It defies everything I know about breadmaking.
Successfully baking a loaf of bread makes me happier than nearly any other food. I’m not sure why. Maybe because the yeast seems like such a mysterious and magical ingredient. Then I remind myself that even the Amish can bake bread, and I realize that maybe it’s not as mysterious and magical as I think.
Nevertheless, I don’t understand how no-knead bread is possible. It defies everything I ever knew about bread, namely that only kneading will give you edible texture. This recipe proves it all wrong.
You’ll notice that the recipe requires instant yeast. I didn’t realize this until late one evening while in my pajamas, not remotely interested in heading out to the store for yeast. Thanks to Google, I learned that to substitute regular old active dry yeast for instant, you use approximately 20% more yeast (a heaping 1/4 tsp plus a few extra grains, I estimated), dissolved in the same quantity of water heated to between 100-110 degrees F. Works perfectly.
Tell me that this picture doesn’t look like a beautiful artisan loaf from a bakery. You must try this. Really. Immediately, if possible. And for maximum enjoyment, buy some really good butter and eat it warm.