Easy No-Knead Homemade Bread

There was a recipe for No-Knead bread featured on the the TODAY show last week and Honey went to their website and printed off the recipe. He's made it three times so far, and it is WONDERFUL ... and really easy to make. You end up with a rustic-looking loaf of really crusty bread that is the perfect accompaniment to homemade soup, chili, or beef stew.

Here's the recipe. Even if you've never baked bread before, you should try this. You'll be hooked!!

Speedy No-Knead Bread By Mark Bittman
Yield: One big loaf
Time: 5 to 6 hours

INGREDIENTS
3 cups bread flour
1 packet (1/4 ounce) instant yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Oil as needed

DIRECTIONS
1. Combine flour, yeast and salt in a large bowl. Add 1 1/2 cups water and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest about 4 hours at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.
2. Lightly oil a work surface and place dough on it; fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest at least 30 minutes more.
3. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 3 to 4 quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under the dough and put it into pot, seam side up. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

I was raised on homemade bread, and there's nothing like it. In the winter, I used to bake bread once a week. It's so easy with my Kitchen Aid stand mixer, and I have the large professional model, so I can do four loaves at once. When the kids were home, one loaf would disappear as soon as it was out of the oven, and the rest would last us the week. Now, with just Honey and me, I usually give one loaf to the Big Guy and KT, and freeze two and it lasts us about a two weeks, so I don't have to bake as often. Honey still has to have a piece hot out of the oven though!!