Call for Recipes: Artisan Bread No Knead – Overnight

In December 2023, TILife’s copy editor, Elspeth Naismith, presented "Call for Recipes!" The article showed a tea towel that hangs proudly in her kitchen and provides the ingredients for a "Traditional 1000 Islands Shore Dinner," written by the late Les Cook, renowned Canadian fishing guide. Elspeth suggested that our River communities have many farmers, restaurants, store keepers, and yes, both year round and summer residents who have favourite recipes that all have special River meanings.

Elspeth wrote: . . . "Thousand Islands Life" is asking our readers to share their favourite River recipe with us. Tell us about the recipe, why it’s special, and why it reminds you of the River. Is it something that you only make at a specific time of the year? Is it a dish that you only make when you’re on the River?"

This recipe comes from Judy Brett, a long-time TI Life reader, who visits the Thousand Islands as often as she can. She says: “It's a tried-and-true one—homemade Artisan bread that is so easy that I make it almost every week.”

Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose or bread flour and some for dusting
½ teaspoon instant yeast
1¼ teaspoons salt
1¼ cups warm water (about 110 degrees F), not hot

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl sift together flour, yeast, and salt. Add water and stir until blended. Dough will be shaggy, sticky, and loose.
2. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for at least 12 hours or overnight. Dough will be looser/wetter now. This is normal. Generously flour a work surface (I use a piece of parchment paper) and place the dough on it; sprinkle with more flour and gently fold it over itself once or twice.
3. If the dough is so sticky that it can’t be formed into a reasonably flat ball, you may flour it generously so that it doesn’t stick to your hands. Place on a clean piece of parchment paper and let it rest for 30 – 45 minutes.
4. While the dough is resting, preheat your oven to 500 degrees F. Place a Dutch oven with its lid in the oven as it heats. When the dough is ready, carefully remove the pot from the oven – remember, IT’S HOT! – place the dough with parchment paper into it, and cut away any parchment paper that extends over the edge of the pot. Place the pot, with lid on it, in the oven and reduce oven temperature to 450 degrees F. Bake for 35 – 40 minutes, until loaf is golden and browned. Let it rest before cutting.

Copy Editor’s Notes:

1. The recipe calls for instant yeast, but quick rise yeast should also work. If you’re like me, and yeast often languishes in your fridge, I recommend proofing it before using it in the recipe. Mix a teaspoon of sugar into a cup of 110 degree F water, then sprinkle a teaspoon of the yeast on top of the water. Within a few minutes, the yeast should soften and get frothy. If it doesn’t then pitch it and buy some new yeast. If it does get frothy, then it’s still good to use. Discard this test batch and follow the recipe as written.
2. I use a candy thermometer to test the water temperature.

By Judy Brett, Alligator Point, Florida

Judy Brett practiced Interior Architecture with her commercial design firm, headquartered in Tallahassee, Florida, and designed projects all over the state for 25 years. Halfway through her career, she started designing and building commercial buildings. Originally from St Pete Beach, she now resides at Alligator Point, near Tallahassee, where she continues to consult with clients and dabbles in watercolor painting, cooking, and grandson's company.  

[Illustration by Marie-Anne Erki, ©2025, Kingston, ON]

Posted in: Volume 20, Issue 1, January 2025, Recipes, Current