There are certain advantages to working from home.

Pajama pants, a kitten who likes to curl up my lap while I sit at the computer, the ability to listen to music without headphones,  and…

Bread.

This “speedy” version of No-Knead Bread takes about 5 1/2 hours to make, start to finish, but only about 10 minutes of actual hands-on work. That’s a timetable that doesn’t quite work for me most weekdays, when I’m away from the house for at least 10 hours straight, but snow days — work from home days — are perfect for bread making.

It goes a little something like this:

Write a little.

Mix the bread ingredients and set aside.

Return to writing. Procrastinate on Facebook for a bit. Write some more.

Return to the bread, marvel over how sticky the dough is. Assume that it’s correct because you’re following Mark Bittman’s recipe exactly right and Mark Bittman knows How To Cook Everything. Fold the dough a couple of times and preheat the oven.

Back to the writing.

Stick the bread in the oven.

Writing, again. And trying not to be distracted by the smell of bread wafting up from the kitchen.

Remove bread from oven. Admire golden brown crust. Let it cool a bit. Saw off a slice. Eat. Savor the the dense, moist, chewy bread. Try to resist seconds. Try.. but fail. Nothing beats fresh homemade bread. Especially fresh homemade bread that takes less effort than going out to buy a loaf from the bakery.

Click through for the recipe

Speedy No-Knead Bread
Makes 1 loaf

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

Combine flour, yeast and salt in a large bowl. Add 1 1/2 cups 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.

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.

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.

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.

Source: New York Times. Link to the story. Link to the recipe.