick-ass no knead bread baker” more than a tattoo of a killer whale. Move over Bourdain, here comes someone cuter…
So, let’s start. 3 cups of bread flour in a big bowl.
secret: I sometimes use 1/2c whole wheat flour + 2 1/2c bread flour
1/4 teaspoon of instant yeast:
1 teaspoon of table salt
(secret: I use 3/4 tablespoon of kosher salt. Why the difference?)
Add 1-1/2 cups of lukewarm water. Sorry no pic – he dumped water before I could pick up camera. But you know what “dumping water” looks like! Stir. Use those muscles, boy. Stir like a badass-baker with whale tattoos would stir!
See? This is what it is supposed to look like…a shaggy, goopy mess.
Wrap up the no knead bread dough
Give it a kiss good night and let the no knead bread dough sleep for 12-20 hours on counter or in a nice, warm, cozy place.
secret: I’ve let it sit for as little as 8 hours and it still tastes great! I did knead with wet hands just a little tiny bit to make up for the time OR you can add a touch more yeast.
After sleeping, the no knead bread dough should look like this: (better than what I look like in the morning.)
Dump out on floured surface:
Wet your hands. This will prevent the very sticky dough from sticking to your hands. If you find dough sticking to your hands, wet again. Why not flour your hands? You could, but you want to keep the flour: water ratio pretty even. Since we are adding flour to the surface, I balance it out by wetting my hands. It is the high water content that makes this bread so deliciously light and the crust very crisp. With wet hands, grab the dough and fold over all ends towards the middle. Turn dough blob over so that you get a nice, smooth, tight surface. Try to tuck the dough ends under to get that taut surface.
Gently move dough onto a floured towel. Cover. Let nap for 2 hours. It should puff up nicely and double in size.
secret: When I run out of time, I sometimes let it sit only for 1 hour! If you let it nap in a tall, narrow bowl (pictured below), the dough rises nice and tall, about 6″ high. If you leave it out on the counter – that is fine too, the dough will rise up and also out….making a flatter No Knead Bread loaf, about 3″-4″ high.They will both taste the same, just looks a little different.
A half hour before the nap ends, we will need to begin preheating your baking vessel. Slip a covered pot into the oven. Crank up the heat to 450F. Let it pre-heat for 30 minutes or longer.
The perfect pot for No Knead Bread
Let’s talk about the pot. So, you know you’re going to put the pot into a very very hot oven. Make sure that the pot can withstand 450F. Generally, if the pot is cheap, flimsy, has plastic handles and a remnant from your poor college days, it’s probably not going to be safe to use in that hot of an oven. Use a 5-qt or larger cast iron, ceramic, Pyrex, stainless steel or enamel pot.
Just check your pot collection – look for large, heavy, no plastic.
Round, oblong – doesn’t matter. Should be at least 4″ tall. I use my Le Creuset emameled cast-iron. Yes, my cover has a thick plastic knob – but I did call Le Creuset’s customer service and they said while their literature says safe to 400F, it is still fine at 450F. Now, I don’t know whether the gal who talked with me really had the authority to tell me such a thing….but after over 30 loaves, my pot is still unblemished. After pre-heating, remove the hot pot from oven. Now plop this wobbly dough into the hot pot. Doesn’t matter how it lands – actually, the messier it lands, the more “rustic” it looks. Shake pot a bit to even out the dough.
secret: if you aren’t using a well-seasoned cast iron pan, you can put a piece of parchment paper in the pot first so that the No Knead Bread won’t stick to the bottom.
“It looks like a belly button!“ ~Andrew
Cover and put back into the oven. Bake covered for 30 minutes. Photo below is peeking through oven door after 30 minutes. Then uncover and bake further for 15-20 minutes. To check – you can either tap the bread (should sound low, hollow, like a drum) or take its temperature (should be 210F in middle).
Here is No Knead Bread just after baking. See? I told you that “messy” turns out “rustic!” Kids- don’t you DARE tell me that your toy room looks “rustic!!!” GO CLEAN YOUR ROOM!
