As you probably understood by the name, No-knead bread doesn’t really need any kneading, but it needs a little bit of folding. This is really super fast and easy, you just need to understand how it works.
First of all, is important to understand what type of flour you are using. As I mentioned in the No Knead Bread Recipe- Easy Pane Pugliese different flours have different reaction to water, which means that when you’ll understand which flour to use you’ll guess how much more water you’ll need. Remember that also the environment (humidity) can affect your dough, so try to be flexible.
Step 1. Once you have mixed all the ingredients, flour, yeast, salt, sugar and water, the dough will look like in the video. It will be very sticky and quite impossible to be kneaded by hands. This is why you are folding it on itself using a spatula. You start from the bottom to the top and back towards the bottom. Do this for a few times and let your No Knead Bread rest as in the recipe.
Step 2. Once your dough has doubled in size, place it on a well-floured surface. Sprinkle some more flour on top of the dough and gently press it with your hands.
Step 3 Fold the right edge to the center and press it down gently. and repeat the same on the opposite edge.
Step 4 Continue folding the dough on itself using the spatula
Step 5 Round the dough with both hands. You can use some more flour if the dough is too sticky.
This folding process is something that I recommend to do all the time you are preparing a dough for its rising.