Try the Lahey recipe. It's easy. No mixer required. Get a dough whisk and a big bowl, then have fun. The no-knead breads are typically quite wet, but a high-hydration dough is easy to work when you're simply stretching with a wet hand, rather than kneading. This is a dough whisk:
The main thing that makes it hard to learn bread baking is that a cup of flour is an imprecise measurement. My cup and your cup can differ by a lot, depending upon how packed the flour is. The secret is to go by weight.
Here is my favorite bread recipe. It uses a poolish (a very wet pre-ferment that adds a LOT of flavor). It bakes in a Dutch oven, which keeps the steam in and gives it a really nice crust. I usually use a baking steel, but the Dutch oven method is easy and more people can do it.
Poolish
150g room temp water
small pinch yeast
150g bread flour or all-purpose (AP) flour
Stir, leave on counter overnight or up to 24 hours
The next day:
Dough
280g warm water (98F)
2g yeast
All the poolish
Mix the water and yeast in a large bowl, then add the poolish and stir to break it up.
Add 350g flour
50g whole wheat flour
10g salt
Stir with dough whisk or sturdy metal spoon. When that gets too hard, use wet hand and squeeze/rotate to mix 60-90 seconds. The dough does not have to be developed (that is, no window-pane or long kneading), just get everything thoroughly mixed.
Cover with plastic, rest 30 minutes
Tuck and fold with very wet hand, 10 times. To do a tuck-and-fold, wet your hand, then slip it under the dough lump on one side, lift the dough, stretching it out, and fold it over on itself. Then pick it up multiple times, rotating 90 degrees and stretching the top. The idea is to form a ball.
Rest 30 minutes covered
Repeat tuck and fold, form ball again.
Cover, rest 1 hour
On floured surface, lay the dough out and lightly flatten it. Fold edge of dough to center, working around it until all edges are pulled to center. This stretches and tightens the dough. Next grab opposing sides and pull two at once to the center, criss-cross.
Rotate the dough to firm it up, then place seam up in a round proofing basket. This involves holding the ball in two hands, and rotate it while pressing your hands under the dough. This stretches the top and makes a pretty ball. You want the stretch so that the dough has some strength. If you don't have a basket, use a bowl coated with flour.
Rest 30-50 minutes.
Preheat a Dutch oven at least 30 minutes at 500
Take a piece of parchment paper and place over the bowl, then invert the bowl to put the loaf on the parchment. Slash the top of the loaf. Using the edges of the parchment as handles, lower the dough into the Dutch oven. Be careful, it's really hot.
Turn oven down to 485, bake 18 minutes covered, 25-35 uncovered. Go for a deep dark crust.
200-210 internal temp
Let it cool - the hardest part. Enjoy. I have made this with varying percentages of whole wheat flour, up to 100%.
Wood and freshly baked bread are two of my favorite smells, I swear I smelled this thread through the screen! You're all so talented! I wish I'd gotten into working with wood back when I had the space.
