No Knead Bread in a Hurry

In my No Time Bread post from earlier this week, I made a bread loaf in just over an hour. In that post, I explained that the No Time Bread is delicious but lacked the rich flavor of No Knead Bread. I also explained my love of No Knead Bread, except for the 14+ hours advance planning part.

Enter, No Knead Bread in a Hurry.

In the article posted by The Kitchn, they listed a recipe for No Knead Bread in a Hurry. It was a good compromise between the No Knead Bread and No Time Bread. The only thing was that I had to mix the dough 6 to 8 hours ahead. Don't be scared, the mixing takes all of 3 minutes; 5 minutes if I have the little man glued to my legs.

The result was much more satisfying than the No Time Bread. This is a great recipe to make before you leave for work and bake when you get home. Or in my case, make before I change out of my pajamas and bake when I am about to make dinner. My husband raved about this bread. Between the three of us, we ate most of the loaf in one sitting. There was a lot of love for this bread so I made it again the next day. The second time, we barely had any leftovers. Oops. That's a good sign right?

Beautiful crust on the bottom too.

Ingredients
3 cups bread flour
3/4 tsp active dry yeast (do not use instant)
1-1/4 tsp salt
1-1/2 cup warm water (115 to 120 degrees F)

Directions
1. Turn on the oven light as you mix the ingredients. (No need to do this step if your house is really warm or if it is in the summer)

2. In a bowl, mix the flour, yeast and salt together with a fork. Add the water and mix until it is thoroughly combined. (Note: It is important to make sure the dough is well mixed. Otherwise, your bread will have lumps of flour throughout. I am mentioning this because that is what happened to me.)

3. Cover the bowl with a towel or plastic wrap and place it in the oven (near the oven light which is the warmest part of the oven). Turn off the oven light before you leave for work.

4. Allow the dough to rest in a warm, draft free area for 6 to 8 hours.

5. After the 6 to 8 hours have passed, lightly dust a cutting board with flour and dump the dough out.

6. Fold the dough onto itself 5 or 6 times until it is in the shape of a ball.

7. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and allow it to proof for an hour in a warm, draft free spot. (Note: I like turning on my oven light and proofing the dough in there. If you have less than an hour to proof the dough: see instructions below*)

8. Place a dutch oven without the lid into a cold oven. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

9. Once the dough has doubled in size, place the dough inside the dutch oven. Shake the dough in a circular side to side motion until it evens out. Slash the top of the bread with a knife (or snip with clean kitchen scissors).

10. Cover with a lid and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for another 15 minutes until the crust is brown or the inside of the loaf reads 210 to 220 degrees F.

*Quicker Proofing Method
1. Transfer the dough to a microwave safe bowl and cover with a wet paper towel.

2. Microwave for 25 seconds.

3. Allow the dough to rest for 5 minutes.

4. Microwave for another 25 seconds and allow the dough to rest inside the microwave for 15 minutes while the oven preheats.

Source: Slightly adapted from The Kitchn