RECIPE CONTRIBUTED BY NICKY GIUSTO, CENTRAL MILLING AND KEITH GIUSTO BAKERY SUPPLY, PETALUMA
We’ve all heard of Jim Lahey’s ‘No-Knead’ method of making bread. It’s a great method... and it works. We’ve taken his method and and kneaded it a little more and added a preshape to the process. The result is an incredibly simple-to-make bread that has all the fermentation and flavor benefits of Jim’s original formula, plus a bit of refinement to the final shape which, hopefully, progresses your skills as a baker. We recommend our best-selling organic bread flour: Artisan Baker’s Craft Plus.
Ingredients
- 900 grams flour
- 675 grams water
- 2 grams instant dry yeast
- 18 grams salt
Preparation
THE AFTERNOON OR EVENING BEFORE YOU WANT TO BAKE THE BREAD:
Combine all the ingredients and mix by hand for about 2 minutes. If you’ve made the original No-Knead bread before, just mix it a bit longer, till the dough has a little resistance.
Cover the bowl or container so a skin does not develop on the dough. Let the dough sit for a minimum of 12 hours and up to 18 hours. The place where you keep it should be around 68˚F to 75˚F.
THE NEXT DAY:
Preheat your oven to 500˚F. Place your baking stone or baking steel in the oven. Get that baby nice and toasty.
Turn the dough on to a lightly floured surface and dust it with a bit of flour. Just hit all the glossy areas—those are the sticky bits. Cut the dough into 200g pieces and lightly preshape them round, then give them a little push with the heel of your hand to make an oval. Let these preshapes rest for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, shape the ovals into baby batards. See the photos at https://centralmilling.com/recipes/some-kneadbread/ as a guide. Proof the batards seam side up in linen for about 1½ hours.
Load the batards in the oven. It may be best to bake 4 at a time. Place the second batch of 4 in the refrigerator if you are in fear of them overproofing.
Score the batards with a single or a double cut. If you have a method for steaming your oven, employ it now. Or, spritz the batards with a bit of water before you close the door. Bake the little dudes for about 20 minutes. Pull them, and load the next batch.
About this recipe
NOTE: Baking time and temperature may vary depending on your oven.
