No Knead Artisan Bread

I love bakeries. There is something about the smell of freshly baked bread that makes me so happy. Pair a crusty loaf of bread with a piping hot bowl of soup and I think I can weather any rain coming my way.

As promised, here's a recipe for a no knead artisan bread. It yields in a crusty airy loaf that is great for dipping into soups, sauces or savoured on its own. It tastes very close to the artisan loafs you can buy at bakeries.

Special Equipment
Dutch oven with lid (or a pot that can withstand 450 degrees F)

Ingredients
3 cups all purpose or bread flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1-1/2 cup warm water

Mix the dry ingredients.

Directions
1. In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients. With a wooden spoon pour in water and stir until there is no flour remaining on the bottom of the bowl.

This is a perfect task if you have a little helper.

2. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest in a draft free spot for at least 12 hours (up to 24 hours).

A nice long nap in a warm spot.

3. On a floured surface, scrape out the dough. Using your hands, fold the dough onto itself until it is the shape of a ball.

4. Place the empty dutch oven with lid inside the oven. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

5. Once the oven has preheated, dump the dough into the pot and shake the pot to even out the dough.

6. Cover with a lid and bake for 30 minutes.

7. Once the 30 minutes is up, lift the lid and bake uncovered for another 15 to 20 minutes until the crust is golden brown.

8. Allow bread to cool on cooling rack for 10 minutes before slicing.

Source: A Stack of Dishes