No knead olive oil rosemary bread

This no knead olive oil rosemary bread takes minimal prep and the result is a deliciously aromatic artisan-style loaf. It has a great flavor that is perfect with simple toppings or alongside a meal. 

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When we lived in London, we were not too far from one of the many farmers' markets around the city. The one near us wasn't one of the biggest, but it still had a great range of producers selling meats, cheeses, vegetables and some great specialty items like pestos and apple juices. 

There was also generally a bread stall, which we always headed to for something for lunch on market day. One of my favorites was a rosemary bread that was hearty, aromatic and delicious. 

This, to be fair, is not quite the same (I still have trying to replicate it on my list). But this IS about as easy as you can get for a bread with the addition of some delicious flavors. 

How no knead bread is different

In case you missed it or didn't know the background, the first known publication of no knead bread was a New York Times recipe which has become one of their most popular recipes ever. It has been tweaked along the way by various people but the principles of how and why it works are the same.

The idea behind the bread is to be minimal effort but with an artisan-style loaf flavor. You really just need to mix the ingredients, leave the dough alone for a while, then roughly form the loaf. As you might imagine, it's great for beginner bakers.

Going a little more in to how and why it works, basically the dough uses a long fermentation rather than kneading to develop the gluten. This is what gives the bread its air pockets and shape.

In order to make this work, the dough uses a lower amount of yeast than regular yeasted bread so it rises more slowly, and a higher amount of water. You also add room temperature rather than warm water, all so you slow down the fermentation.

This all means it's a sticky dough, a little more like a sourdough. And the fact it has that longer, slower rise time also helps it develop flavor in that style as well. Not completely, but getting there.

After the wait...

After the long rise, you might not see many bubbles in the dough on the top, but if you are using a clear bowl, you should see bubbles in the side. Then, as you pull the dough away from the side of the bowl, you'll see the lovely gluten strands. 

It can be a little hard to shape since the dough is sticky, but try your best to form it into a round ball in the middle of a piece of parchment. There are a few ways to get this to work and it might be trial and error to see what works best for you. But one thing to keep in mind - try not to overwork the dough, just form it as best you can.

My suggestion is to largely scrape back the dough in the bowl, then tip out the dough and handle it as little as possible, folding the dough over itself to form a tight, smoother side that becomes the top. Tuck the rougher edges you pulled round under as you place it on the parchment. You can tuck under a little more once it's on the paper to smooth it a little more. 

Some like to oil their hands gently, others flour them. Both can work (but not together) so try as you prefer, but remember they are to help the dough stick less to your hands rather than that you are working them into the dough.

Baking the bread

The easiest way to bake this is in a Dutch oven, or other large dish with a lid. The reason for this is it helps to create steam in the initial bake when the lid is on, then crisp and brown when you remove the lid. Don't forget to pre-heat the dish to help the process, too.

You can bake it directly in the dish, but I find it much easier to use parchment. Put the dough on the paper then lift the corners of the parchment and place in the hot Dutch oven. I find you are better able to get the dough in the middle, less likely to burn your arm and it also saves the loaf sticking to the dish.

This no knead olive oil rosemary bread takes such little hands-on time to make and the result is a wonderfully flavorful, artisan-style loaf. It has a lovely crust, chewy middle and the olive oil and rosemary both add a lovely aromatic flavor. So worth the (little) effort to make it.

Try these other flavorful breads:

• Herb fougasse (a French bread with lots of crusty edges)
• Manakish (Lebanese za'atar flatbread)
• Anadama bread (a New England bread made with molasses and cornmeal)
• Caramelized onion sourdough bread (a little more work but so worth it!)
• Plus get more bread recipes in the archives.

See some of my favorite cooking tools and ingredients in the Caroline's Cooking Amazon store. 

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