No Knead Bread Recipe

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, yeast, and salt until combined. Make a well in the flour and pour the water into it. Mix together with your hands or a spoon until all the flour is incorporated.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave it at room temperature for 8 to 24 hours. After the first rise, the dough can be refrigerated.

Stretch and fold the edges toward the center to make a ball, which deflates the dough and redistributes the yeast. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and store in the fridge for up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature before using.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper cut to a 15-inch square (approximately) and sprinkle it generously with cornmeal or flour.

On a generously floured work surface turn out the dough. Using floured hands, reach under one side of the dough and stretch and fold it over the top of the dough toward the center.

Rotate it ¼ turn and repeat. Repeat this 2 to 4 times. Pat the dough into a thick square, and bring all four corners toward the center to form a ball that is smooth on the bottom.

Pinch the ends together firmly. Turn the dough over and, with cupped hands, shape it into a round with a smooth top.

Place the dough on the prepared parchment paper with the seam side down. Cover loosely with a cloth napkin or dishtowel.

Let rise for 1½ to 2 hours, or until the dough has approximately doubled in size and feels puffy and light to the touch.

About 45 minutes before the loaf is ready to be baked, position a rack in the lower third of the oven and set the oven to 500 degrees F degrees.

Place an empty 5-quart cast iron or enameled cast iron pot with a lid in the oven and heat it until ready to bake.

When the dough has risen, using a bread scoring or serrated knife make one large slash ½-inch deep across the center of the top of the loaf.

Make 2 smaller slashes, each progressively smaller, on each side of the central slash, for a total of 5 cuts.

Remove the pot from the oven and remove the lid. Carefully lift the parchment and place the loaf in the pot.

Use the handle of a wooden spoon to press the parchment into the sides of the pan if it is not flat. Place the lid on the pot. Bake the bread for 30 minutes.

Turn the oven down to 450 degrees F and remove the lid. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes longer or until the top is browned.

With a metal spatula, carefully lift the bread out of the pot and transfer it to a rack to cool completely.