Why this recipe works Artisan-style bakery loaves—beautifully browned boules with a thick, crisp crust that breaks to a chewy, open interior—take professional skills to make, right? Wrong. Not only is it possible to make a rustic loaf for your table, it’s easy, too, with the no-knead method of bread baking. This technique replaces the kneading that develops gluten to give bread structure with a high hydration level—around 85 percent (8½ ounces of water for every 10 ounces of flour)—and an 8- to 18-hour-long (and hands-off) resting period, or autolyse. During autolyse, the flour hydrates and enzymes work to break up the proteins so that the dough requires only a brief turn to develop gluten. The dough is then baked in a Dutch oven; the humid environment gives the loaf a dramatic open crumb and a crisp crust. But the breads we tested needed more structure and flavor. To strengthen the dough, we lowered the hydration and added less than a minute of kneading to compensate. We introduced an acidic tang from vinegar and a shot of yeasty flavor from beer. We prefer to use a mild American lager, such as Budweiser, here; strongly flavored beers will make this bread taste bitter.
MAKES: 1 loaf
RESTING TIME: 8 hours
RISING TIME: 1½ to 2 hours
BAKING TIME: 55 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 11 to 11½ hours, plus 3 hours cooling time
KEY EQUIPMENT: Dutch oven with lid, instant-read thermometer
INGREDIENTS:
- 3 cups (15 ounces) all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoon instant or rapid-rise yeast
- ¾ cup (6 ounces) water, room temperature
- ½ cup (4 ounces) mild lager, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
INSTRUCTIONS:
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and yeast. In a separate measuring cup, combine water, beer, and vinegar. Gently fold the water mixture into the flour mixture until a dough forms, ensuring there are no dry flour patches. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature for 8 to 18 hours.
- Lay a sheet of parchment paper on the counter and spray it lightly with vegetable oil. Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured counter and knead it by hand until it becomes smooth and elastic, which should take about a minute.
- Shape the dough into a ball by pulling the edges towards the middle. Place the dough, seam side down, in the center of the prepared parchment paper.
- Using the parchment paper as a sling, carefully lower the loaf into a Dutch oven, allowing any excess parchment to hang over the pot’s edge. Cover the Dutch oven tightly with plastic wrap and let the dough rise until it doubles in size and springs back minimally when gently poked, typically 1½ to 2 hours.
- Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Using a sharp paring knife or a razor blade, make two 5-inch-long and ½-inch-deep slashes on the top of the loaf to create a cross shape. Cover the pot and place it in the oven. As the oven heats, bake the loaf for 30 minutes.
- Remove the lid from the pot and continue baking until the loaf turns deep golden brown and registers a temperature of 205 to 210 degrees Fahrenheit, which typically takes an additional 25 to 30 minutes. Using the parchment paper sling, carefully remove the loaf from the pot and transfer it to a wire rack. Discard the parchment paper and let the bread cool completely for about 3 hours before serving.
