Still very busy with the finishing touches on my kids rooms, the living room, sunroom, kitchen and foyer so I'm not ready to display them yet, but my other great pleasure is cooking and baking...particularly for the pleasure of others.  

Today I had the pleasure of baking one of my favourite things....bread!  Not just any bread, it is a no knead bread, of only 4 ingredients and is baked in a very hot oven in a cast iron pot.  I have been baking this for years and has now become a well requested item when I am invited for lunch or dinner. It also makes a lovely gift when wrapped in crisp parchment paper and tied with twine.  Served warm, it is an absolute treat! And today I prepared 2 loaves for a friend who is hosting a dinner party tomorrow evening.  All she has to do is pop them in the oven for a quick few minutes to warm them up before serving.  A beautiful crusty french bread...what could be better!

So I am happy to share my recipe and hope that you will enjoy this as much as I do.

No Knead Bread

3 cups flour (any type....experiment and have fun with different types)

1/4 teaspoon instant yeast

3/4 tablespoon of kosher salt

1 1/2 cups warm water

Mix dough the night before by combining all ingredients in a bowl with a fork.  It will be a shaggy mess.  Cover with plastic wrap and let sit over night.  (12 - 20 hours)

The dough will be wet, sticky and bubbly at this point.  

With a wet spatula, or your floured hand, dump the dough on a floured surface and fold ends of the dough over a few times and nudge it into a ball shape.  Dust the top of the dough with flour and cover with the same plastic wrap. Let is nap for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 450 F and put cast iron pot into oven to warm up.  When oven ready, remove pot and very carefully dump the dough into the pot.  Cover and bake for 30 minutes.  Uncover and bake for another 5 - 10 minutes until the crust is a lovely golden colour.  

After it has cooled, if it is a gift,  I like to wrap it up in parchment paper and secure it with raffia or twine.  The presentation I feel is just as important.  So the 2 loaves I baked today will be presented to my friend tomorrow in one of my favourite leather handled wicker totes!

Who wouldn't be pleased to receive a lovely package of home made bread!!