Sun-dried Tomato and Pesto No-Knead Bread


Sun-dried Tomato and Pesto No-Knead Bread
This recipe first appeared in Just Five,, a regular column on the Sauce Magazine blog.

Ingredients

3 cups unbleached all-purpose or bread flour, plus about ½ cup for your work surface
¼ tsp. instant yeast
1½ tsp. salt
1½ cups water, room temperature
4 oz. pesto
1 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Tools:
Wooden spoon
2 cotton towels (not terry)
1 6- to 8-quart pot with lid (Dutch oven, enamel, Pyrex)

Preparation

• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, yeast and salt.

• Add the water and stir with a wooden spoon.

• Add the pesto, tomatoes and cheese, and stir until combined. (The dough will be very wet and “shaggy.”)

• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and then put a towel over the top and place in a warm, draft-free place (70 degrees is ideal) for at least 12 hours (16 to 18 is best).

• Look for bubbles on the surface of the dough, then pour out onto a lightly floured wood cutting board or table.

• Sprinkle a little flour (2 to 3 tablespoons) on the dough, and fold it once or twice onto itself. Cover it loosely with plastic wrap and let it rest for about 15 minutes.

• Lightly dust your work surface and hands with about 1 teaspoon of flour, and quickly form the dough into a ball.

• Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of flour onto one of the towels, and put the dough seam-side down on the towel, sprinkle more flour on top of the dough and cover it with the second towel. Let it rise for 2 hours. It should double in size and not spring back when touched.

• 30 minutes before the dough is ready, put the 6- to 8-quart pot in the oven and preheat it to 450 degrees.

• When the dough is ready, carefully remove the pot from the oven and turn the dough out into the pot (seam side will now be up). This may not look pretty, but it’s OK. Carefully shake the pan to distribute the dough evenly.

• Cover the pot with the lid and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for another 15 to 30 minutes until the loaf is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped. Cool on a rack.