Ever watch a movie where a homely under-confident girl or guy goes from zero to hero? Think Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady, or Peter Parker, the nerdy guy who morphs into Spider Man and fights evil villains like Doctor Octopus or Venom.
This is the tale of an underdog, a homely mass of dough made from humble ingredients, neglected for hours at a time. When you see the gooey, sticky, bubbling blob in your bowl, you’ll start to doubt the magic.
You’ll wonder if you should be kneading, fussing over, or finessing the dough until it turns into a smooth elastic ball. You might begin to think that the evil villain has taken residence in your bowl. Don’t worry, this is a zero to hero story, remember?
A quick stir creates a shaggy dough. Resist the urge to fuss. Cover it up, and go do something else. Sleep. Wake up. Eat breakfast, paint a picture, watch a movie. Sprinkle in some flour, and fold the dough around in the bowl a little bit. Don’t over-exert yourself though. We wouldn’t want anyone to catch us kneading our no-knead bread.
Now, amuse yourself for two hours. You could make some compound butter (a fancy name for jazzed up butter). More on that later…
After almost a day of waiting, and very minimal effort on your part, your homely glob of dough will be ready to make it’s grand transformation from “blah” to “yeah!”.
Enter the dutch oven (ie: cast iron pot); the magic chamber that makes the impossible possible. Jim Lahey, the most well-known mastermind behind the no-knead dutch oven method, calls the dutch oven “an oven within an oven.” The hot cast iron imitates the evenly heated bricks of a domed brick oven, and the tight-fitting lid traps in the steam, which keeps the inside of the bread moist and gives the outside a solid, crackly crust.
After lid-on and lid-off cooking in the dutch oven, your hero will emerge. Like many super-heroes, your bread will be attractive and solid on the outside (so solid, that it will sound a hollow “knock” when tapped), and tender and complex on the inside.
You may want to partake immediately. I don’t blame you…but you must wait. An hour, in order to achieve the best texture.
Be sure to make an extra boule or two…You may not be a zero, but baking this bread will surely make you a hero. Even the most evil of villains melt into giggling little school-children at the smell of orange cardamom bread.
- 3 cups bread flour
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1⅓ cups water
- cornmeal or additional flour for dusting
- In a large bowl, stir together the flour, salt, yeast. Add the water and mix with a wooden spoon or your hand until you have a very sticky, shaggy dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a dish towel.
- Let the dough rest and rise for 12-18 hours, until the surface is dotted with bubbles and the dough doubles in size.
- See “Notes” for an easier, less-sticky way to form your bread into a ball
- When the first rise is complete, generously dust a cutting board with flour. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the dough out of the bowl to the cutting board (it will be sticky). Using lightly floured hands or a rubber spatula, gently fold the edges in toward the center, shaping the dough into a ball.
- Generously coat a cotton towel (non-linty) with cornmeal. Put the dough seam-side down on the towel and sprinkle with more cornmeal. Fold the towel over the dough. Allow the dough to rest for 2 hours, or until doubled in size. 30 minutes before the last rise is complete, place the dutch oven (cast iron pot) in the oven and pre-heat to 450˚ F.
- Remove the pot from the oven. Slide your hand under the towel, and turn the dough over into the pot. (This will be messy, but no worries...it will round out as it bakes).
- Cover with the lid and bake for 30 minutes.
- Uncover and continue baking for about 15 minutes, or until the loaf is browned.
- Remove the bread to a wire rack and allow to cool for an hour before eating.
- 3 cups bread flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1⅓ cups water
- 2½ teaspoons finely grated orange zest
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 2 tablespoons honey
- cornmeal or additional flour for dusting
- Sweet Orange-Cardamom Butter for serving (recipe below)
- In a large bowl, stir together the flour, salt, yeast, orange zest, and cardamom. Add the water and honey and mix with a wooden spoon or your hand until you have a very sticky, shaggy dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a dish towel.
- Let the dough rest and rise for 12-18 hours, until the surface is dotted with bubbles and the dough doubles in size.
- See “Notes” for an easier, less-sticky way to form your bread into a ball
- When the first rise is complete, generously dust a cutting board with flour. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the dough out of the bowl to the cutting board (it will be sticky). Using lightly floured hands or a rubber spatula, gently fold the edges in toward the center, shaping the dough into a ball.
- Generously coat a cotton towel (non-linty) with cornmeal. Put the dough seam-side down on the towel and sprinkle with more cornmeal. Fold the towel over the dough. Allow the dough to rest for 2 hours, or until doubled in size. 30 minutes before the last rise is complete, place the dutch oven (cast iron pot) in the oven and pre-heat to 450˚ F.
- Remove the pot from the oven. Slide your hand under the towel, and turn the dough over into the pot. (This will be messy, but no worries...it will round out as it bakes).
- Cover with the lid and bake for 30 minutes.
- Uncover and continue baking for about 15 minutes, or until the loaf is browned.
- Remove the bread to a wire rack and allow to cool for an hour before eating.
- 1 stick unsalted butter (1/2 cup), softened (at room temperature)
- 2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
- 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed orange juice
- 2 teaspoons peeled and finely grated fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon real maple syrup
- In a medium bowl, whisk together all ingredients using a fork until smooth and well-combined. Serve immediately, or if desired, spoon the butter from the bowl onto plastic wrap and roll into a log. Refrigerate for 2 hours or up to one week. Serve with Orange, Honey and Cardamom No-Knead Bread.
- 3 cups bread flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1⅓ cups water
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, picked from the stem
- ½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- ¾ cup finely grated parmigiano reggiano, romano, or parrano cheese
- cornmeal or additional flour for dusting
- In a large bowl, stir together the flour, salt, yeast, thyme leaves, black pepper, and parmigiano. Add the water and mix with a wooden spoon or your hand until you have a very sticky, shaggy dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a dish towel.
