Easy No-Knead Bread

Easy No-Knead Bread - a, soft and easy, homemade yeast bread which needs no kneading at all; a perfect beginner's bread for any nonbaker!

This bread uses the technique of just mixing ingredients, gathering them into a soft, moist and wet dough, allowing it to prove twice and then baking into a gorgeous, well risen, crusty, golden brown loaf of bread with a soft and slightly chewy interior!

With store bought breads packed with chemicals, preservatives, sugar and unhealthy fats, isn't it the need of the hour to make homemade bread with ingredients you have in your pantry and the names of which you can recognize?

Now, coming to how I dared to make this bread, although my mind was saying, "Whaat?" No kneading needed and you get to save all your energy for some other difficult bake???

Should I? Should I not? Dare I? Dare I not? These are the questions that arose in my mind before baking this no-knead beauty of a bread!

The last time I baked a real homemade bread was about 30 years back or so when I was young and raring to try anything in the kitchen.

Newly married, settling in US and excited to bake up a storm in the kitchen, I was experimenting different bakes; cookies, cakes and breads!

Those were the days of internet free days and I was super excited to find a recipe in one of the local newspapers I could bake up!

It used the normal process of kneading the dough until gluten develops; a back breaking (or hand breaking?) and time consuming effort but worth it! After a few proofs and an oven bake, a soft and homemade bread was ready with lots of kneading and kneading to get that beautiful soft texture.

But when bread was just 10 cents a huge loaf in those days. and with my husband goading me to pursue my other hobbies instead of breaking my back trying to knead away, I decided to heed his advice and stopped on that one bread bake!

Today, my hands do not allow me to put that much stress on it and with the net full of different versions of no-knead breads and the pandemic making it difficult to get fresh bread from stores, I finally decided to venture into making this easy peasy bread!

WHAT IS A “NO-KNEAD” BREAD?

As it suggests, this bread needs absolutely no kneading or “pulling and pushing” of dough to develop gluten and creates all that soft and spongy interior.

All you need to do is mix the dough into a wet mass, let rise to prove and then bake into a beautiful golden brown bread with a crusty exterior and a chewy and soft interior.

It is an easy and super silly recipe that even a non-baker will feel thrilled to bake!

THE MAIN INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO MAKE NO-KNEAD BREAD:

It takes just a few basic ingredients and less than 10 minutes of your time to rustle up the batter or dough! Let rise until double, transfer to a loaf pan and prove again for about 40-50 minutes and then bake!

All you need is flour, yeast, sugar, butter (or oil), and salt to bake this. I am sure all of you have these in your pantry!

I added a dash of milk powder which gives a lovely softness to bread! You can substitute with milk instead in place of some of the water in the dough

(You can use all-purpose flour or a mix of that and whole wheat flour to make your bread. This time, I have used only plain flour).

If adventurous, sprinkle with some seeds; I have used sesame seeds and sunflower seeds. Use your favorite nuts or seeds. More adventurous? Stir in some into the batter after the first rise.

Pop it in the oven and after 40 minutes, you are privy to a beautiful golden crusted well risen loaf of bread that I am sure you will be so tempted to slice up and enjoy! But, darn, you have to wait for it to cool completely or you will have a mess of slices!

Once cooled and sliced, the texture was unlike store bought bread; soft, slightly chewy and absolutely tasty with no chemicals, preservatives and of course homemade! Make sure you make thin slices for a softer texture!

We enjoyed it so much, this huge loaf was gone in 3 days (mind you, we are just the 2 of us!). Not only did we enjoy thin slices with fresh tomato and onion slices along with some cheese, but had our favorite PB&J (peanut butter and jam) sandwiches too, albeit with homemade Mango Chunda or Chutney instead of jam!

The texture of the bread will depend upon the quality of the flour. This time, I baked it with all-purpose flour as I was not sure of the outcome. My husband just loved it! Next time, experimenting with whole wheat flour is on the agenda!

This no-knead bread sounds fun and interesting isn’t it? Do give this a try; an easy peasy one even for the nonbaker!

