The vast majority of the no knead bread recipes breaking the internet are for round artisan loaves. What if you want an equally easy, fool proof recipe but instead of a thick crusted slab to sop up soup or sauce, you want to make a sandwich? Is there a simple, no knead foolproof sandwich loaf bread recipe?
Yes, it exists and it’s simple and easy. It’s a great recipe to bake with kids. Best of all, the finished loaf tastes great, looks great, uses one bowl, freezes well, and works well with different add-ins.
What You’ll Need
You don’t need a Dutch oven but for a great looking sandwich loaf but you will need 2 loaf pans and some metal binder clips. This bread hack (I learned from Steve’s charming bread videos) duplicates the steam idea from the Dutch oven but helps give the bread the sandwich shape.
If you don’t have 2 loaf pans, you can still use this bread in a Dutch oven or really any other oven-safe covered vessel. The one thing I have tried is a free-form loaf on a baking stone.
How to Make It
The biggest hurdle to this recipe is time. To help the finished bread develop better flavor, it is best to let it proof overnight. Start the night before, mix the dough and let it sit out on the counter for 12-14 hours.
With traditional no knead recipe, the shaping and second proof is where a lot of folks get into trouble. Have no fear, this recipe is very forgiving. After the overnight proof, stir the dough to release the gas. This will produce the close, closed crumb of a traditional sandwich bread. Simply scoop the resulting dough ball into the prepared loaf pan. Clip on the top and let the dough briefly rest as the oven pre-heats (30-60 minutes).
Bake for 30 minutes with the top clipped on and then carefully remove and bake with the top off until you get the desired crust and color you prefer (typically 5-15 minutes longer). Remove from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 5 minutes then remove to cool completely (at least 2 hours) on a wire rack before slicing.
Variations
The thing I might like best about this recipe beyond it’s simplicity is just how adaptable it is. Feel free to experiment and make endless healthy variations from the base recipe.
Some ideas:
- Honey oat (add 1/4 cup honey and 1 cup of oats to dough)
- Sesame (add 1 tablespoon to the dough and garnish the outside with seeds)
- Cinnamon Raisin (add 1/4 cup raisins and 1 tablespoon cinnamon to the dough)
- 75% whole wheat (this will be dense but packed with nutrition)
- Cheddar beer (add 1/4 cup of shredded or cubed cheese and replace half the water with 8 oz of lager)
Recipe
Ingredients
- 16 oz cool/room temp water (50-65 degrees)
- 1 teaspoon salt *
- 1/4 teaspoon yeast
- 2 cups bread flour *
- 1 1/2 cups wheat flour *
- (optional add-ins)
- 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
- 1 tablespoon honey or olive oil
- 1 tablespoon sesame seads
- 1 tablespoon flax seeds
- 1 tablespoon millet
Instructions
- Combine the ingredients, starting with the water.
- Mix until just combined.
- Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rest on the counter overnight (or 12-14 hours).
- The next day, spray one loaf pan with cooking spray.
- Stir the dough to release the gas and combine into rough ball.
- Sprinkle any mix-in you want on the outside of the dough (like oats or sesame seeds). They should stick pretty well to the wet dough.
- Place (roll or plop) the dough in the sprayed pan and clip on the top.
- Let rest for 30-60 minutes in a warm spot.
- Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
- Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the top. Bake for additional 5-15 minutes.
- Remove pan and let cool for 5 minutes.
- Remove bread and let cool completely on wire rack.
Notes
- can adjust salt up or down by 1/2 teaspoon based on preference
- works well with AP flour
- the key is to keep the total flour to 3 1/2 cups
