No-Knead White Loaf

Let's Cook

1. Step 1.

   Crumble the fresh yeast into the warm water in a large bowl and stir until dissolved. Add the white bread flour and fine salt, then mix everything together thoroughly until you have a very loose, wet, and shaggy dough.

2. Step 2.

   Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a lid and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight to allow the dough to rise slowly.

3. Step 3.

   Grease a 1kg/2lb loaf tin well with butter, then dust the inside generously with flour, tapping out any excess.

4. Step 4.

   Remove the bowl of dough from the refrigerator. Gently deflate the dough with wet hands or a dough scraper, then use wet hands and dough scrapers to transfer all the dough from the bowl to a lightly floured surface.

5. Step 5.

   Keeping your hands wet to prevent sticking, shape the dough swiftly and carefully to fit the loaf tin. Place the dough into the prepared tin, seam-side down.

6. Step 6.

   Dust the top of the loaf well with flour, cover loosely with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel, and let it rise at room temperature for about 2 hours until nearly doubled in size.

7. Step 7.

   While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/gas 6. Once risen, bake the loaf for 50–60 minutes until it is really well browned and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. Remove from the tin and let cool on a wire rack.