Rectte: Homemade bread without kneading

No-knead homemade yeast bread

Ingredients

• 2 cups of organic unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 cup of organic whole wheat flour
• 1 cup of oat flour*
• 1 pinch salt
• ¾ teaspoon instant yeast
• 500 ml water at room temperature
• 1 tablespoonolive oil

*To make oatmeal at home, pulverize oat flakes in a high-powered blender for a few seconds.

Procedure

• In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients, including the flours, salt and yeast. Whisk until well blended.
• Create a space in the center of the dry ingredients to incorporate the water and yeast.olive oil.
• Stir coarsely with a wooden spoon until the flour absorbs the water and the mixture forms a relatively homogeneous dough ball.
• Remove the dough from the bowl momentarily. Dust the bottom and sides of the bowl with flour, then place the dough ball back in the bottom of the bowl.
• Cover the bowl with a damp dishcloth and leave the bread to rise at room temperature for 8 to 12 hours. (Rising time will depend on the freshness of the yeast and the temperature. Bread will rise more slowly in a cool room and more quickly in a warm one).
• Once leavening is complete, the bread will have doubled in size and bubbles will be visible on the surface. At this point, preheat the oven to 450 ^oF and place a medium-sized cast-iron pot with a lid in the center of the oven (if you don't have a cast-iron pot, any other pottery, ceramic or porcelain baking dish with a lid can be used).
• While the oven and pot are preheating, remove the bread mixture from the bowl using floured hands. If the dough sticks to the edges of the bowl, add more flour while loosening the mixture with your fingers. On a floured surface (such as a clean countertop or large cutting board), shape the bread dough into a very rounded ball.

• Transfer the bread to the preheated pot. Cover and bake for 40 minutes.
• After 40 minutes, remove the lid and cook for a further 5 minutes to complete crust formation.
• Turn out. Allow homemade bread to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.

No-knead homemade sourdough bread

Ingredients

• 200 grams activated sourdough (140 grams sourdough + 30 grams whole-wheat flour + 30 grams filtered water)
• 400 ml room-temperature water (a little over a cup and a half)
• 2 cups of organic unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 cup of organic whole wheat flour
• 1 cup of oat flour*
• 1 tablespoon natural sugar 
• 1 pinch salt

*To make oat flour at home, pulverize oat flakes in a high-powered blender for a few seconds.

Procedure

• In a clear jar, weigh out 100 grams of wheat sourdough. Add 25 grams of all-purpose flour and 25 grams of filtered water. Cover the sourdough jar with a small dishcloth and a rubber band. Let sourdough activate for 6 to 8 hours, or until doubled in volume. (Before storing sourdough culture in refrigerator, feed with 2/3 cup flour and 1/3 cup filtered water).
• Once the sourdough is fully activated, transfer the culture to a large bowl. Add water and whisk to form a very runny paste. Add dry ingredients, mixing continuously.
• Stir coarsely with a wooden spoon until the flour absorbs the water and the mixture forms a relatively homogeneous dough ball.
• Remove the dough from the bowl momentarily. Dust the bottom and sides of the bowl with flour, then place the dough ball back in the bottom of the bowl.
• Cover the bowl with a damp dishcloth and leave the bread to rise at room temperature for 8 to 12 hours. (Rising time will depend on the strength of the sourdough and the temperature. Bread will rise more slowly in a cool room and more quickly in a warm one).
• Once leavening is complete, the bread will have doubled in size and bubbles will be visible on the surface. At this point, preheat the oven to 450 ^oF and place a medium-sized cast-iron pot with a lid in the center of the oven (if you don't have a cast-iron pot, any other pottery, ceramic or porcelain baking dish with a lid can be used).
• While the oven and pot are preheating, remove the bread mixture from the bowl using floured hands. If the dough sticks to the edges of the bowl, add more flour while loosening the mixture with your fingers. On a floured surface (such as a clean countertop or large cutting board), shape the bread dough into a very rounded ball.
• Transfer the bread to the preheated pot. Cover and bake for 40 minutes.
• After 40 minutes, remove the lid and cook for a further 5 minutes to complete crust formation.
• Turn out. Allow homemade sourdough bread to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.

Bon appétit

About the author

Naturopaths of La Boite à Grains

Team of licensed and certified naturopaths (ND) in Gatineau, Outaouais.

Original article written by Véronique Cousineau, Naturopath