My No Knead Bread Recipe

This recipe I have been using for a long long time, and is a recipe many of my friends know me for. While at university, I would make this bread at least once a week, and sometimes with my friend Pamela (who would like making it her own version with other types of flours and seeds ;) and other flatmates). 

This picture is my bread from 2016 - in my second year at university

For a long time, I have decided to not have too much yeast because I can't easily digest it and it bloats up my stomach if I eat too much. I tried many other recipes before I found this one, and I didn't want to go full Sourdough bread (no yeast at all) because of all the patience of making a Sourdough starter, feeding it everyday (a huge disadvantage with lots of travelling) and waiting a few days for the bread to actually be ready. This bread only using 1/4 teaspoon of yeast (one out of four ingredients including water!), and you let it ferment for 10-12 hours, which helps the gluten become more easily digestible. Oh, and it is called 'No Knead", because you don't need to knead the dough like traditional bread recipes. So less work :D

Bear in my mind, this bread will need to be started a day before you would like it to be ready.

My famous No Knead Bread

So, onto the recipe. The ingredients I use are: 3 cups strong bread flour (you can mix it up with a wholemeal flour, I also use strong flour to make a fluffier bread), 1 teaspoon salt (good quality if you can find it), 1/4 teaspoon dried yeast and 1 1/2 cups water. You could also add some seeds or nuts if you wanted to, like Pamela. 

Before you begin, let's discuss what oven dish you have to use for cooking the bread. The recipes I first followed told you to use a dutch oven type oven dish with a lid on it. I use a small heart-shaped dish my friend  Pamela got me for a Secret Santa gift one Christmas. I would recommend using a heavy-based dish with a lid, like a Le Creuset kind of dish. 

So, once you have everything ready, let's begin with making the dough a day before you want the bread to be ready. 

1. Add 3 cups strong flour (if you can't get strong, plain will do)

1. Add 3 cups strong flour (if you can't get strong, plain will do)

2. Add 1 heaped teaspoon salt 

2. Add 1 heaped teaspoon salt 

3. Add 1/4 teaspoon yeast

3. Add 1/4 teaspoon yeast.  

Stir it up abit, and then add lukewarm water. I tend to add 1 cup first and mix it in. If the dough is still floury and not mixed together then add the rest. 

Mixing in some of the water

Sometimes I add a wee bit more water if it is still not mixed in properly. You should then be able to see it bubbling up a bit and stodgy like some porridge. 

After you are happy with the dough all being mixed together, put some clingfilm over the top and leave it in a relatively warm place (if you have a place like that). I leave it on the washing machine, but once I forgot to take it off when I did a wash, and just remembered to take the bowl off the machine in time before it fell to the ground!!

Dough fermenting

Leave the dough to self-isolate and ferment for 10-12 hours (depending on how long you can wait). I try to leave it for 12 hours, but sometimes I need the bread done before that. Bear in mind that you will still have to fold it and leave it for another two hours after that before you can start baking it (takes around 1 hour to bake).

This is what it should look like after letting the dough ferment. I love seeing all the bubbles <3 

The next step is to clear workspace and flour the surface. Get a spatula, and pour the dough out onto the workspace. 

Then fold the dough a couple of times to fold in the flour. See the pictures below for how to fold. 

Step 1. Slide the spatula under one side of the dough.

Step 2. Pull the dough up and over to the opposite side of the dough. 

Push it down, so that it is folded properly.

Continue to do the folding until the dough has been folded a few times and has absorbed the flour on the workspace. Oil, butter or putting baking paper in the bowl, then put the folded dough back in the bowl. Leave it for 2 hours to rise.

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Half an hour before the 2 hours is up, grease your oven dish well (don't forget the lid). Then preheat the oven dish and oven to the maximum temperature your oven dish can go to (it should say on the bottom of the dish).

This is what the dough should look like after the 2 hours. 

When the 2 hours have passed, and the oven is preheated, pour the dough into the preheated oven dish. Put the lid on, and place in the oven for 35 minutes. 

When the 35 minutes are up, carefully take the lid off. Leave the bread in the oven for a further 30- 40 minutes (depending how crispy you want the crust). 

I left mine for 35 minutes, and you can see in the pictures it was golden but could have been left longer in the oven for a crunchier crust if that is what you prefer. 