Remove and let cool. The No Knead Bread really does sing – the crust crackles as it cools. Listen to it!
secret: Because the bread has such high water content- the crust will not stay crisp forever. If you aren’t eating soon, you can re-crisp the crust by re-heating it in a 350F oven for 10 minutes.
Thats it! You will be rewarded with a thin, crunchy brown crust, large, open holes. The bread is slightly chewy, flavorful and perfect texture. Making your own bread is deeply soul satisfying, it makes me feel like I am so close to the earth. Eat with good butter – like Kerrygold or Lurpak – splurge on your butter for this loaf!
Just a little story for you: The first time Andrew and I made this bread together, I let him mix all the ingredients together the night before. We watched it bake together. When it came out of the oven, Andrew wanted to cut into it immediately. But we had to wait until it cooled. Then it was time. As I placed the tip of my knife into the bread and moved down through the crust, the snap and crunch of the crust gave way to tender, spongy body. I knew even without tasting it, that it was the most perfect loaf of bread that I have ever made. Andrew and I slathered butter on our slices. We sat on the kitchen floor, my hands still with traces of flour, and had a wonderful moment of just enjoying bread that we made together. Just like his Po-Po, Andrew loves bread. Each time, he would come ask, More bread please with arms outstretched. I would place a warm buttered slice in his small hands – he cradled it so gently, carefully ran to the stairs, never taking his eyes off the prize. He sat on the third step and ate his bread, wiggling his toes between bites. Three times he did this. Yes, this is my son. Perhaps one day when he is older, he will read this recipe and story and remember how his Mommy taught him how to eat homemade bread – with lots of butter and with eyes closed, totally savoring every single bite.
No Knead Bread Recipe
No Knead Bread Recipe is adapted from Mark Bittman of NY Times who got it from Sullivan Street Bakery. When the recipe first came out, it was the blogging community who took the bread to new heights, especially Rose Levy Beranbaum, author of The Bread Bible. I followed Rose's experiments through the weeks and learned from her recipe adjustments and the why's of how this bread works.
Ingredients:
3 cups bread flour (I like Harvest King bread flour)
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
1 teaspoon fine table salt (or 3/4 tablespoon of kosher salt)
1 1/2 cups warm waterCovered pot (five-quart or larger cast iron, Pyrex, ceramic, enamel...something that can go into a 450F oven.)Directions:
1. Mix dough: The night before, combine all ingredients in a big bowl with a wooden spoon until the dough just comes together. It will be a shaggy, doughy mess. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit 12-20 hours on countertop.
2. Shape & preheat: The dough will now be wet, sticky and bubbly. With a wet spatula, dump the dough on a floured surface. Fold ends of dough over a few times with the spatula and nudge it into a ball shape. You can use your hands if you like, just keep your hands wet so that the dough does not stick. Generously dust a cotton towel (not terrycloth) with flour. Set dough seam side down on top of towel. Fold towel over the dough. Let it nap for 2 hours. When you've got about a half hour left, slip your covered pot into the oven and preheat to 450F.
3. Bake: Your dough should have doubled in size. Remove pot from oven. Holding towel, turn over and dump wobbly dough into pot, using your hands to get the dough off the towel. Doesn't matter which way it lands. Shake to even dough out. Cover. Bake 30 minutes. Uncover, bake another 15-20 minutes or until the crust is beautifully golden and middle of loaf is 210F. Remove and let cool on wired rack. If not eating right away, you can re-crisp crust in 350F oven for 10 minutes. Best way to eat it? Smear a warm slice with some good butter (Kerrygold and Lurpac are both found in your grocery stores, usually on top shelf)
See the kids make German Oven Pancakes 
Also try: 
Dip bread in Olive Oil and Dukkah
Dip in Bagna Cauda
Sop up juices in Killer Cajun Shrimp
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This page is now #7 in google while searching for “No Knead Bread” Great job!
Cooking and gardening http://red-icculus.com
Hi Jaden! Just thought i should drop u a note to say I made this and posted it on my blog. I hope you don’t mind pasting the recipe over.. if not, let me know! The bread was delicious!
