This No-Knead Bread Recipe Is My Secret to Fast Meals

The most crucial positive about having homemade bread—which you want to store cut-side down on a cutting board or in a Dutch oven, covered—is that when you have it, as long as your cupboard is smartly stocked, you have supper. Think: tuna; grilled cheese; turkey sandwich; toast and soup. Right now, as I’m about to leave for a long weekend, I have a third a loaf of bread, a knob of Parm, butter, an onion, and a cup of pureed tomatoes in the fridge. It’s fine; I’ll make Marcella Hazan’s butter-tomato sauce, and serve pasta covered with Parmesan and with homemade toasts on the side. But I could just as easily make a light bread soup, because I have broth in the freezer. The most crucial positive about having homemade bread-which you want to store cut-side down on a cutting board or in a Dutch oven, covered-is that when you have it, as long as your cupboard is smartly stocked, you have supper. Think: tuna; grilled cheese; turkey sandwich; toast and soup. Right now, as I’m about to leave for a long weekend, I have a third a loaf of bread, a knob of Parm, butter, an onion, and a cup of pureed tomatoes in the fridge. It’s fine; I’ll make Marcella Hazan’s butter-tomato sauce, and serve pasta covered with Parmesan and with homemade toasts on the side. But I could just as easily make a light bread soup, because I have broth in the freezer.

Homemade bread opens the door to possibility, and-crucially-makes it so you can stay in your pajamas a little longer on weekend mornings.

400 grams (about 3 cups) all-purpose or bread flour, plus more for the work surface

1 gram (about ¼ tsp.) instant yeast

10 grams of salt (about 2½ tsp. salt)

375 ml (about 1½ cups) water

note: Note: I have successfully substituted 133 grams (1 cup) of this all-purpose flour for whole-wheat flour, but it tends not to yield such a fluffy loaf of bread. Also, don’t forget to check the date on your instant yeast, to be sure yours hasn’t expired. -AVB

Directions at foodandwine.com

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