My mom loved to bake bread. Every Sunday we would have either a loaf of homemade bread, cloverleaf rolls, cinnamon rolls or my favorite, cinnamon bread.
She never used a recipe, just magically produced those delightful treats off the top of her head. When I became an adult I made her come to my house and make her basic bread dough while I wrote down each and every step. The problem was she did not measure anything , she could tell what she needed by how it looked or felt. I am definitely not that kind of baker. Over the years I have attempted to make her rolls and cinnamon rolls several times and although we ate most of my creations, it never seemed to measure up to what I remember as a child.
During this quarantine period I have been sewing almost every day of the 19 days we have been sheltering in place. I have made Easter bunnies for my ETSY shop. (Now sold out)
Most recently have been making masks for family and friends.
Yesterday I decided I needed to step out of my sewing cave and do something else. Lately I have seen several recipes for NO KNEAD DUTCH OVEN BREAD and decided it was the day to try it. I looked at several recipes and decided this one from Feast and Farm looked like the easiest. It only calls for four ingredients and just seemed super simple. What I liked most about this recipe was that it is mixed up one day and then baked the next. Seems like most bread recipes you need to mix, let rise, knead, let rise again, then bake and it takes up most of your day. This recipe could not have been any easier.
In general, you mix the four ingredients together, cover with plastic wrap and then put in a warm place for 18-24 hours. When you are ready to bake, you gently knead it one time, put it in a large dutch oven to bake covered for thirty minutes and uncovered for ten minutes. Besides having your house smell wonderful, you are rewarded with an incredible loaf of goodness.
The outside is crusty and chewy while the inside is soft and moist. It is amazing! Slather a little butter on a warm slice and I am sure you will agree!
Let me know if you give it a try. Stay Safe!