At the latest DC Food Swap, my friend Clementina of Open Door Dining brought the creamiest ricotta cheese () and sourdough loaves with crackling crusts. You know how everyone has an Achilles’ heel in the kitchen, that one thing that fails time after time? Bread-making was that for me. For a long while, I couldn’t make a decent loaf of bread to save my life. I wouldn’t knead the bread long enough, or I’d use the wrong kind of yeast, or I’d let the dough rise too long, or I’d bake the bread in too large a pan. Many a loaf was thrown out the window for the squirrels (read: rats) to enjoy.

After polishing off Clem’s half a loaf that I swapped for some mango chutney (recipe coming soon), I felt brave enough to try a baking boule again, Mark Bittman style. The no-knead bread that Bittman made famous has made its way around the blog block, and I’d even tried it in the past to no success because I used the wrong kind of yeast. But if, unlike me, you read and follow directions well, then you’re destined to a truly outstanding loaf of bread that requires almost zero effort.

But before I share the recipe, here are some photos from a recent trip to Richmond to visit C, one of the gals who started up the food swap with me nearly a year go. She’s since left DC and the food swap to live the good life in Richmond, so it was wonderful to step inside her new home and life in a city I’d never visited before. (P.S. With its incredible food scene, nature trails, proximity to DC and Appalachia, bike culture, and affordable living, Richmond might be the best-kept secret this side of the Mississippi.)

no-knead bread

adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery

2 cups white bread flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast (may be labelled as “Rapid Rise” yeast)
1 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
cornmeal for dusting

In a large bowl, combine the flours, yeast, and salt. Stir in 1 5/8 cups of room-temperature water and stir until blended and shaggy. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a towel, and let the dough rest for 12 – 18 hours in a warm room. I let my first loaf rest at 12 hours and it was delicious, and my second loaf at 18 hours was just as good. Experiment and do whatever works best for your schedule and your taste buds.

When the surface is dotted in bubbles, it’s ready. Lightly flour your counter and dump the dough on it. Fold it over once or twice, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let rest 15 minutes.

Dust your hands with flour and working quickly, shape the dough into a ball. Heavily flour a kitchen towel (not terry cloth) with flour, and set the ball of dough on the floured cloth. Cover with another towel and let rise for 2 hours, until the dough is doubled in size and will not readily spring back when poked.

Half an hour before the dough is ready, preheat the oven to 450 with a 6 or 8 quart oven-safe pot (enamel, cast iron, or ceramic) inside. My Le Creuset is perfect for this. When the dough is ready, carefully remove the pot from the oven wearing oven mitts. Dump your dough into the pot. It will make a mess, there will be flour everywhere, and it might look like slop in the pot. That’s okay. Shake the pot a little bit to straighten it out, cover with the lid, and stick the whole thing back into the oven.

Bake the bread covered for 30 minutes, remove the pot lid, and bake another 15 to 30 minutes until the crust is a dark brown, your kitchen smells amazing, and the bread sounds hollow when you remove it from the pot and tap the bottom. Cool on a rack for at least an hour before slicing.