Here are some more easy bakes you can try:

Easy Blueberry Muffins

Super Moist Cocoa Cupcakes

Basbousa (Middle Eastern Semolina Cake)

Upside Down Caramelized Apple Cake

Now, do check out how I made this easy peasy No Knead loaf of bread:

Yum

Easy No-Knead Bread

A soft and easy, homemade yeast bread which needs no kneading at all; a perfect beginner's bread for any nonbaker!

Ingredients

½ tbsp active dry yeast
½ tbsp sugar
1 ½ cups lukewarm water
3 cups maida/all-purpose flour
2 tbsp melted butter
½ tbsp salt
1 ½ tbsp full-fat milk powder
Few tablespoons of milk
OPTIONAL:
Few black and white sesame seeds
Sunflower seeds

Instructions

In a measuring glass or small bowl, add the sugar and yeast. Give it a mix.
Heat water until just hot enough to dip your finger; you should be able to keep it for a few seconds. Pour this over the yeast-sugar mixture and using a spoon, mix well to let the yeast and sugar dissolve in the hot water.
Set aside covered for 5 to 10 minutes until bubbly and frothy; a good indicator the yeast is active, alive and ready to be used in the bread. If it does not, discard and make again.
In a large mixing bowl, add 3 cups of flour, salt, melted butter and milk powder. Mix with a spoon or whisk.
Make a well in the center and then pour the activated yeast mixture into the flour.
Using a silicone spatula or back end of a wooden spoon, mix well to make a soft and sticky dough.
Do not worry if it is very wet and sticky; that is what we want.
Once the dough is mixed well, cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and set aside to prove for at least 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours or until double.
After the dough has doubled, remove the plastic wrap and using a bench scraper or spatula, gather the dough to slightly deflate and bring it together.
Grease a loaf pan (I have used a 9x5x3 inch pan) well with oil or melted butter.
Pour or transfer the wet dough into the loaf pan. Spread it evenly; do not worry, it is going to rise again.
Cover again with plastic wrap and let rise for another 40 -50 minutes.
Just before making the bread, preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit or 200 degrees Centigrade.
Brush the top of raised dough with milk gently, sprinkle sesame seeds and sunflower seeds and bake in hot oven for 30 to 40 minutes until the top is golden brown and when tapped, the bread sounds hollow.
Remove and immediately, brush the top with butter; makes the crust soft and tender.
Remove from pan and let cool completely on cooling rack.
Once completely cool, slice and enjoy with jam, your favorite spreads, chutney, butter, or even in sandwiches or lightly toasted.

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Step-wise Instructions to make No-Knead Bread:

In a measuring glass or small bowl, add the sugar and yeast. Give it a mix.
Heat water until just hot enough to dip your finger; you should be able to keep it for a few seconds. Pour this over the yeast-sugar mixture and using a spoon, mix well to let the yeast and sugar dissolve in the hot water.

Set aside covered for 5 to 10 minutes until bubbly and frothy; a good indicator the yeast is active, alive and ready to be used in the bread. If it does not, discard and make again.

In a large mixing bowl, add 3 cups of flour, salt, melted butter and milk powder. Mix with a spoon or whisk.

Make a well in the center and then pour the activated yeast mixture into the flour.

Using a silicone spatula or back end of a wooden spoon, mix well to make a soft and sticky dough.

Do not worry if it is very wet and sticky; that is what we want.

Once the dough is mixed well, cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and set aside to prove for at least 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours or until double.

After the dough has doubled, remove the plastic wrap and using a bench scraper or spatula, gather the dough to slightly deflate and bring it together.

Grease a loaf pan (I have used a 9x5x3 inch pan) well with oil or melted butter.

Pour or transfer the wet dough into the loaf pan. Spread it evenly; do not worry, it is going to rise again.

Cover again with plastic wrap and let rise for another 40-50 minutes.

Just before making the bread, preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit or 200 degrees Centigrade.

Brush the top of raised dough with milk gently, sprinkle sesame seeds and sunflower seeds and bake in hot oven for 30 to 40 minutes until the top is golden brown and when tapped, the bread sounds hollow.