No Knead Mediterranean Bread is another version of our Easy Artisan Bread, perfect for people who love great artisan bread without the work of traditional bread making. The No Knead bread making method could not be easier! I’ve made bread for our family for over 15 years and this is by far the easiest method and best tasting.
Mediterranean Bread is one of our favorites, filled with so much flavor – kalamata olives, sun-dried tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, and Italian herbs. YUM!
To get started, find a large container with a cover that will fit in the refrigerator. The dough expands a good bit, so find a container that is quite large – a stock-pot works well. The dough also needs to chill overnight, so check to make sure you have room in the fridge too. This recipe makes two large loaves.
Mixing up the Bread Dough:
Add all of the ingredients (flour, water, yeast, salt, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, parmesan cheese, basil, oregano, dried garlic, and red pepper flakes) to the large container.
Mix well it all up.
Next, place in the refrigerator overnight. How easy is that?!? No kneading or waiting for the dough to rise twice. Just mix it up and place it in the fridge.
Baking the Bread:
The next day, pull the bread out of the refrigerator. It will smell like a pizza parlor when you open the lid. 🙂 Sprinkle the top of the dough with a little bit of flour, maybe 1/2 cup or so. I do not measure how much – only enough to keep the dough from sticking to your hands is needed. You can adjust and use more or less as you form the loaves.
Divide the dough into 2 parts and form each into a loaf. Stretch the dough across the top and tuck under the bottom to form a log shape. Or, follow the same process working in a circle to form a round loaf.
Place loaves on a greased cookie sheet. Let these loaves rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
Just before baking, make 3 or 4 1/2″ deep slits across the top of each loaf. This will allow for expansion.
Place a pan of warm water on the bottom rack of the oven and pre-heat to 450 degrees. When the oven is up to temperature, carefully place the bread in the oven. 450 degrees is pretty hot and the pan of water makes it extra steamy, so be extra careful when opening the oven door. Bake for 35 minutes.
Serving:
Any bread tastes delicious when it’s hot out of the oven, however slicing it hot is another story and can make your bread mush in a hurry. If you can, allow the bread to cool before slicing. My favorite way to eat this is dipped in olive oil. It also makes great sandwiches, grilled cheese, or as a side to soup or salad.
No Knead Mediterranean Bread
Ingredients
- 3 cups water
- 1 Tbsp. yeast
- 6 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
- 1 Tbsp. salt
- 1 cup chopped Kalamata olives
- 1 cup chopped sun dried tomatoes
- 1 7 oz. package shredded parmesan cheese
- 1 Tbsp. dried basil
- 1 Tbsp. dried oregano
- 1 tsp. dried red pepper flakes optional - can be a little spicy
- 2 tsp. powdered garlic
Instructions
- Mix all the ingredients in a large container that has a cover. The dough will expand, so chose something large - a stockpot works well.
- Once the dough is mixed well, cover and place in the refrigerator over night.
- The next day, pull the dough out of the fridge and form into 2 loaves.
- Place loaves on a greased cookie sheet.
- Let rest for at least 30 minutes.
- With a sharp knife, make 3-4 slashes across the top of each loaf, about 1/2 inch deep.
- Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees and place a pan of warm water on the lower rack while heating.
- When oven is up to temperature, place the bread in the oven.
- Bake 35 minutes.
- Let cool. Slice and serve.
Frugal Tip: Bread is great to make ahead and store in the freezer. What doesn’t get eaten right away, I slice, and store in the freezer. When we want to eat it later, we just pop the slices apart with a knife and heat in the toaster.