Nothing smells more heavenly than a freshly baked loaf of bread. The warm ambrosial aromas fill the home with delightful and intoxicating scents. The hard part will be waiting for it to cool down enough, so you can enjoy a wonderful slice of your freshly baked Artisan Bread.
WHAT IS ARTISAN BREAD
Making this No-Knead Artisan Bread is super simple, even if you have never made bread before. The definition of Artisan is “a worker in a skilled trade, especially one that involves making things by hand.” This bread is made by hand, but anyone can easily make this bread. Using some traditional methods ensures it comes out soft and deeply flavourful. It is light and airy on the inside with a golden and crunchy crust on the outside. After making this bread just once, you will see just how easy it is to come together. You’ll want to make a fresh loaf every day.
NEAT FACTS!
- Artisan bread is easier to digest. The enzymes have had time to break down the gluten in the flour while fermenting.
- If you tap the bottom of an artisan loaf it is supposed to sound hollow, indicating that the bread is not dense.
WORKING WITH YEAST
- Baker’s yeast is a leavening agent which allows the bread to rise.
- Yeast should be stored in a cool and dark place
- Make sure to always use fresh yeast (always check the expiry date).
- Dry yeast needs warm water to activate it
- Water temperature is important in activating yeast. If the water is too cool the yeast will not activate. If the water is too hot you will kill the yeast. Typically, a good temperature for dry yeast is between 105ºC – 115 ºC.
- You can tell the yeast is activating when you see lots of air bubbles come to the surface of the dough as it rises.
MAKING BREAD
Making this No-Knead Artisan Bread is super simple, even if you have never made bread before. Just by using 4 simple ingredients, you too can make this fantastic tasting bread. One key element to making a good No-Knead Artisan Bread is not to overwork the dough. The less you do, the better it will be. Can’t get any simpler than that! What you do need is a bit of patience. It takes about 5 minutes to put all the ingredients together, but waiting while it ferments and rises, takes a wee bit longer. While the dough rests, let it sit in a warm area of your home. Let it rise between 8-24 hours before going into the oven. The longer the dough is allowed to ferment, the better it will be.
YOU WILL NEED
- 3 cups of Flour
- ½ tsp of active dry yeast
- 2 tsp of salt
- 1 ½ cups of warm water
- A Dutch Oven or an oven-safe pot with lid
NOW LET’S GET STARTED!
Using a large bowl, stir together the flour, salt, and yeast.
Add the warm water to the flour mixture. Using a wooden spoon, gently stir together, trying not to overmix the dough. No need for kneading. This dough will rise and come together all on its own. The less you do the better.
It will look like a shaggy, not so perfect dough.
Tightly cover it with cling wrap and let it sit on the counter for anywhere from 8 to 24 hours. I like to wait abut 18 -20 hours. The longer it sits, the better it will be.
Once your dough has risen, set your oven to 450ºF and place your Dutch oven (or oven-safe pot) inside to pre-heat for 30 minutes. This is a very important step.
As your oven and pot are warming, remove your dough and place onto a well-floured surface. The dough will be very sticky so be sure to flour your hands too.
Gently form the dough into a round ball, and cover loosely with cling wrap.
Carefully remove the Dutch Oven from the oven and place your dough inside. Cover it with a lid and bake it for 30 minutes.
Once the 30 minutes has passed, remove the lid and continue baking for an additional 7-10 minutes, to get that beautiful golden-brown tone.
IT’S DONE!
Let the bread cool and then slice a piece of this magnificent Artisan bread. Enjoy!
No-Knead Artisan Bread
Difficulty: Easy4
servings5
minutes40
minutesNo-Knead Artisan Bread. With just 4 simple ingredients you can make this soft and deeply flavourful bread. Light and airy on the inside, with a golden and crunchy crust on the outside.
Ingredients
3 cups All-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 1/2 cup water
Directions
- Using a large bowl, stir together the flour, salt, and yeast.
- Add the warm water to the flour mixture. Using a wooden spoon, gently stir together. Do not overmix the dough.
- Tightly cover it with cling wrap and let it sit on the counter for anywhere from 8 to 24 hours.
- Once your dough has risen, set your oven to 450ºF. Remove the lid and place your Dutch oven, (or oven-safe pot) inside to pre-heat for 30 minutes.
- While oven is warming, remove dough and place on a well-floured surface. Gently form the dough into a round ball, and cover loosely with cling wrap.
- After 30 min, carefully remove the Dutch Oven from the oven and place your dough inside. Cover it with a lid and bake it for 30 minutes.
- After baking for 30 minutes, remove the lid and continue baking for an additional 7-10 minutes.
- Remove from oven and enjoy!
Notes
- I let my dough rise for about 18 hours. By that point it had more than doubled its size with many air pockets and bubbles. Perfect for creating this wonderful bread.
- If your cookware isn’t enameled or non-stick, use a piece of parchment paper underneath the dough to prevent it from sticking.