No Knead Crusty Bread

I wish I could remember where I found this bread. I tweaked it slightly but found the original recipe in a random surfing session and thought it sounded too easy to be good. I was wrong.

This is one of the easiest bread recipes I've ever made. And as a bonus, it was delicious. It has that deep yeast flavor that just makes a good loaf of bread taste so good. I haven't made it in awhile because I tend to love bread a little too much, but I think it's time to revisit the tasty.

This bread recipe is also great as a base for many different add-ins. I did a Parmesan version (pictured above) with some of the cheese mixed in as well as sprinkled on top. I've also seen a version with some garlic and herbs and I plan on doing one with some dried cranberries and almonds. The sky is the limit here, folks. Get crazy.

No Knead Bread Ingredients • 3 1/4 c flour • 1 1/2 tsp salt • 1 1/2 c water, divided • 1 pkt yeast • 1/2 TB sugar Directions 1. In large bowl, mix together 1/2 c warm water with yeast until dissolved. (Don't use hot water or it will kill the yeast.) 2. Mix together 3 c flour, sugar and salt and add to water mixture along with remaining water. Mix to incorporate. 3. Leave in bowl and cover with kitchen towel. Place in warm spot for 1 1/2 - 2 hrs. (I turn my oven to a temp of around 200 degrees and put the bowl on my stove.) 4. Once your dough has doubled in size, preheat oven to 450. 5. Pour out dough onto surface floured with 1/4 c flour - it will be sticky! (I form into a ball with a non-stick spatula and place on lightly floured parchment paper.) Sprinkle top with a little flour and cover with a clean towel. 6. Place a 4-6 qt covered, oven safe pot in the oven and set the timer for 30 minutes while your dough continues to rise on the parchment. 7. After the 30 minutes, carefully remove the pot with lid. Place the dough with parchment - shake off excess flour if you can - directly into the pot. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. 8. Remove lid and bake an additional 15 minutes or until browned. When it's nice and brown, remove it from the pot and place on a cooling rack. Cool completely before slicing.