Super Easy No-Knead Bread Recipe!

     Those of you who follow me on Instagram may have noticed that I triumphantly baked my own bread for the first time this weekend! It turned out great and it was super easy. I was originally going to follow this recipe, but some people in the comments were saying that certain steps weren't necessary. I ended up following the steps I've outlined below:

Ingredients:

6 cups bread flour (recommended) or all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface (Note: I used all-purpose and it worked fine)
1/2 tsp instant or active-dry yeast
2 1/2 tsp salt
2 2/3 cups cool water

Directions: 
1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, yeast, and salt. Add the water and stir until all the ingredients are well incorporated; the dough should be wet and sticky. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean towel. Let the dough rest 12-24 hours on the counter at room temperature. When surface of the risen dough has darkened slightly, smells yeasty, and is dotted with bubbles, it is ready.
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Place a 6-8 quart heavy covered pot, such as a cast-iron Dutch oven, in the oven as it heats. Sprinkle flour all over the risen dough, using a spatula or your hands to tuck flour down between the dough and the side of the bowl. You can also flip the dough to make sure the whole ball is covered in flour. 
3. When the oven has fully preheated and the dough is ready, bring out the pot and dump the flour into it, placing the side with any seams or wrinkles facing down. 
4. Cover and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10-15 minutes, until the crust is a golden brown. You can check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer; it should be 200 degrees in the middle. 
5. Remove from or leave in pot and cool on a wire rack completely before slicing. 

Slicing Tips:

- This can make two loaves of bread if you cut the bread in half and then slice each half up as a loaf. The second loaf can be saved for later use (apparently it freezes well) or given to a friend, which is what I did! 
- I find it easier to slice the bread by turning the loaf upside down, so that the bottom is on top and you can cut through the bottom first. 
- I recommend using a bread knife :) 

     That's it! Pretty easy, right? This is how I plan to supply my bread for the rest of my shopping ban, so I'm glad this recipe works so well. There are also some variations available in the recipe I linked to above, including Dark Chocolate Coconut, which sounds super yummy. I can totally see making that for a party. Happy Baking! 

                                                                       Love, 
                                                                           Madeleine