I’ve made this several times in the past month, my favorite application — add 1-2 tbsps gluten flour for each cup of flour, use it for pizza dough.
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As a vegetarian who mostly eats organic, healthy foods, Thanksgiving is not a favorite holiday. Statistically the average person consumes 4500 calories on Thanksgiving! Traditional stuffing is full of calories. My solution was to make “stuffing bread” – no-knead bread made with vegetable broth and after about 19 hours I gently folded in 2 cups worth of minced, onion, celery, carrot, fresh sage, thyme, rosemary, parsley, coarse black pepper and salt. Delicious and I highly recommend you give it a try.
The no-knead bread recipe is a lot of fun to experiment with. I always use half whole-wheat flour and have added ingredients such as:
Walnuts
Corn meal
Whole raw garlic cloves
Caramelized onions with gruyere
Cheddar cheese cubes
All of which turned out very well.
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Loved seeing your little one make bread. It’s a great recipe. I’ve been making 4-6 loaves each week since I discovered the recipe in April, 2007. Gained a little weight, too.
I have been baking for 20 years, I made a few loaves of this bread, and my family thinks it turns out underdeveloped and gummy tasting.
I went back to adding the flour slowly to the water and besting the dough for 2 minutes when 1/2 the flour is in, then I got a better dough. so it you get gummy bread, give that a try.
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Thanks for your advice! I just wanted to follow up and say that I’ve now made two more loaves since my first disappointing results and have a couple of “lessons learned” to share:
1. Oven temperature is very important. My original loaf was baked at 225 C. Better results are obtained at 260 C.
2. I’m using bakers flour rather than self-rising flour (I’m in Australia).
I’ll now start experimenting with whole wheat flour, sourdough starter, and steel cut oats.
Thanks again!
I am the only one who has ended up with unusable dish towels after using it for dumping the moist dough for the no-knead bread?
I love this recipe! I’ve made it several times
A couple of comments on other posts:
Do NOT use self-raising flour. You need strong bread flour.
The texture is chewy, not gluey or rubbery. It’s not a soft crumb, it’s more like a strong Italian loaf.
Try flouring your teatowels more heavily, or using a silicone mat.
this is one tasty recipe. My son and I make it all the time. We have done several riffs and all were great. I am convinced that the kiss goodnight is important. It is my sons second favorite part ( eating the finished product is first of course). Thank you for sharing this.
hi steamy- i just saw this on a martha stewart show and i remembered reading it in your blog- the way you showed the directions is so much easier. i will defintely get back to you with the results. i, like nathan, live in the Philippines, so i may have to wait for the ideal weather to try this. thanks and good luck to me as well.
Thanks for posting your modifications to the recipe (especially for the hint about the parchment!). I just tried it out and even with yeast that’s long past its expiry date and just plain all-purpose flour, the bread turned out great. It didn’t seem to rise much so I was a bit worried, but I guess I just wasn’t good at remembering the “before” state for comparison.
It’s so great that baking bread is this easy — the one German thing I miss daily here in New Zealand is the bread…
I love this bread, I have made it a few times now. One question….you say to re-crisp the crust put it in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. Should it be covered with foil or a covered pot again? I am single and have tried, but cannot eat a whole loaf in one sitting. Thank you for the wonderful and easy way to make bread
Dana
dana, dana, dana, i too live alone & if you try i bet you Could finish the no-knead bread in 1 day- o.k., 2- but who’s counting? enjoy!
I’ve been making this bread 2-3 times a week and the only trouble is that I’ve gained weight. It’s irresistible! My hints: regular yeast works just as well as instant; spray the heated pot with cooking spray just before you put the dough in to bake since that’s easier than parchment paper; don’t leave out all of the salt, but you can cut it down; 1 cup whole wheat flour and 2 cups white flour is also good, but all whole wheat is tasteless; don’t worry about timing since I often leave the first rising about 24 hours just because sometimes I can’t get to it sooner; use cornmeal to sprinkle on the dough near the end and you will retain the correct proportions of flour to water. Thanks for the suggestion of the last “nap” being in a tall bowl because I would like to get a higher rise on the bread that is otherwise perfect. Any covered casserole dish for baking, as long as it has high enough sides, will work.
