Absolutely No-Knead Crusty-Chewy Bread

This is my second attempt at a no knead bread recipe (I guess I'm lazy haha) and I feel like it failed, again. It's very interesting because both proofs, the dough always looks amazing. But once I start trying to bake it, it usually falls flat. Emily's theory is that I need to use a higher protein flour (aka King Arthur Flour). The flavor of this bread was super amazing and it did have some nice air pockets inside. The bottom was a little wet though, I was a little distracted during the baking time, which I think effected it  as well. I loved how it only used 1/4 teaspoon of yeast because of these times of no yeast in grocery stores.
Conclusion: try making this again with higher protein flour and don't be busy during the baking time.

Absolutely No-Knead Crusty-Chewy Bread

Makes: 1 round loaf

Time: Prep 15 minutes
          Bake 50 minutes
          Total time 12 hr 35 minutes

Ingredients:

     5 cups (602g) King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour
     1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
     2 1/4 teaspoons salt
     2 2/3 cups (605g) cool water
     cornmeal or semolina, for coating the pan

Steps:

1. First thing to do when baking this bread? Decide on a timeframe. The dough is stirred together; rests for 10 hours; is put into a crock; rises for 2 hours, and bakes for 45 minutes. So that's just under 13 hours. It's a good weekend bread; stir it together Friday night at about 10 p.m.; scoop it into the crock about 8 a.m. Saturday; bake about 10 a.m., and your bread will be baked, cooled, and ready to slice by noon.
2. Be sure you have something to bake the bread in, namely a 4- to 4 1/2-quart round, deep covered crock, Dutch oven, or casserole dish. It must be oven-safe (obviously); it really does need a lid, and it has to be deep enough (about 4") to hold the rising dough.
3. To make the dough: Place all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine. At first the dough will stick to the spoon and follow it around the bowl. But once all the flour is completely absorbed (after about 10 seconds of vigorous stirring), the dough will become softer and stick to the sides of the bowl. That's it; you're done stirring.
4. Cover the bowl and set the dough aside to rest at cool room temperature for 10 to 12 hours. If it's very hot and humid, do your best to find a cooler spot; about 68°F to 70°F is ideal. After its rest, the dough should be very bubbly and will have risen quite a bit.
5. Grease your chosen crock with non-stick vegetable oil spray, then sprinkle with cornmeal or semolina, for a nicely crunchy crust. Be sure the crock is well-greased; the last thing you want is for the baked bread to stick.
6. Gently stir the dough down, and scoop it into the greased crock. Add the lid and let the dough rest and rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours at cool room temperature; again, 68°F to 70°F is ideal. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat your oven to 450°F.
7. Check the dough before putting it in the oven; it will have risen about 1/2" and show some large bubbles on the surface, though it’ll be flat across the top, not domed. Shake the crock very gently; the dough should jiggle a bit.
8. To bake the bread: Bake the bread for 45 minutes with the lid on. Remove the lid and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, until the top of the loaf is golden brown with deeper brown blisters (from the bubbles). Remove the crock from the oven, and turn the bread out onto a rack to cool.
9. Store completely cool bread, well wrapped, at room temperature for several days. Freeze for longer storage.

Tips from our Bakers

• It's best not to slice into this loaf until it's just barely warm; slicing hot bread makes it irretrievably gummy. When fresh, the crust is crisp, and the interior chewy; as it rests, the crust will gradually become chewy, as well. If desired, refresh slices in a toaster; or wrap gently in foil, and warm for 5 to 10 minutes in a preheated 350°F oven.
• Want to make and bake the loaf all in one day? You can shorten the initial rest to 8 hours. Mix up the ingredients at 7 a.m., and put the dough into the crock at 3 p.m. Bake at 5 p.m., let cool for an hour, and serve fresh bread at 7 p.m.
• If the dough rests too long in the crock before baking, it may fall. That’s OK; go ahead and bake it anyway. You’ll still have a delicious loaf, though a bit denser than the ideal.

EAT

Absolutely No-Knead 

Crusty-Chewy Bread