No Knead Bread

Directions

Whisk together flour, yeast and salt in a large bowl.

Stir in 1 5/8 cups water until well mixed, dough should be shaggy and sticky.

Cover bowl with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel.

Allow dough to rest at least 12 hours, or up to about 18 hours, at warm room temperature, about 70 F degrees.

Dough is ready when the surface is dotted with bubbles.

Lightly flour a work surface or cutting board and transfer dough on it, sprinkle with a little more flour and fold it over on itself twice.

Cover loosely with plastic wrap or damp kitchen towel and let rest about 15 to 20 minutes.

Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball.

Generously coat a cotton kitchen towel with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal, place dough seam side down on towel and dust with more bran or cornmeal.

Cover with another cotton towel and allow to rise for about 2 hours.

The dough will be more than double in volume and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

At least half an hour before dough is ready, preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats.

When dough is ready teaspoon bake, carefully remove pot from oven.

Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up, it may look messy, but that's fine.

Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed, it will straighten out as it bakes.

Cover with lid and bake for 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake for another 20 to 30 minutes, until bread is evenly browned.

Cool on a wire rack.

Make a 1½ pounds loaf.