Your little boy has inspired me to bake the bread. I waited for a long time before I decided to get everything that I need and really try to do it. Thanks a lot! Love your blog!
I have discovered that putting oat bran on the top of the dough before it is baked is a nutritious and delicious addition.
I love it – maybe I can motivate my kids to do something other than lift the fork
– and they’re in their 20′s..ha ha
I just ate my first piece of this bread with softened butter and honey from Germany. Reminds me of my grandma’s bread from Bavaria and the smell was just like walking into the Bäckerei (German for bakery) early in the morning to purchase fresh bread. As a college student, it’s always hard finding time and good recipes that aren’t packed with additives and preservatives. Since Christmas I’ve sworn off all white products and have lost 20 pounds. Now I won’t feel so guilty about baking this bread and sharing it. Plan on making a vegetable soup tonight so that we have some bread for a second spoon. Danke schön!
this is so great.. I definitely will give a try
am finally trying this today- it has been raining and the temp here is in its high 70′s. i’ll email you a pic if this is a success for me, if not, try and try again!
I’ve been battling with bread for a few months now. It took a trip to the Le Creuset store (hehe – lucky me!), but I finally got a pot worthy of this bread.
Boy is it worth it!
Thanks for sharing this recipe and the lovely step-by-step instructions! It’s truly delicious and may just be the last bread recipe I ever need!
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First your son is adorable. Second, love the bread and it is a perfect project for my 4 yr old daughter. Thanks!
Hi,
I LOVE this recipe and use it all the time. I have one question….I can’t seem to get the sticky dough off the floured towel…it sticks onto the towel and I have to really pry it off to get it into the pot, any suggestions???
Thanks
lulu
Hi lulu from portland!
I had the same problem too. Silkpat and corn meal work wonder for me now. Give them a try. I hope it works out better for you.
thanks blue sandals I’ll try it!!!!!!!
lulu
Sticking problems are gone when I use oat bran sprinkled on the top of the dough, and I use a silicon spatula to scrape the dough off the towel and into the pot/pan to bake it. Wheat bran can also work if you prefer it.
Just baked a 3rd loaf (whole wheat)….in a large clay tagine. I only have one dutch oven and was desperate to bake 2 loaves at once. I plugged the steam vent in the tagine’s lid with some tin foil. It worked like a champ.
Slathered with honey butter this bread is a little bit of heaven in my mouth!!
wow – I love the idea of honey butter!!!
Wow! I do not know how to blog or anything, but I have made this bread several times, and was desparately looking for answers on line to my questions. I’m surprised that in 186 responses, no one asked my question. How do I use this recipe to make pizza? I have made rolls with this bread (makes 12) and have used the 1/3 whole wheat flour (tastes great). I make mine in a regular glass bread loaf pan with no cover and it still tastes great, but has a less crusty crust, which is good for sandwich making. The rolls are good for not eating too much! And people, please! If you are having problems with cleaning your linen towels full of dough – don’t use them!! I don’t. Now, does anyone know how to use this recipe to make pizza? HELP!
Hey Bread2000-
I’ve not used the dough for pizza, but I have an easier no-knead for pizza: http://steamykitchen.com/blog/2008/02/19/no-knead-pizza-dough-pear-and-gorgonzola-flatbread-with-baby-arugula-and-shaved-parmesan/
xo, jaden
Loved reading your site. I very nearly felt like I was in the kitchen with you and your little guy, and could smell the bread if I closed my eyes. Its a cold, rainy weekend in Florida, I’m going to make some NKB!
Hey Jaden, I’ve been crazy sick and it seems like bread is all I can keep down. I’ve been making French Bread, but this sounds so much easier. I only have All-Purpose flour, not bread flour. Will that work? Thanks.
