No-Knead Everything Bread

For the dough

5½ cups (660 g) all-purpose or bread flour

½ teaspoon instant or rapid-rise yeast

2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon dried onion flakes

2 tablespoons everything bagel topping*

2½ cups (510 g) cool water

For the topping

1 tablespoon Everything Bagel Seasoning*

Special equipment: Baking vessel that can withstand a 450-degree oven with a lid or foil to cover. See end of recipe for recommendations.

Combine dry dough ingredients in a large bowl; stir together to evenly distribute. Add water and stir until combined; the dough will be sticky, but there should be no dry flour remaining.

Place in a large bowl that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap (I like to use a shower cap) and place in a draft-free location at room temperature overnight, or at least 8 hours. The dough is going to rise quite a bit, so be sure your bowl is large enough.

After rising, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a form fitting your baking vessel.

Lightly grease baking vessel, or line with parchment paper, and place dough - smooth side up - inside.

Cover and let rise for 2 hours. Just before baking, make several ½-inch deep slashes in top of the loaf with a sharp knife. Gently brush or spray dough with water and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon everything bagel topping.

Place covered baking vessel in cold oven and set temperature to 450 degrees. Bake for 50 minutes and then remove lid and continue to bake for 5 to 10 minutes, or until deep brown in color.

When an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the loaf registers 205 degrees, remove from oven and turn bread out onto a rack and allow to cool before slicing.

A note about measuring ingredients: If possible, weigh your ingredients using a digital scale for greatest accuracy. If you do not have a scale, measure flour by first fluffing it in its container, and then spoon into a measuring cup to ensure it is not overly compacted. This way you will not end up inadvertently using too much flour. I also weigh my water.

Equipment note: Most recipes for bread using this method suggest using an enamel-coated cast-iron Dutch oven, similar to Le Creuset. But not everyone owns one of these, so here are some other options: a stoneware crock with lid, a heavy pot, an oven-safe casserole dish or a cast iron pot. No matter what vessel you use, it must be able to withstand cooking temperatures of 450 to 500 degrees for this recipe. It also needs to be covered using either a lid or aluminum foil with a tight seal. Be sure the handle on your lid and pot can handle the heat, and be sure to remember they are hot when removing the pot from the oven.

*Homemade Everything Bagel Seasoning: Combine the following in an airtight container: 2 tablespoons poppy seeds, 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds, 1½ tablespoons dried minced garlic, 1½ tablespoons dried minced onion, 1 to 2 teaspoons coarse salt and 1 tablespoon black sesame seeds. (I could not find black sesame seeds and my mixture tasted fine.) Store in refrigerator.

Adapted by Penny Kazmier based on kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/no-knead-everything-bread-recipe