Finally, a fabulous bread recipe!!

I spent most of last winter trying to perfect a good bread recipe, I had mediocre luck with the only consistently good loaf coming from Jim Fahey's No Knead Bread recipe- the only downside, it takes 17 hours to rise... The bread was delicious, but I was always a bit hesitant to start the clock...

While perusing the NY Times online today, my favorite food writer Mark Bittman posted an updated version- my ears perked right up! I quickly went to the kitchen and whipped up a batch of dough where it had to rise for only 4 hours...

End result, a delicious crusty loaf (just like the other bread) and a nice chewy center (just like the other loaf)!

Although it's taken a year, I believe I have finally found a fantastic bread recipe.

Enjoy, it's sooooo easy...

3 cups bread flour
1 packet ( 1/4 ounce) instant yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Olive oil as needed.

1. Combine flour, yeast and salt in a large bowl that has been drizzled with a little olive oil. Add 1 1/2 cups warm water and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest about 4 hours at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees. * I turned my oven on for about 5 minutes, then turned it off and left the door slightly ajar, this helped to give the dough a warmish area to rise.

2. Lightly oil a work surface and place dough on it; fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest 30 minutes more.

3. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6-to-8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under dough and put it into pot, seam side up. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes.

4. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

Yield: 1 big loaf.