Colleen's No-Knead Bread via Mark Bittman and the NY Times

I have not tried this bread recipe yet (or any bread for that matter except for so-so Irish soda bread) but I did watch a youtube video about it, and as we all know, that's close enough! Colleen swears by it, so here it is.

No-Knead Bread

from the NY Times/Mark Bittman

3 c. all purpose flour (can substitute 2 c. white and 1 c. wheat)
1/4 tsp. instant yeast
1 tbsp. salt
cornmeal as needed
1 5/8 cups tepid water

In a large bowl, combine flour, yeast, and salt. Add water and stir until mixture is blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest (I put in my oven if it's not on b/c there are no drafts.). Let rest for at least 12 hours and up to 24 hours.

Dough is ready when surface is dotted with bubbles. Add some more flour (couple tbsp?) to bowl and stir. (This is also the time to add cheese or olives or whatever you desire.) Stir into a ball, cover loosely with plastic wrap and let sit for 15 minutes.

Stir in more flour to keep dough from sticking. Gather into a ball, put seam side down on cotton towel dusted with cornmeal or flour. Fold towel over, top and bottom and both sides, leaving room for rising. (I put whole towel on a cookie sheet.) Let rise for 2 or 3 hours, until it is about double in size and readily springs bacck when you poke it.

One half hour before you think it is doubled, turn on oven to 450 and put a covered pot in the oven. (As long as it has a tight fitting lid, use any pot that can go in the oven. I use a 10 quart soup pot or 8 quart sauce pan but the original recipe says use a dutch oven. I also used a pasta pot, but my bread didn't rise very high.)

When dough is ready, carefully remove hot pot from oven. Slide your hand under the towel and turn dough into pot, seam side up. It should look like a mess! Shake pan once or twice so the dough is evenly distributed, it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid (use a potholder so you don't get burned!) and put in oven. Bake 30 minutes, remove lid and bake for another 15-30 minutes until loaf is browned.