No-Knead Bread from Jim Lahey
The easy, tasty bread that's sweeping the world
New York baker Jim Lahey's no-knead bread baked in a Dutch oven is setting the bread world on fire. Find out how to get the best recipe for your area.
In on November 8, 2006, the New York Times published a story by chef and writer Mark Bittman, called The Secret of Great Bread: Let Time Do the Work.
Baker Jim Lahey of the Sullivan Street Bakery in New York has come up with an easy way to bake artisan yeast bread without any kneading.
This development is revolutionizing the global bread-making world, as bloggers from... everywhere... are posting their comments, modifications to the recipe, and pictures of the delicious loaves.
On December 6, 2006, again in the New York Times, Bittman wrote a further column about Lahey's bread, refining the recipe and technique a bit - but still, no kneading.
How to get the recipe?
Go to the source, either the bakery itself or the New York Times. You may have to register with the Times as a reader. It costs nothing and takes about one minute. You can also get to the original article after registering. (Registration gets you a time-limited free trial during which you can print off the recipe).
If that doesn't work, there are many bloggers who have republished the recipe. The best advice is to find a chef or cook in your region who has experimented enough with the bread under your local conditions, to make it foolproof.
In higher altitude areas, one writer to start with is Julie Van Rosendaal, the Food and Nutrition columnist on the CBC Radio program, the Calgary Eye-opener. She is in Calgary, which is about 3,000 feet above sea level. More to the point, she has fallen in love with the no-knead bread recipe and tested it out.
The no-knead bread is an overnight project, as the dough needs to rest for 12 hours or more. Apart from allowing sufficient time, there is very little advance planning needed. Just get the ingredients and a Dutch oven or similar pot.