Your bread is now ready!! I tend to double check by tapping the bread with my knuckles - If there is a hollow sound it is ready :D 

Place it out, cut it, and enjoy!! If you can wait, it is easier to cut when it's not completely hot, but if you can't wait go ahead and cut it. There is nothing like freshly made bread smothered with butter!! 

Cutting the bread

Freezing the other half - it works best to freeze most of it, because it doesn't last too long without getting crunchy.  Toasting the bread then gives a lovely just-out-of-the-oven feel :)

Let me know how you go making your own bread!! Feel free to comment with any questions or comments on how you went. Here is the link to the original recipe I used way back when I started: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/11376-no-knead-bread

Happy Baking!!

Laura xoxo

9-Month Wedding Preparations Part 3

This is the final countdown!! I was finishing up my assignments, and my parents came to see how things were going. This was it!!!

Going to see an orchestra performance with Iulia after getting my hair and make-up trials for the wedding

Trip to Glasgow with Iulia to find her bridesmaid dress - after trying on 100 other dresses ;) 

I found freesias at the train station that would be in my bouquet 

Creating the designs for the wedding favours. I had ordered in two different types of tea for the wedding: Mountain Rose and Caramel Spice

My parents came to Edinburgh to help with some of the final preparations for the wedding.

We showed my parents our wedding venue (in the background)

We went to go and see the venue and I took an example photo of where I would like wedding photos taken

My parents brought with them the bolero they saw after Christmas to try with the dress. I thought it suited perfectly!!

Celebrating our printed dissertations :D

After another few days of intense work to finish the final assignments, we were officially finished with all our university work!!! I really couldn't believe that it was true :D And I started getting sooo excited for the wedding. But before that Iulia and I were going to help at a book event and then go on a one day bus tour to the highlands :D 

Getting my finger nails done. I know the engagement ring is not supposed to be on the middle finger, but the engagement was loose so it fit better on the middle finger ;) It would then be secured on the ring finger with the wedding ring :D 

Over the next few days I was hectically trying to remember everything that was needed to have been done! My parents and grandparents came on the Wednesday before the wedding (which was Saturday), and they helped greatly with everything. I was still needing to do the favours, and miraculously my mum had brought with her these little boxes that you could make as favours AND she brought little name tags for guests to put on their tables. So we decided to create sticky labels of the favour designs to put on the boxes, and I wrote the name tags while watching a movie with Iulia ;) 

I had still wanted to have a massage before the wedding to relax myself (and as a treat for just finishing university) ;) So my mum booked me, herself and my grandmother in for a massage and manicure two days before the wedding, which was amazingly relaxing !!! 

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Two days before the wedding!!

The next day was the move day to the wedding reception venue for set up. By the time we were all packed, we got to Greencraig around 2pm, later than I was supposed to to help set up. Oh, and when we arrived there was no-one there and I was supposed to have a key-code to get in - which I misplaced somehow. But, after checking my emails on my laptop like three times, I found the code and we all got into the house. 

And the chaos began!! 

After showing everyone their rooms, I was staying in the bridal suite with my bridesmaid Iulia (where we would be joined by all the other bridesmaids the next day before the wedding), we then had all Graeme's Swiss side of the family around for dinner. Again, chaos ;) I think that night I met a few of them, but I was just so overwhelmed that I can't remember talking to anyone really besides my uncle from Australia who gave me wise words for the wedding (I can't actually remember what he said, but I know it made me feel better). 

Oh, and also that night Graeme and I wrote our vows and sent the order of service off to be printed (another reason why I was so emotional!!). And Iulia, the ever saving friend who was staying over, helped to spoon tea into all the tea filters for the favours :D Despite the strong smell of cinnamon and not liking the smell much at all!! Nothing to do with drugs ;) 

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Day before the wedding!!

The next day was when all the bridesmaids came!!!

This morning was one of the most loveliest mornings, because everyone was willing to help with anything!! We had already got the printed favour stickers, so I showed my grandmother, aunt and cousin how to make the boxes, put the stickers, on, put the tea in and then tie the ribbon, so they were on that :D 

My mum and Harri went to go and pick up the now printed order of service from Edinburgh, thank God for how amazingly fast the printers were!!, and pick up some of the bridesmaids from the train station. My uncle then went with my other cousin to pick up the bridesmaids from the train station. 

