ALMOST NO-KNEAD BREAD

Almost No-Knead Bread image

Recipe paraphrased from a recipe in Cooks Illustrated 1/2008 This recipe comes out best made in an enameled cast-iron dutch oven with a lid that fits tightly. It can also be made in a regular cast-iron dutch oven or a heavy stockpot. Use a mild flavored beer like Budweiser or a mild flavor non-alcoholic beer. The bread is best the day it's baked. It can be wrapped in foil and stored in a cool dry place for 2-days. This recipe makes one large, round loaf of bread

Provided by evegpt

Categories Breads

Time 2h

Yield 10 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 8

Ingredients

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (15-oz)
1/4 teaspoon fast rise yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons regular table salt
3/4 cup water, plus
2 tablespoons water, at room temperature (7-oz)
1/4 cup mild-flavored beer, plus
2 tablespoons mild-flavored beer (3 oz)
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

Steps:

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, yeast and salt. Now add the water, beer and vinegar. Fold batter using a rubber spatula. Scrape the dry ingredients from the bowl bottom and continue folding until a ragged ball of dough forms. Cover bowl with some plastic wrap. Allow to sit at room temperature for 8 to 18 hours.
In a 10-inch skillet, place a 12 x 18 inch piece of parchment paper. Spray parchment paper with nonstick cooking spray. Take the bowl of dough and turn out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead dough 10 to 15 times. Pull edges of dough from edges into the center to form a ball of dough. Place the dough with the seam side down, into the parchment lined skillet. Spray dough with nonstick cooking spray. Cover the dough loosely with a piece of plastic wrap. Allow to rise at room temperature until the dough is doubled in size, about 2-hours. The dough should not easily spring back when poked.
Place a 6 to 8 quart, heavy bottom, Dutch oven with lid, on lowest oven rack. Preheat the oven at 500°F for 1/2 hour. Lightly dust top of dough with flour and then make single 6-inch long, 1/2 inch deep cut on the top of the dough with a sharp knife or razor blade. Take preheated Dutch oven from from the 500°F oven and remove lid. Using edges of parchment paper, pick up dough from frying pan and place into Dutch oven. Allow extra parchment paper to hang out of Dutch oven and cover dough with lid. Return covered Dutch oven to oven and turn temperature down to 425°F Bake bread covered for 30-minutes. Remove lid and continue baking until bread is deep brown and an instant read thermometer, inserted in loaf center, reads 210°F This may take 20 to 30 minutes after removing cover. When done, remove bread from Dutch oven and cool on wire rack for 2 hours, until bread reaches room temperature.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 140.9, Fat 0.4, SaturatedFat 0.1, Sodium 350.4, Carbohydrate 29, Fiber 1, Sugar 0.1, Protein 4