I love bread. It’s more than food — it’s part of my morning ritual, a source of comfort. In my world, it’s a daily necessity. During COVID, like many of us, I got deep into sourdough. I kept a starter alive for months, learned the language of hydration ratios and fermentation windows, and scheduled my days around stretch-and-folds. It was meditative and rewarding — but also demanding. These days, I don’t have the bandwidth to babysit dough or plan my life around proofing schedules. So I’ve returned to something simpler: the New York Times’ no-knead bread. If you haven’t tried it, this recipe is a modern classic for a reason. One bowl. Four ingredients. A wooden spoon. You stir it together the night before, let time do its thing, and wake up to a dough ready for the oven. The result? A golden, rustic loaf that crackles as it cools and fills your kitchen with the kind of smell that makes everything feel right again. It’s easy, affordable, and deeply satisfying. In a world that often feels too fast, baking bread like this feels like an act of quiet rebellion — a way to slow down, connect, and nourish yourself and the people you love.

• 3 ⅓ cups all purpose flour
• 2 tsp kosher salt or 1 ½ tsp if using table salt
• ¼ tsp active dry yeast
• 1 ½ cups warm water

• Step 1 Mix all ingredients together until a sticky dough forms.
• Step 2 Cover with plastic wrap and a towel and leave to rise in a warm place away from drafts. Let rise for a minimum of 12 hours up to 20 hours.
• Step 3 Flour a clean dry surface. Dump dough out and press out bubbles. Knead a few times by pressing down, folding over, turning and repeating. Form into a ball and dust with flour.
• Step 4 Leave to rise a minimum of 2 hours until doubled in size.
• Step 5 When bread is nearly finished rising, preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place heavy lidded pot such as a Dutch oven in the oven to preheat on a rack between the middle and bottom.
• Step 6 Carefully place dough into the heated pot, cover and cook for 30 minutes.
• Step 7 Remove lid and cook another 15 - 20 minutes or so until the dough is nicely browned and a good crust is formed.

What You'll Need