Nona’s Rustic No-Knead Bread

Giorgio Celmo

This is my Nona’s recipe, she made this bread every day, and I learned how to make it myself as a young boy. Soo good and crusty slap some butter on the warm bread and you’re in heaven, or Nona’s kitchen.

Ingredients:

3 1/4 c organic all-purpose flour
1 1/2 c warm water
2 tsp. dry yeast
1 1/2 tsp. sea salt
2 tbsp. semolina flour

Directions:

1. Add the all-purpose flour, yeast and sea salt to the bowl of your kitchen aid mixer. Mix in the water and stir on low speed with the paddle attachment until incorporated, about 10 seconds. Cover the bowl loosely with a kitchen towel and let it rest at room temperature for 3 hours. (You may leave it overnight as well but it is not necessary)

2. After 3 hours check the dough and you should notice the surface dotted with bubbles. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and sprinkle it with a little flour then shape it into a round loaf by folding it over on itself a few times.

3. Sprinkle a *pizza peel or a cardboard box with some semolina flour and place the loaf on top. Allow it to rest for 45 minutes while the oven warms up. Using a serrated knife make a few slits on top of the loaf.

4. Heat up the oven for at least half an hour to 450 F degrees with the pizza stone in it. Also place a baking dish with a cup of water in it on the bottom rack to create steam for a crispy crust.

5. Sprinkle the pizza stone with a little bit of the semolina flour then gently slide the bread dough onto it just like you would do with a pizza. Cook for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown. Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool down before cutting into it.

(Makes 1 loaf)

·         Pizza peel is a wooden board with a handle to put pizzas in and out of the oven, I use the top of a pizza box it works just as well.