Grandmother, Auntie Mia and Cousin Ella creating the favours

My mum and Harri picking up Danielle and Morven from the train station

My other bridesmaids Pamela and Steph waiting to be picked up by my uncle Paul

All the bridesmaids now helping with favours once they arrived :D 

For being the best ever bridesmaids I had ordered in tea mugs with their initials printed on them as a gift <3

We then ate something for lunch and headed out to help Graeme's best man to get the church ready and set up - meaning that we spend quite a while putting white chair covers on all the chairs we could find ;) We then had a lovely rehearsal, and went to have fish and chips.

At the rehearsal

I quickly joked down notes for the photographer for the next day!! 

To be honest, I really didn't sleep that well that night. I was going through a mixture of asking myself 'is this real?!?' and 'did I forget anything?'. We did go to bed quite late that night anyways ;) 

Till the next day!! Aka. The wedding day :D 

Laura 

xoxo

9-Month Wedding Preparations Part 2

As the big day got closer, and my exams and assignments were becoming super busy, not to mention my two-day-a-week placement, things were getting a little intense. Graeme and I were both feeling the pressure, and so we made more of an effort to go on adventures. My flatmate, bridesmaid and best friend Iulia was also aware of the pressure I was feeling, and made sure that I was feeling good and gave me lots more tea than usual, made more time for games, watched movies with me and Graeme and we both went to a tap dance class that was starting at uni, while coming to all my dress fittings!! 

But first we had the hen-do to go to :D I had my hen-do in Glasgow to try to find dresses for the bridesmaids, go to an Afternoon Tea where I had gone with my parents when we first came to Scotland, and go to glass painting in Paisley. I wrote a full post about my hen-do here: My hen do.

Walking through the streets of Glasgow

Having an Afternoon Tea all together <3 

In the train on the way to glass painting

Pamela and Danielle painting wine glasses

On the train back to Glasgow

On the way to the train to Edinburgh

We then had Graeme's stag do, which he invited two of his groomsmen to and all the family. His groomsmen were: Niall, Tony and Harri. So we all went to a go-ape park :D

Me going across a VERY difficult part of the course.  

Graeme, Harri and I half-way through the trail:D 

Action shot of Harri on the Tarzan swing. I was soo scared to go on this part!! I was actually crying just thinking about it 

The day after the stag-do Graeme went with Harri to try on the kilt he will hire for the wedding

It was time to start sending out invitations, and so we finalised our designs. We resized them, got my friend to write the calligraphy, sent them off the printers, put them in envelopes and sent them off.

Choosing the calligraphy we wanted

Finalised invitation

Creating a collage of the different colours of flowers I wanted

Trying to bring out a colour in the bouquets from each dress

 The flowers were going to be done by one of Graeme's mums friends, who has a beautiful garden full of flowers, and has experience arranging flowers for another wedding. I remember sitting down with her in her home on a warm sunny day, and explaining to her what flowers I liked (or thought I did) and that I did not want any baby's breath flowers ;)

Another girl I knew was making flower tiaras for me, all the bridesmaids and the flower girls. It then made it easier when I went to meet with her to explain the colours and flowers I had discussed for the bouquets.

Meanwhile, I spent lots of time at Graeme's parent's place, where Graeme started to create a water feature for the wedding. I had said at one point that I wanted to get married with the sound of water in the background, and so Graeme had taken that seriously and started to source different pots and water pumps to create it. 

The beginnings of Graeme's water fountain

When I bought my wedding dress I wasn't  really aware of how many dress fittings I would need to get the dress fitting well - there were 4 fittings in the end;) And as the first fitting became closer and closer I realised that I needed to have wedding shoes tottery with the dress :o So an hour before the fitting Iulia and I were racing around Edinburgh trying to find the right shoes ;) Luckily we found the perfect ones at John Lewis 10mins before the fitting!!

The first fitting, where the dress was needing hemmed to the shoe height

A week later I could try on the hemmed dress with the shoes. 

While I was hiding all the pictures of my dress fittings from Graeme, I had the opportunity to go with Graeme to his kilt fittings to see how much stuff is actually needed in a kilt outfit!! In this picture he was wearing his own kilt attire except the jacket. The jacket came a few days before the wedding :o 

Graeme wearing the Campbell tartan with his custom-made sporran. 

Finishing a tap dance class with Iulia, where we learnt four different dances over 6 classes. 

With most things done, now all that was needed was to wait (really) till I could make the finishing touches like favours, decorations, nails, speeches etc. I had a couple more assignments still to go as well (and luckily had just finished my placement), so I was able to start getting excited!!

Till next time,

Laura 

xoxo