No-Knead Artisan Bread (Whole Wheat version too)

Here's a method without the need for a Dutch oven. Use a pan that is oven-safe, such as a cast-iron skillet. Use a metal baking dish on the bottom rack. The hot water will go into that dish when the bread goes in the oven, creating a similar steaming effect to the Dutch oven method. Voila, artisan bread! Enjoy!

No-Knead Artisan Bread

Yield: 1 large loaf
Ingredients

• 560 g all-purpose flour (or whole wheat)
• 1/2 teaspoon yeast
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 472 g water, about 70 degrees F
•  520 g water if using 100% whole wheat
  

Cooking Directions if not using a Dutch oven

1. Mix the flour, yeast, and salt in a large bowl. Add the water and stir until mixed. It will be a very sticky dough.
2. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or something similar. Let the dough rest for about 24-48 hours at about 70°F. It's fine if it's longer. The dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Fold the dough once or twice during this time.
3. Fold once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest for about 15 minutes.
4. Gently and quickly shape the dough into a ball. Leave in the bowl. If a ball does not form, don't worry about it. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and let rise for about 2 hours. When it’s ready, the dough will be more than doubled in size.
5. About 15-20 minutes before the dough is ready (the end of the 2 hours), heat the oven to 450°F. Put an oven-safe pan on the middle rack of the oven as it heats. Put a metal rimmed sheet or baking dish on the bottom rack as well.
6. When the dough is ready, carefully remove the pan from the oven and turn the dough over into the pan. It won't be graceful, so just get it all in there as quickly as possible. Fill the sheet or dish on the bottom rack with 2 cups of very hot water immediately after you put the dough in the oven.
7. Bake for 50-60 minutes, until the loaf is beautifully browned. Remove the bread and let cool on a rack.

Cooking Directions if using a Dutch oven

1. Mix the flour, yeast, and salt in a large bowl. Add the water and stir until mixed. It will be a very sticky dough.
2. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or something similar. Let the dough rest for about 24-48 hours at about 70°F. It's fine if it's longer. The dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Fold the dough once or twice during this time.
3. Fold once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest for about 15 minutes.
4. Gently and quickly shape the dough into a ball. Put it on a piece of parchment paper. Put it back into a clean bowl if you want to keep a ball-like shape more. If a ball does not form, don't worry about it. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and let rise for about 2 hours. When it’s ready, the dough will be more than doubled in size.
5. About 30 minutes before the dough is ready (the end of the 2 hours), heat the oven to 450°F. Put a Dutch oven on the middle rack of the oven as it heats.
6. When the dough is ready, carefully remove the Dutch oven from the oven and pick up the dough by the parchment paper and place into the Dutch oven. Spray the top of the dough with water and put the lid back on. Then get it into the oven.
   
7. Bake for 30 minutes with the lid on, then remove the lid and bake for another 20 minutes, until the loaf is beautifully browned. Remove the bread and let cool on a rack.