Basic No-Knead Recipe

Basic No-Knead Recipe

5 C. flour (or flours) of your choice
1 tsp. yeast
1 tsp. salt
1 to 2 C. water

to the basic recipe add:

1 C. pitted black olives
1/3 C. peeled roasted garlic cloves; about 1 head roasted garlic

Combine all ingredients except water in a large bowl. Add water and mix with one hand, adding water until the dough just barely forms a ball and there are no little dry bits hanging out in the bowl. Depending on how moist the olives and garlic are, the amount of water can vary from 1 C. to 2 C.. This dough should feel too wet to knead and like biscuit dough in moisture content. Cover the bowl with a layer of plastic wrap; and let the dough rise at room temperature overnight, until the surface of the dough has risen and is flat, not rounded. For those who have worked with traditional kneaded dough, this will look like a disaster. Just wait, it will be fine. Place a Dutch oven (an oven proof pan with a lid) into the oven. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Shape the dough into a round boule by tucking the dough loosely under itself; place the loaf in a bowl lined with parchment paper. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise again until doubled, another 45 minutes to 1 hour. Slash the tops of the loaf with a sharp knife and transfer the parchment paper and dough to the hot Dutch oven and cover with the hot lid. Bake until the exterior is golden brown and the bottom is firm; about 50 to 70 minutes (no peeking for at least the first half hour). Remove from both the oven and the Dutch oven and let cool before slicing.

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