- Let the dough rest and rise for 12-18 hours, until the surface is dotted with bubbles and the dough doubles in size.
- See “Notes” for an easier, less-sticky way to form your bread into a ball
- When the first rise is complete, generously dust a cutting board with flour. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the dough out of the bowl to the cutting board (it will be sticky). Using lightly floured hands or a rubber spatula, gently fold the edges in toward the center, shaping the dough into a ball.
- Generously coat a cotton towel (non-linty) with cornmeal. Put the dough seam-side down on the towel and sprinkle with more cornmeal. Fold the towel over the dough. Allow the dough to rest for 2 hours, or until doubled in size. 30 minutes before the last rise is complete, place the dutch oven (cast iron pot) in the oven and pre-heat to 450˚ F.
- Remove the pot from the oven. Slide your hand under the towel, and turn the dough over into the pot. (This will be messy, but no worries...it will round out as it bakes).
- Cover with the lid and bake for 30 minutes.
- Uncover and continue baking for about 15 minutes, or until the loaf is browned.
- Remove the bread to a wire rack and allow to cool for an hour before eating.
- 3 cups bread flour
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1⅓ cups water
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
- In a large bowl, stir together the flour, salt, yeast, lemon zest and rosemary. Add the water and mix with a wooden spoon or your hand until you have a very sticky, shaggy dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a dish towel.
- Let the dough rest and rise for 12-18 hours, until the surface is dotted with bubbles and the dough doubles in size.
- See “Notes” for an easier, less-sticky way to form your bread into a ball
- When the first rise is complete, generously dust a cutting board with flour. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the dough out of the bowl to the cutting board (it will be sticky). Using lightly floured hands or a rubber spatula, gently fold the edges in toward the center, shaping the dough into a ball.
- Generously coat a cotton towel (non-linty) with cornmeal. Put the dough seam-side down on the towel and sprinkle with more cornmeal. Fold the towel over the dough. Allow the dough to rest for 2 hours, or until doubled in size. 30 minutes before the last rise is complete, place the dutch oven (cast iron pot) in the oven and pre-heat to 450˚ F.
- Remove the pot from the oven. Slide your hand under the towel, and turn the dough over into the pot. (This will be messy, but no worries...it will round out as it bakes).
- Cover with the lid and bake for 30 minutes.
- Uncover and continue baking for about 15 minutes, or until the loaf is browned.
- Remove the bread to a wire rack and allow to cool for an hour before eating.
Re: No Knead Bread.
Have you tried the refinements made by Cook’s Illustrated/America’s Test Kitchen? They have largely solved the problems posed by the very wet dough. Their dough is slightly less hydrated, and they compensate for this by kneading the risen dough 10-15 times, for less than a minute. The risen and kneaded dough is then allowed to rise a second time on a sheet of parchment, which ultimately serves as a sling to lower the dough into the hot pot. I consistently get better results with this approach than I did with Bittman’s. They also add 3 oz. beer and 1 TBSP white vinegar to the dough for better flavor. Just wanted you to be aware of this version.
http://www.americastestkitchentv.com/recipe.asp?recipeids=4748&iSeason=9
Thanks James! That all makes sense. The hardest part about the process is managing the sticky dough after the first rise. I’ll give it a try!
The loaves looks delicious (and so easy?!) and the compound butters sound like a wonderful addition (but then again anything with cardamom can’t be wrong in my book…)
Gorgeous photos! I just found you on TasteSpotting and look forward to trying this. Keep up the great work!
liking the bread recipe. Nice photos and great content. Any recommendations for baking over 3,000 meters elevation? temperature/ingredients
Hi Michael,
Thanks– I’m glad you are enjoying it! This is the recipe that I use here in Denver (5280 ft.). Are you at 3,000 meters or feet?
I’m by no means an expert at high altitude substitutions, but here are some good resources I’ve found:
•Epicurious.com’s article “High Altitude Baking”: http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/howtocook/primers/altitudebaking
•A great book and website called “Pie in the Sky”: http://www.highaltitudebaking.com/index.htm
I hope that helps!
Loove your site and your photography is amazing. Good thing you can’t gain weight just by looking! The Meyer Lemon Marmalade gives me goosebumps! I just gave you a Beautiful Blogger award on my blog!! Check it out.
Awwww, thanks DeeAnna! That makes me and my new little blog feel very special!
What a beautiful site you have. I’m so excited to try this recipe I’m going out today to buy a dutch oven, but I’m curious if it matters if the pot is enameled?
Thank you! Oh, and you’ll won’t regret buying a dutch oven for even a minute–I use mine all the time! You can make the bread with either kind of dutch oven, so the choice is yours. Happy baking!
Hi Jenn, Loving your website. You could have taught the Food and Light workshop–your photography is that good! I LOVE cardamom and I can’t wait to try the orange cardamom version of this bread. I agree with James above about the Cooks Illustrated version of this bread. But as I always say, ANY homemade bread is good right out of the oven.
Thanks “Romaine”–your comments are so nice. I’m flattered! I left the workshop feeling like I still have so much to work on (in a good way!), as I’m sure you did too. I was in awe of our instructors’ knowledge! As for the bread, I’m eager to try out the Cooks Illustrated method as well.
I was delighted to discover while cooking in my mother’s kitchen-without-a-dutch-oven that I could make the lemon rosemary bread in a basic lidded casserole dish, with mostly successful texture.
Beautiful pictures and an amazing looking loaf – I can just smell it baking!