Rise Up: No Need to Knead

I'm finally getting to the original no-knead bread (and the cast-iron Dutch Oven I put on my bridal registry for this very reason!), originated by Jim Lahey of Sullivan Street Bakery. I started it last night and still have about an hour and a half left to go (mainly, the end of the second rise and then baking). It almost seems like too much trouble, like kneading would be easier, but the proof is in, well, the proof, I guess: taste and texture. Meanwhile, I'm also repeating the chocolate challah I made on Friday, to give to the teachers who let us drop Bud and Sis off early on Friday to make my doctor's appointment in time.

Update: This bread is AMAZING! Beautiful to look at, wonderful to eat. Crusty crunchy crust and holy hole-y inside! How does it compare to the other? Well, I'd say it's better, hands-down, for flavor and crust but the sponge-ness of the warm bread is similar (haven't had it cold yet; I never can wait). Mama liked it too, as did a neighbor passing by on a walk who stopped to admire our "new" yard.

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No-Knead Bread

Adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery

Time: About 1½ hours plus 14 to 20 hours’ rising

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
¼ teaspoon instant yeast
1¼ teaspoons salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed.

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

Yield: One 1½-pound loaf.

as printed in The New York Times