No-Knead Overnight Boule

This bread was the first glimpse I had of long-baking. Slow-rise bread, similar to sourdough, lends a chewier texture and a tangy flavor. The first time I baked this, I had a piece right out of the oven (an actual sin in bread-baking) with butter, and it was so good. 

This bread requires some planning ahead. I like to mix it in the evening after dinner, let it ferment all night, and then bake it anytime the next day when I’ve got a free hour. You’ll notice the recipe only calls for a tiny amount of yeast. Given the long overnight rise, there will be plenty of time for the yeast to develop and break down the flour. The longer the yeast ferments, the more lactic acid is produced, and the sharpness of the acid becomes more pronounced. Oh boy, is it worth the wait. 

The baking method is similar to many sourdough bakes: trapping the steam in a cast-iron pot and giving the bread that classic, crunchy, blistered crust. So good! You’ll need an oven-safe pot with a lid, such as a covered casserole or, my personal favorite, the cast-iron pot, also known as a dutch oven. 

Ingredients:

3 cups flour

½ teaspoon instant or active yeast

1 ½ teaspoons salt

1 ½ cups water

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients. Add water and mix until all the flour is incorporated. Dough will be sticky and shaggy. If you’re adding any additions, mix them in.

Cover the bowl and let it sit on the counter at room temperature for at least 12 hours and up to 24 hours. The dough will be level and bubbly when it’s ready.

Preheat the oven to 450 F. Place your cast iron in the oven with the lid on. Preheating the cast iron helps create the perfect baking environment for the dough.

Lightly flour the countertop and your hands, and turn out the dough. It will be extremely sticky and will lose a lot of air as you work with it. Very gently, shape into a ball. Handle it gently to prevent major air loss.

Dust a square of parchment paper with flour, place the dough on top, and let it rest for 30 minutes, covered with a dry tea towel. 

When the oven has been preheated for 15 minutes, lower the parchment and bread into the hot cast iron. If you would like, score the dough with quick, sure movements. This dough is sticky and it will snag and drag if you don’t work fast. Replace the lid, and bake for 30 minutes, covered. Remove the lid, and bake for another 15 minutes until browned. 

Once done, remove the bread from the pot and place on a wire rack to cool. 

Allow the loaf to cool completely before cutting, at least an hour. It will smell super tempting, but cooling is part of the cooking process, and you lose valuable moisture if you cut it before it’s ready! (If you read the description of this recipe, you know this is a rule many of us break.)

This bread is absolutely delicious dipped in fondue or hollowed and filled with a spinach artichoke dip. 

Additions: This bread really sings on its own, but throwing some goodies into the dough when you’re folding all the ingredients together will give it some delicious and unique flavors and textures. Try these combos:

• ½ cup chopped dates, ½ cup roughly chopped walnuts

• Substitute ½ cup of flour with ¾ cup rolled oats, add 2 tablespoons whole flax seeds

• ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese, ¼ cup chopped green olives (pimento optional), 2 tablespoons pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds)