I don’t know if you’ve ever made no-knead artisan bread before, but it really is simple, and quite good. One of the best books I have purchased is “Artisan Bread in Five Minutes” by Zoe Francois and Jeff Hertzberg. You can find a lot of helpful information as well as how to video’s at their website Bread in Five.
Jeff and Zoe have brought bread back to the masses. With a simple foolproof recipe. I had absolutely no experience making bread and this recipe works every time! I also had the pleasure of meeting both Zoe and Jeff at the Foodbuzz Festival in San Francisco where they were handing out they’re a new book on Pizza.
]That being said, the next thing you need to know is all flours are not made equal. I use King Arthur’s flour at home for everything else, but it has a very high protein count (11.7), similar to bread flour (12.0). Now I can use it, but I will have to experiment to get the ratio correct.
Instead of going through extra work on the recipe just buy gold medal or Pillsbury flour which is closer to the 9.0 range.
As for yeast just buy the packets of regular yeast or if you are going to make bread on a regular basis buy the jar, it will be cheaper. Salt needs to be kosher, or Sea Salt, the flavor of the salt really isn’t going to come thru so any coarse salt will do (don’t use table salt). The last ingredient is simply warm water.
You will need a container to store your dough in to let it rise and to refrigerate it in. This dough can be made in either a Mixer with a dough attachment, or you can mix it by hand the old-fashioned way. I used a mixer with a dough attachment, which takes about five minutes.
I have made one adjustment to the recipe and it seems to have made the dough lighter and lets it rise more while proofing. I read somewhere that salt can kill yeast, and in the original recipe, you add the salt and yeast to the water and then add the flour.
I started adding just the yeast to the water and adding the salt to the flour, so it doesn’t hit the yeast at full strength. My results have been better.
You might also like these recipes:
- The Best Homemade Artisan Bread
- Pecan Caramel Cinnamon Rolls (no-knead)
- Apple Butter Sticky Bun Recipe
- Pan Dulce Recipe (no-knead)
Kathleen
Beau is such a “Lucky Dog” to have been adopted by you and Lisa. I do hope that his health improves daily. Phew! What a weekend you had.
A bread lover, I have never actually made it…but feel that I can try this recipe. Thanks so much. But, my bread intake is limited because I am diabetic. Whole wheat bread is recommended for the diabetic diet. Can whole wheat flour be used in an Artisan bread? Thanks, Dennis.
Chef D
hi Kathleen
they do have a healthy bread in five minutes book, that has more of the whole grain breads in it. If you stop by their website http://www.artisanbreadinfive.com/ You’ll find more information, also check out the king arthur’s flour website they have some no knead recipes.
Ali B
So glad that Beau is doing better. Hope everything is ok! He’s lucky to have someone like you.
Shelly
I hope your Beau is doing better. Our pets become members of our family, and it’s hard to see them in pain.
On a lighter note, I just found you yesterday, and I think I pinned everyone of your recipes! Can’t wait to start cooking/baking!
Sprigs of Rosemary
My heart goes out to you. Your Beau is thriving on your love — glad that he’s doing better. He looks so lovable.
And thanks for sharing the bread. I’m on the heels of making, successfully, beer bread, a no-brainer, but my aims are high — I’ll try this next. Your tips are very, very helpful and appreciated.
Jason Phelps
Dennis,
I use this recipe all the time. Generally I twist it up with some wheat flour and add spent homebrewing grains for texture. I am still working out the exact secrets of my expanded recipe, but the limited work that goes into it the bread is full of flavor and makes people smile!
Jason
Alyssa
I’m so sorry about your dog. Hopefully with lots of love and attention he will be back to good health soon. I rescued a dog some years ago from a similar situation. The pound said he had been adopted, beaten and returned twice. He also now has eplilipsy (sp?) because of it. My dad was kind enough to keep him, as we move often and he’s too old to deal with it.
However, on a brighter note, that bread looks perfect. Certainly better than any store bought variety!
Mary
Your bread looks perfect, Chef Dennis. I love that book as well and I have been playing with different recipes from it for a while now. I’m happy to hear that your sweet dog is feeling better as well! Enjoy your time off work this week.
Deanna
I read (in Tartine Bread) that you should wait 30 minutes after mixing bread to add the salt because it allow the starch in the bread to full absorb the water…apparently salt impedes it. Lately I’ve been loving using compressed yeast. I can buy a 1 pound block of it at the Italian bakery down the street for $1. I’m kind of in love with it. Your bread looks beautiful.
Kirsten@My German Kitchen...in the Rockies
Dennis, I hope your sweet doggie will fully recover form his reasoned illness. I will be thinking about him. I admire you for taking him, knowing that he would need all this special care. He looks like a very special boy and he was very lucky you found him.
I also use King Arthur flour and will take your bread recipe to try. Thanks and again my best wishes to Beau. Kirsten
Foodness Gracious
I do it much like Maureen, Never fails and time is always the most imprtant ingredient. I have added olives and herbs or garlic cloves to mine as well, making it a great side for some charcuterie!
Take care…
Kath
I love Bernese Mountain Dogs! I love them and Basset Hounds. I sure hope Beau continues his road to recovery!
Isn’t that a great bread recipe? Yours is gorgeous! I’m a little confused, though. Did you use King Arthur AP flour or Gold Medal or Pillsbury?
Chef D
hi Kath
no I actually used the store brand from Wegman’s for this batch, although king Arthur’s flour is superior, it contains too much protein for this recipe, it can be used but the amount of water would need to be adjusted, and I’m not exactly sure by how much. I use Pillsbury at school and it comes out well there, so I’m thinking any other brand of general AP flour would work.
Maureen
I love no knead bread and make it frequently. I don’t refrigerate it at all. I just mix it and put it in a greased bowl and leave it til tomorrow morning.
I flop it around a few times and leave it on a board to rise again. Then I put the cast iron pot in a very hot oven, plop the bread in and put the cover on. Then I take the cover off and then it’s bread.
The long slow rise with just a little yeast gives just a hint of sourness that’s perfect to dip in good olive oil, a teensy bit of balsamic and then some dukkah. heaven.
Chef D
Thanks Maureen, I never knew you could do that, I’m such a novice with bread. The only good thing about refrigerating this dough is it does age very nicely and gets tastier as it does. It holds for 14 days in the refer.
I will give your method a try, I haven’t done a pot version yet.
Priscilla M
Hope your cute fuzz face feels much better now 🙂
On the side note, I will give this recipe a try. When it comes to making bread, I’m one of those unlucky people who just have 2 left thumbs, my breads never come out good enough. Maybe this time (with your recipe) the bread God will smile upon me.
Tammi
Can’t wait to try this recipe. The last one i tried did not rise well. I suspect it was the salt yeast thing you mentioned. Thx cooking with Tammi
Chef D
it may very well be, because It always came out, but much more dense and never had those lovely air holes in the bread.
Tammi
Yes exactly. I always used to put the salt and yeast in the same in the bread machine to. When i don’t do that it rises higher and is softer and yea bubbly to.
Jean (Lemons and Anchovies)
So glad to hear Beau is doing much better–I hope he is back to normal very soon.
Your bread looks perfect. This was the same recipe I used for my maiden voyage in bread baking and it was great. I still love it. I keep meaning to make another batch but haven’t done it. After seeing your pictures, I’m determined to some this week.