Using Your Thermometer

• The only time that a thermometer is needed when making no-knead bread is near the end of the baking process to ensure that it is cooked thoroughly, while not being overdone or underdone. No-knead bread should always be cooked until the internal temperature registers between 205 and 210 degrees Fahrenheit. Test your bread towards the end of cooking for the most accurate reading. Baked item temperatures rise very quickly towards the end of baking, so monitor your bread closely if the internal temperature is within 10 degrees, as this can change fast.

No-Knead Basics

• No-knead bread is made with all-purpose or bread flour, yeast, salt and water, as well as wheat bran or cornmeal for dusting. This simple bread is mixed together and placed in a bowl covered with plastic wrap to rise overnight. Once the dough becomes bubbly, you mix in a little more flour, shape the dough, and give it another short rise of about two hours until it is doubled in size. The bread is then cooked in a covered dish for 30 minutes at 450 F.

Making a Good Loaf

• No-knead bread requires little work, but it does require plenty of time to rise well. Plan on at least 12 to 18 hours of rise time in a 70 F room before baking to ensure that it is leavened. Once the second rise is complete, the dough should spring back when poked with your finger and this will indicate that it is ready for baking. You will need a cast iron, enamel or ceramic pan with a lid for baking the bread. Because no-knead bread is a rustic loaf -- one that is not fortified with dairy products or eggs -- the dough will be wetter than other loaves, and using a round pan or baking dish will give it its characteristic circular shape.

Taking the Temperature

• In a rustic loaf, it is important not to ruin the appearance of the browned crust by simply poking the thermometer through its top. Remove the lid from the pan and set it aside. Using a kitchen towel or oven mitt in each hand, turn the pan on its side with one hand and use your other hand to take the bread slightly from the pan to allow access to its underside. Insert the probe of the thermometer into the bottom of the loaf, ensuring that you reach as close to the center of the loaf as possible to get the most accurate reading.