No-knead “Sourdough” Loaf

With many of us choosing to self isolate during this crazy time, we will find ourselves with extra time on our hands, time perfect for making bread. This is a really easy recipe and it is literally no-knead but it does take a bit of time. It has a few different steps but not one takes more than a few minutes. Make sure you start the recipe about 24 hours before you want to be eating yummy bread. You can use all white flour if you prefer.

Ingredients

• 250gm wholemeal bread (strong) flour, plus extra for dusting
• 250gm white bread (strong) flour
• 1/4 tsp instant dried yeast
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 375ml warm water
• olive oil, for oiling

Directions

Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl and add the water, stirring with a wooden spoon and then with your hands, to form a very soft sticky dough. It will look ‘shaggy’ but you don’t need to over mix. Add a dash more water if the mix isn’t quite wet.

Cover the bowl with cling wrap and leave in a warm place 15 -18 hours.

Lightly flour a large wooden board or work surface and flour your hands – just a little is needed. Fold the dough over on itself, cover with oiled cling wrap and leave for 15 minutes.

Again using minimal flour on your hands and board (work surface) shape the dough into a ball.

Slide the dough onto a sheet of baking paper sprinkled with wholemeal flour, also sprinkling the top of the dough with flour. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave for 2 hours to prove. When it’s ready, the dough will be more than doubled in size and won’t spring back readily when poked with your finger.

About half an hour before the dough has finished rising, place a large lidded casserole into the oven and preheat to 220°C. When the dough and oven are ready, take out the hot casserole, using the baking paper to lower the dough inside and replace the lid.

Return the casserole to the oven for 30 minutes then remove the lid and cook for a further 15 minutes or until the dough is golden.

Tip out of the casserole and cool on a wire rack.

I realise I’m posting a recipe for bread when there is very little flour to be found in the shops. I’m hoping that you either have flour already in your pantry or are one of the many that stripped the supermarket shelves bare (as you must have plenty). As always if you do give this recipe a try, leave me a comment and let me know how you got on. Enjoy. Sheryl x