All-Purpose No-Kneed Bread

Name: All-Purpose No-Kneed Bread
Total time: 1800 s
Yield: 10 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 3 cups tap water (use warm water to speed up rising); 1 Tbs. salt; Yeast: 1/4 tsp for 12 to 18 hours, 1 Tbs. for 2 hours. Less yeast + more time = more flavor; 6.5 cups white flour - Reduce flour if using wheat. For all whole wheat use 5.5 cups

Heather Heward @heward

This is our go-to bread for all purposes, Baguette, loaf, pizza, and flatbread. It is adapted from several recipes including "Artisan bread in 5 minutes a day", and "My Bread" by Jim Lahey. The Baguette is something we make for most social occasions.

Heather Heward @heward

Saved

Ingredients

30 min

10 servings

3 cupstap water (use warm water to speed up rising)
1 Tbs.salt
Yeast: 1/4 tsp for 12 to 18 hours, 1 Tbs. for 2 hours. Less yeast + more time = more flavor
6.5 cupswhite flour - Reduce flour if using wheat. For all whole wheat use 5.5 cups

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Steps

30 min

1

In a large bowl with a loose fitting lid mix water, yeast and salt. Use Luke warm water if you want it to go faster or if it cold in your kitchen.
2

Add flour until stirring becomes difficult and the dough forms into more of a lump and pulls away from the side. The more you can mix in with the spoon the less sticky it will be. Too firm though and it will not grow as fast.
3

Let sit at room temperature for 2 to 18 hours depending on how much yeast you added. If you want to build the dough faster you can put it in a warm place like a warmed oven (just don't cook it on accident). The dough should be similar to the consistency of... gack, yeah, kind of jelloy. If you throw it in the fridge for a while it will be easier to work with. Or keep it there and just use what you need each day. Fresh bread everyday!
4

Sprinkle flour onto a clean surface and liberally onto the top of the dough. Use your hand to scrape around the sides of the bowl and slide it out of the bowl. Just sprinkle more flour if it gets sticky
5

Use dough right away in one of the following ways, or put in the fridge in a container with a losely fitting lid. Keep in the fridge for up to a week or so. Rip off a hunk and cook it whenever you want fresh bread. Allow about 30 minutes for the dough to warm up before cooking.
6

Baguette: heat oven to 500 degrees F. Grease a cookie sheet liberally with olive oil. Pinch the dough into four pieces. (double batch is pictured). Roll and pull the dough until it is long enough for the sheet, you may need to stretch it a few times. Brush the top with olive oil, sprinkle with 1 tsp. of course salt. Bake for 26 to 28 minutes until golden brown and they do not bend when you lift one up. For a double batch, I recommend baking one tray at a time. Open the oven carefully! hot steam.
7

French Bread: heat oven to 450 degrees F. Place broiler pan or other oven-safe non-glass dish in the oven. Put pizza stone in oven if you are cooking on that. Use 1/2 or 1/3 of the dough. On a floured surface, roll out the dough into a rectangle and roll from the shorter side. Tuck the edges under and make deep slashes on the top (deeper then what I did in these pictures). Pour 1 cup of water in the broiler pan, close the oven door. Put in bread, bake for 45 minutes or until brown a firm.
8

Sandwhich bread: Same instructions as the french bread, just put 1/3 of dough in a greased bread pan and slash deeply on top. For a crispy crust add the hot water as described above.
9

Pizza dough: heat oven to 500 degrees F. If using stone, let it heat up for 30 to 60 minutes to get a crispier crust. The dough is more pliable if you punch it down after rising and let it rise again a bit. 1/4 of the dough is a good amount for 1 round pizza (roll out on parchment paper), 1/3 is good if using a cookie sheet (greased). - Cover pizza with toppings and bake for 12 to 16 minutes. We like pesto, mozzarella, with walnuts, or cheddar cheese, broccoli, olives, and pineapple.
10

Naan or Frybread: - This is a great way to use dough that has been in the fridge for a while, or just make it fresh. Heat cast iron pan with either a little oil for Naan or more for fry bread. I use refined coconut oil. Use a small handful of dough and roll out until it is about ¼ inch thick. Fry over medium to medium-high heat until bubbly then flip. I like my fry bread to be mostly or all whole wheat. It is great with honey butter or jam.
11

Pesto rolls: preheat oven to 450, split dough in half (I like half wheat flour), roll out so it is about the size of a cookie sheet. Spread with pesto, sprinkle with mozzarella cheese or the Mexican blend (I like this better). Put parchment on cookie sheet. Roll from the long side, cut into 2 inch chuncks. Bake for 10 or 11 minutes.
12

Cinnamon rolls: same as pesto rolls but with 1/2 cup of softened butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2 tsp cinnamon. Adjust the proportions to your liking. I dont have a post picture. We ate them too fast. Maybe cook them in a cake pan so they sit in the juices more. This will increase cooking time.
13

Bread sticks: same as baguettes but break into 16 pieces and cook at 500 for 10 minutes. My kids like these better because their little mouths can bit through them.