Recently I started making no-knead bread for the first time. Why? First of all, I work in the evening. Being able to throw together some dough in mere minutes after I come home is therefore quite appealing. Second, I have lost the kneading paddle component of my bread machine–for the second time. So waking up to fresh bread, courtesy of the timer function on the machine, can no longer happen. Thirdly, it is rare that I actually manage to allot the full three hours involved in making conventional yeast bread. And finally, everyone in my family adores fresh bread, especially in the morning. My love of bread means that I will probably never succeed at avoiding gluten for any length of time, but that’s okay.
After researching recipes however, there seemed to me a problem. I do not have a Le Cruset cast iron Dutch oven, which is what many no-knead bread recipes seem to require. What I do have is a modest-sized covered glass dish. And that was what I tried for this recipe. Happily, glass works just fine!
The oatmeal bread recipe I found did not seem like it would fit in my humble cookware collection, so I halved it. This way the dough fits into my 4-litre (= 1 gallon) mixing bowl when rising overnight and into my 2-litre (= 2 quart) baking dish in the oven. Instead of brown sugar, I prefer to use honey, which adds a heavenly aroma. For cost purposes and ease of pouring, I opted for oil instead of butter or margarine. See the results and judge for yourself. Then follow the recipe and taste the rich honey goodness for real. It is one of the simplest breads you’ll ever make!
No-Knead Honey Oat Bread
Ingredients:
- 2 cups unbleached bread flour
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 3/4 cup oats, either quick or old-fashioned
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon yeast
- 2 tablespoons honey*
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon room temperature water
*To make this completely vegan, substitute maple syrup and/or molasses for the honey.
Directions:
- Into a large mixing bowl, pour all of the wet ingredients and whisk briefly to dissolve the honey. Stir in the dry ingredients with a sturdy spoon (or stand mixer, if you have one) until a dough forms and all ingredients are well-incorporated.
- Cover bowl with plastic wrap and leave dough at room temperature overnight (8 hours or longer).
- Line a 2-litre (2 quart) covered baking dish with a circle of parchment paper. Shape dough into a round or oval loaf and set inside the dish. Cover the dish with the lid and let the dough rise for an hour at room temperature. Alternatively, split the dough in half and form two loaves. Line a baking stone or large glass baking dish with parchment and cover each loaf with a glass loaf pan (see photo below).
- Place dough in a cold oven. Turn oven on to 425 degrees F (220 C). Keep the lid on during baking. Bake for about 40 minutes or until dough sounds hollow when tapped.
- Allow bread to cool for several minutes before removing it from the baking dish. Transfer to a cooling rack and allow bread to cool further. When bread is slightly warm or at room temperature, cut loaf into slices and serve.
adapted from King Arthur
I’m sharing this recipe at Mix It Up Monday.
Swirls and Spice 
Very creative way of doing it! I also love easy breads! I do want to try making “real” bread (haha) but I agree that it’s not always easy to find the time.
Just a suggestion to reduce the amount of gluten in our bread, simply switch the whole wheat for some whole spelt or rye. These are low-gluten grains, much easier to digest than wheat. 🙂
I do have some spelt flour. That’s a great idea to try. Thanks!
mmmm, there’s nothing like the smell of fresh baked bread on a chilly day. Great post!
Thanks! I should make it more often. 🙂