I discovered this wonderful recipe from a delightful food blog called www.whilehewasout.wordpress.com  There are great ideas and recipes in this blog so you need to check it out.   What caught my eyes was this artisan bread recipe because you don’t have to knead it and you can store it in the fridge until you need to bake it. It’s like bread for dummies.  Could it really be that easy?  So I decided to try out the recipe and make both bread and baguettes since I was getting ready to make some Bruchetta later as well.  The dough is so versatile you can make rolls, pizza, calzones, stomboli and a myriad of other bread type recipes.  If you let it rest in the refrigerator the flavors of the dough deepen and give it some delicious almost sourdough like qualities.

Here’s the Recipe:

No Knead Artisan Bread and Baguettes

6 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tablespoons of active dry yeast

1 1/2 tablespoons of kosher salt

3-4 tablespoons of olive oil (a little more or less won’t hurt, I like a bit more)

3 cups warm water

In a large bowl (about 5 – 6 quart size) add water, yeast, salt and olive oil.  Add all the flour and mix with a wooden spoon until incorporated.  Cover the bowl with a towel or plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature for about 2 hours.  You can use this dough right after the two-hour rise time or stick it in the refrigerator for use later.  It can be stored for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator (make sure it’s covered well but with a little venting).  When ready for use, dust dough lightly with flour, take out amount of dough that you want and shape it into any shape, place it on a cookie sheet or pan lightly dusted with corn meal, cover and let rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until double in size.  Right before putting the bread in the oven score it with a knife (this makes it look all fancy and professional).  Pre-heat oven to 440 degrees Fahrenheit or 230 degrees Celsius.  Place a small oven safe bowl or cup with warm water in the bottom rack and place the bread on the rack above it to bake.  Bake for 20 -25 minutes until it is a deep golden brown color.  Take the bread off the pan and place it directly on the rack and bake for another 5 -10 minutes to give it a nice even crust all around.  Cool completely to room temperature before cutting and serving.

Recipe courtesy of http://www.whilehewasout.wordpress.com