banner image

Super easy, no knead, slow bread

Makes 2 wholemeal loaves

Equipment

2 loaf tins
Large bowl
Wooden spoon
Spatula
Sharp knife or scissors
Tray, board or work surface

Ingredients

460g wholemeal flour
460g white flour
1 teaspoon dried yeast
690 ml water
Olive or other oil
1 or 2 teaspoons salt
Semolina or flour for dusting tins

Method

Pour 690 ml water into large bowl
Add 1 teaspoon of dry yeast
Swirl bowl to mix yeast
Add 460g wholemeal flour and 460g of white flour
Add salt
Stir with wooden spoon to mix – ensuring no dry flour sits at base of bowl – for about 20 seconds
Scrape mix down sides of bowl with spatula to leave bowl clean above the dough
Swirl a little oil around edges of dough. This allows dough to rise up sides of bowl without sticking
Cover with cling film and tea towel
Leave for 12 to 14 hours at normal room temperature. Yeast is killed with heat so don’t be tempted to put it somewhere very warm.
……………………
When the dough is ready prepare your loaf tins by dusting with semolina or flour Semolina gives a nice crunch and can be used on top of the loaves too
I flip my dough out onto an oiled stainless steel tray, but you can use flour instead of oil. I also use the oiled tray to oil the cling film which will later cover the loaves
Lift and fold into a block – just so you can divide it in half
Divide into 2
Lift and fold dough then turn it over, sealing the fold.
Lift and fold etc. from new long edge.
Repeat a couple more times just to stretch the dough a bit.
If it is a sticky mix, ease and lift with spatula into loaf shape
Lift and drop into loaf tin previously dusted with flour or semolina
Leave for 2 hours covered with oiled cling film and tea towel

Prepare oven about 20 minutes before this.
Shelf in centre of oven, gas to 240 degrees
As soon as the oven is ready lift off cling film and score with sharp knife or scissors.
My knives never seem sharp enough but scissors are very effective. 3 or 4 snips in at an angle about 10cm (very approx), along the loaf
Then into the hot oven – adding a cup of water to the tray at the bottom of the oven at this point is beneficial
Close oven and set timer for 15 minutes.
After this time lower the heat to 210-220 degrees – depending on how much the loaves are browning
Set timer for 20 minutes
Remove baked loaves from oven and onto a rack to cool
If you leave them to cool almost completely this allows the moisture in the bread to spread evenly throughout the whole loaf
Enjoy!
This slow, no knead method works for almost any bread recipe I have yet tried
The picture shows half a loaf – they don’t stay whole for long!
This loaf also freezes well. Slice it before freezing if you just want a couple of fresh slices to eat