Overnight No-Knead Crusty Bread
A crackly, open-crumbed artisan loaf from four ingredients and almost no work. A long overnight rise does the kneading, and a hot Dutch oven makes the crust.
Chef's note Time does the kneading here: the long, slow rise builds the gluten and the flavor.
Chef's note Time does the kneading here: the long, slow rise builds the gluten and the flavor. If your kitchen is cold, the first rise can take the full 18 hours, and that's fine. Weigh the flour and water if you can.
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose or bread flour 400 g
- 1½ tsp fine sea salt 8 g
- ¼ tsp instant yeast 1 g
- 1⅓ cups lukewarm water 315 g
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour or cornmeal for dusting
Steps
In a large bowl, stir 3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, 1½ tsp fine sea salt and ¼ tsp instant yeast. Add 1⅓ cups lukewarm water and mix with a spatula until no dry flour remains. It will be a shaggy, sticky dough.
Cover with a plate or plastic wrap and leave at room temperature 12 to 18 hours, until more than doubled, dotted with bubbles and pleasantly yeasty-smelling.
Dust the counter with 1 tbsp all-purpose flour or cornmeal. Scrape out the dough, fold it over onto itself a few times to make a rough ball, and set it seam side down on a sheet of parchment dusted with the rest (1 tbsp all-purpose flour or cornmeal). Cover with a towel and let rise 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until puffy and it springs back slowly when poked.
About 30 minutes before baking, put a 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven with its lid in the oven and heat to 450°F.
Lift the dough by the parchment into the hot pot. Cover and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 12 to 18 minutes more, until deep brown.
Cool on a rack at least 1 hour before slicing; the inside is still setting.
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