King Arthur's No-Knead Crusty White Bread (Boule)

This recipe creates a bread that is a blank canvas, waiting to be used for French toast, grilled cheese, garlic bread, and more. This recipe is based on a recipe by King Arthur's Flour.

NOTES:

1. The original recipe notes that you can forego the first rise/rest and put the dough right into the fridge for it to rest. I've done it both with the room temperature rest and with foregoing it. The bread came out fine both times.

2. The recipe below is for a half recipe, using grams, with the full recipe in parentheses. If using a scale, be sure the units are in grams and not ounces.


3. The half recipe makes two medium-sized boules; full recipe makes four. Baked boules can be frozen by wrapping in plastic wrap and then foil.

4. If using the full recipe amounts, be sure you have a large enough bowl to accommodate the rise, about 6-quart capacity.

5. Allow a full 5-6 hours to prepare and bake the bread. Or prepare the dough one evening, let it come to room temperature in the morning and bake it that day so it will be ready and cool in the evening. Here are the major time periods to take into account:

• 2 hour rise/rest at room temperature (optional if time is tight)
• minimum 2 hour rise/rest in fridge (max. 7 days for a tangier, more sourdough-like bread)
• 1 to 1-1/2 hours to reach room temp after boules are shaped and before baking 
• Approx 30 mins to bake, plus time to cool enough before slicing

6. When refrigerating the dough, allow it to be in the fridge from 2 hours to 7 days. "The longer you keep it in the fridge, the tangier it'll get; if you chill it for 7 days, it will taste like sourdough. Over the course of the first day or so, it'll rise, then fall. That's OK; that's what it's supposed to do."

7. King Arthur flour is all purpose but has a higher gluten content than many other all purpose flours.


INGREDIENTS:

3-3/4 cups or 454 grams (7-1/2 cups; 907 grams) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1-1/2 cups lukewarm water, 105-108 degrees in a cool house (3 cups)
1-1/2 tsp salt (1 Tbl)
2-1/4 tsp or 7 grams instant yeast or active dry yeast (1-1/2 Tbl or 14 grams)

Vegetable oil or spray oil


PREPARATION:

1. In the bowl of a standing mixer or a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt; then carefully place yeast on top of mixture before adding the water last.

2. For a standing mixer, use the beater blade (not the dough hook) and mix on medium until dough is moist throughout, only 30-60 seconds. 

• If mixing by hand, stir with a big spoon for several minutes until the dough is moist throughout.

3. If you want to use the same bowl you have mixed the dough in, gently move the dough to one side of the bowl; spray or pour-and-rub a little bit of oil on the exposed part of the bowl and a bit up the side; then move the dough to the oiled side of the bowl and repeat with the oil on the newly exposed part of the bowl. 

• If you want to use a separate bowl, oil that bottom and the lower part of the sides before turning the dough into it.

4. Lightly cover the dough with a small bit of oil to help keep it moist during the rise/rest. Cover the bowl with a light tea towel or with plastic wrap and leave out to rise/rest at room temperature for 2 hours. Optional: Skip this step if short on time; go directly to putting the dough in the fridge as described in the next step and see Notes.

• NOTE: If your room/house is particularly cool or drafty, either turn the heat up or turn the oven to 200, turn it off when it reaches temperature, place the bowl into the pre-warmed oven, and leave the door shut.

5. After the 2-hour rest/rise period, put the bowl into the fridge for at least 2 more hours and up to several days. See Notes for more info.

6. When you are ready to prepare the dough for baking (with a 2 hour lead time; see Notes), put parchment on a cookie sheet (2 cookie sheets for a full recipe) and sprinkle flour lightly onto surface you will be using to shape the bread. Also sprinkle with flour the top of the dough.

7. Lightly grease your hands and turn out the dough onto the floured surface. Cut the dough in 2 pieces for a half recipe or 4 pieces for a full recipe. Each portion should be the size of a softball or grapefruit. 

8. Working with one portion at a time while keeping the remaining portion(s) under a moist towel, shape each portion into a boule. (Other shapes are okay too, but baking time will differ).

                       

9. Sprinkle a light coating of flour over the top; this will help keep the bread moist as it rests to get to room temperature before baking, about 60 minutes (90 minutes if  your house is cool). Place each boule onto the prepared cookie sheet(s).

10. Toward the end of the resting time, preheat the oven to 450. Put hot water into a shallow metal bowl or cast iron pan so the pan or bowl is half full and place it on the oven's lowest rack. Steam from the hot water will help develop a nice crust on the bread.

11. When the oven reaches temperature, take the sharpest knife you have to make 2-3 slashes a half-inch deep and a couple inches wide across each boule. You can also use a pair of sharp kitchen scissors and cut into the top of the bread.

12. Bake the bread for 25-35 minutes until golden brown. Cool on a rack.