No knead bread

Here comes the wonderful recipe that needs virtually no attention. Just my type of thing! Let's get to it right away.

The recipe:
3 cups lukewarm water
1.5 tbsp granulated yeast (1.5 packets)
1.5 tbsp coarse kosher salt or sea salt
6.5 cups unsifted, unbleached, all-purpose white flour

1. Heat the water to about 100 Fahrenheit then add yeast and salt.

2. Mix in flour but make sure to level off the measuring cup with a knife. Don't pat it down, use just the knife. The recipe also says to use a wooden spoon for mixing or a heavy duty mixer with dough hook. The result should be a wet dough.

3. RESIST THE URGE TO KNEAD!

4. Cover loosely and allow to rise in room temperature until the dough begins to collapse (abt. 2 hrs). If you need to leave it for longer, it's ok. You can leave it up to 5 hrs and it won't harm the result.

You can use any size portion of the dough from this point on. Just remember to store it in the fridge loosely covered so that the gases from the yeast can escape and your container and fridge won't explode. This recipe makes 4 one pound loaves.

When you want to use the dough do the following:
1. Let the dough rest in room temperature for 40 minutes before baking.
2. 20 min before baking, preheat the oven to 450F with a baking stone(pizza stone) on the middle rack. Place a roasting pan with water on the bottom shelf.
3. Form your loaf slashing the top 1/4" deep across the top. Transfer on to the baking or pizza stone.
4. Bake for about 30 minutes or until crust is browned and firm. If your bread cracks or "sings" to you when you pull it out, no worries that's quite normal. Unless of course it sounds like Elvis ;o)

You can make all kinds of things with this dough: pizza, bread, cinnamon rolls, dinner rolls, English muffins, tortillas, monkey bread etc etc. This is the dough I would use also for pizza rolls. Your imagination is the limit.

If you want to make a 100% whole wheat dough, follow these instructions:

1.5 tbsp granulated yeast (1.5 packets)
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp salt
1/2 cup honey
5 tbsp natural flavored oil
1.5 cups lukewarm milk
1.5 cups lukewarm water
6 2/3 cups whole wheat flour

Then mix yeast, salt, honey, oil, milk and water. To this add the flour. From here on out, follow the steps above.

Doesn't this sound easy?? Let's go make some bread!