Of course it will work! It won’t taste exactly the same, as bread flour has higher protein content. BUT, I’ve done the nkb with AP flour and still worked fine. The dough was a softer texture (you might need a bit more flour in the dough) but still delicious.
Oh thank you, thank you! It was absolutely delicious, and easy enough to make when I feel awful. This is probably my new favorite sick food!
I was thinking about teaching my 10 year old niece this recipe when I visit next month. Now I’m even more inspired.
I’ve tried many bread recipes over the years. This one beats them all, hands down. So amazingly easy, and so forgiving. I’ve used specialty bread flour, grunt bread flour, unbleached all-purpose flour, instant yeast, packaged yeast (which I actually liked better than the instant), Kosher salt, sea salt…and got great bread every time.
I live at just over 3,200 feet so I’ve tweaked the basic recipe some. I add a little more water and I back off the yeast just a titch. I convection bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, uncover and start checking around 10 minutes.
Getting a good rise at altitude can be tricky so I rarely add other flours to the mix. I’ve experimented with whole wheat and have found that I can sub about 1/2 cup without losing too much loft. More than this has resulted in flatter, denser loaves. Still good eats, though.
I don’t worry that much about adding more flour during the shaping process. My dough’s usually pretty wet as I use more water; I don’t slather the flour on but I do use enough to keep the dough from sticking to things. For the most part anyway. I’ve used both cornmeal and bran for coating the exterior; I prefer cornmeal for texture but bran adds a nice, rustic flavor to the crust and boosts the crunch a bit.
Regarding the baking pot–mine’s a three-quart Chefmate from Target, enameled, cast-iron, bought on clearance for less than $10. I replaced the knob with a stainless steel drawer pull because it smelled while baking. I also have a four-quart Lodge, but I get better results with the smaller pot.
Jaden, I need help! I did this twice, using half recipe. The first time I uses 225g bread flour vs 3/4 c warm water. After mixing, the dough looks wet (yours look drier than mine). But that turns out a little ok finally, though far from perfect.
I wanted to improve it so I did it another round today. This time I use my measuring cup to measure 1.5 cups of bread flour (which only turns out to be around 156g). It didn’t work well this time round. I think my dough is far too wet as it is very flowable after the 12 hrs and it doesn’t rise much. It smells of beer too. In the end I threw the whole stuff away.
Are you able to advise what could have gone wrong? What should be the consistency/texture of the dough after the initial mixing? Should it be liquid or dry?
Thanks for your help!
I TRIED TO MAKE THIS BREAD.. AND IT WAS A DISASTER.. IT DIDN’T RISE AND WAS COMPLETELY UNDONE AND BURNT ON THE BOTTOM… COULD IT HAVE BEEN THE POT.. I USED ACTIVE YEAST AND FOLLOWED DIRECTIONS EXACTLY.. CAN YOU HELP ME… I LET THE DOUGH SIT FOR ABOUT 12 HOURS… WHAT DID I DO WRONG?
Vapont: It could have been bad yeast. If the bread didn’t rise, usually it’s due to the yeast. I would suggest reading through Rose Levy Beranbaum’s thread on the bread – your question may be answered there!
http://www.realbakingwithrose.com/2006/11/holy_bread.html
Well, I’m on the phone with my brother (Uncle Bubba) and I just mixed up the ingredients , I’ve got my wet globby mess in a bowl covered sitting on the counter, and I can’t wait for 2morrow!!!! I’ll let you know how it works out.
Maybe I’ll post a couple pics on our blog.
My bread didnt rise at all, the prep work was fine. I let it rest for 20 hours, but as I was trying to fold over the edges to create the round taut shape it became too wet. When i plonked it onto the kitchen towel it got stuck to the kitchen towel and getting it to plonk into the bowl after 2 ours resting time was a struggle. after all that, it didnt rise. It was heavy and dense and flat. What did I do wrong?! Please help!
Kavie,
your yeast is may be bad – try a new package of yeast. if a bread doesn’t rise, it’s because of the yeast expiring or just bad, dead yeast.