No-Knead Bread Dough
One dough to rule them all…
Hi there, Sam here. You might have seen that I recently asked a bunch of questions on my Instagram about what kind of recipes and content you’d like to see on Farmer and Chef in 2023. A large amount of you wanted bread! So I thought I’d develop an easy and incredibly versatile recipe that’s designed to fit in with a working day (or overnight whilst you sleep). It doesn’t require any special tools or kneading, just a mixing bowl and spatula/spoon. And it can be held in storage in a fridge as a dough for a full 24-30 hours so you can pick exactly when you have time to bake it. It’s very beginner friendly and incredibly tasty as a focaccia, pizza or loaf. Interested?
* As a side note, I love the process of kneading dough but I’ve worked with many bakers over the years who’ve suffered greatly from joint issues as a result of it. So, using a technique called autolyse (fancy name, right?), this dough requires less mixing than a sponge cake.
Bread Dough Recipe
10-30 hour retard (refrigeration) - 30 minute prove - 1 shaping
650g strong white (00) flour
150g strong wholemeal flour / heritage flour (I used Yeoman)
700ml water
2tsp salt
2tsp dried yeast
1tsp honey / sugar
2tbsp olive oil
Step 1.
Measure out and mix all the ingredients together until no dry flour remains. When measuring, avoid letting the salt and yeast directly contact one another. Once mixed, cover and place in a fridge for a minimum of 8 hours (up to 30).
If making focaccia, drizzle the dough with olive oil before placing it in the fridge.
Step 2.
After resting in the fridge, the gluten will have developed all by itself thanks to being exposed to water. The yeast will also have developed much more flavour, similar to a milky sourdough. At this stage the dough is ready for shaping. The amounts above make 1 focaccia (45-30cm), 2 pizza (25/30cm) 1 loaf, or 6 rolls.
Remove the dough from the fridge 30 minutes before shaping in the next stages as the gluten will become more flexible at room temperature.
At this stage, the dough can also be placed in an airtight container and frozen for up to a month. To use from frozen, defrost in a fridge for 4-5 hours, then leave at room temperature for 30 minutes before shaping.
Loaf/rolls
Dust a work surface and baking tray with flour and sprinkle extra over the dough. Lift the dough out of the bowl and place it on the work surface. Using your fingertips, press it into a square, then take each corner and fold it back into the middle, making an envelope. Roll the dough onto itself, trapping the corners you just folded inside, then pull the dough tight and place it in a dusted proving basket seam side up for 15 minutes whilst the oven preheats to 250c (480f). (If making rolls, cut the dough into 6 even pieces first, then repeat this stage for each of them. Dust a baking tray and pop them in with a 1cm gap between them).
Place a spare baking tray in the bottom of the oven.
Tip the loaf onto the dusted baking tray and cut it across the top roughly 1cm deep. This will help the loaf rise as the crust forms.
Tip 100ml of water onto the hot baking tray in the bottom of the oven and place the loaf / rolls on the hottest shelf and reduce the temperature to 210c (410f). The steam will help slow the formation of the crust, giving the bread more spring. Bake for 30 minutes.
The loaf is cooked when it sounds hollow if knocked. Place on a cooling rack until completely cool.
Focaccia
Oil a 30-45cm baking tray (that’s 3-4cm deep) and oil your hands before handling the dough.
Lift the dough out of the bowl and into the tray. Fold any parts that have stretched during the transfer back into the middle, then flip it over so they’re trapped beneath. Lightly push the dough with your fingertips to encourage it towards the edges and corners of the tray, then cover and prove at room temperature for 30 minutes. During this time, the focaccia should spread to fill the tray and even rise up above the edges.
Preheat the oven to 220c (430f).
After 30 minutes of proving, oil your hands again and stick your fingers into the dough all over as though you’re playing piano, creating something that looks like a pale brain. Drizzle with 2tbsp of extra olive oil and season with salt and pepper, then pop it straight in the oven for 25-30 minutes.
Cool on a rack for 1 hour before eating.
Pizza
Extra ingredients: 1 tin of chopped tomatoes, cheese of your choosing, toppings of your choosing.
Cut the dough in half and shape each half into a roll using the technique described in the loaf section. Dust or oil two baking trays with flour or olive oil and place a ball of dough on each. Using your fingertips or heel of your palm, flatten the dough out evenly into a round disk, then leave them covered somewhere warm for 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 250c (480f).
After 20 minutes of proving, uncover the pizza bases and use your finger tips to press the middles down, leaving the crust to bubble up. (It should have a similar pale brain pattern as the focaccia right before baking). Dress the pizza with your toppings and bake for 10 minutes until golden and lightly charred.