Who doesn't love the smell of a warm, crusty loaf of bread fresh from the oven? No one that I can think of. It seems to trigger something almost primitive in our minds, perhaps because the same aroma has reassured countless generations of our ancestors. It's a smell of comfort, of warmth, and of knowing you've got sustenance to last you into the next day. After all, bread is the food of life.
I've been making bread since I was in my early teens, and I continue to do so fairly regularly. I love the feel of the dough in my hands, it's yeasty smell, and the thrill of watching it rise.
Anyone who's made bread the traditional way (sans bread maker or Kitchen Aid) has likely had a few flops. I'm no different, but my successes have far outnumbered my failures. Regardless, there seems to be a certain inborn sense which tells you when the dough is too sticky, when it hasn't been kneaded enough, or when the coolness of a room will necessitate a longer rising.
Then, in 2006, The New York Times published a recipe for No-Knead Bread. It claimed that anyone, regardless of experience, could turn out a bakery-quality loaf from their own ovens. Like a bakery, you're using a small amount of yeast, letting it proof over a long period of time, and cooking the dough in a hot, humid environment.
A like-minded foodie friend of mine introduced me to the end product, which truthfully, I couldn't believe was homemade. A crunchy crust, a moist, chewy, hole-riddled crumb, and a taste I can only describe as real.
Since then, I've modified the recipe and method to suit my personal taste, and I humbly admit the results have been spectacular. I've passed the recipe along to numerous friends, and all have successfully produced delicious bread, with next to no effort.
With delight, I pass along the recipe; no inborn bread making sense required.
No Knead Bread (adapted from The New York Times)
3 c all-purpose or bread flour
1/4 t instant yeast (Fleishmann's Quick-Rise)
1-1/4 t salt
1-1/2 c room temperature water
Flour & cornmeal for dusting
In a large bowl, combine flour, yeast and salt. Whisk through to combine. Add water, and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined (it will not resemble dough at this stage). Cover bowl with plastic wrap, and allow to sit at room temperature, undisturbed, for 18 hours.
At the end of the 18 hours, turn the dough over on itself a couple of times (I use a bowl scraper), cover again, and allow to rest for 15 minutes.
While it rests, lightly coat a 9" pie plate with vegetable spray. Using about 1/4 c cornmeal, sprinkle all sprayed surfaces until you can no longer see the pie plate underneath. This may sound like an over-exaggeration, but trust me.
Coat your work surface with 2 heaping soup spoons of flour. Tip the dough onto the flour, turn in over to coat the other side, and begin shaping the dough into a round. To do this, slide your floured palms under the dough, pulling the sides underneath as you do so, until your palms meet in the middle. Rotate the dough, and repeat until you have a rough round (it doesn't need to be perfect). Lift the dough and place it onto the pie plate. Sprinkle the dough lightly with cornmeal, cover with a cotton towel, and set aside for two hours.
At the 1-1/2 hour mark, place a heavy, lidded pot (I use a 3.5 litre Le Creuset, but I've seen this done successfully with a black enamel roasting pan) into a cold oven, and turn the oven onto 450 degrees.
At the two hour mark, carefully remove your pot from the oven, place it into an empty sink, and invert the dough into the hot pot. Cover, and place into the oven for 30 minutes. Remove the lid after 30 minutes, and continue baking for an additional 15 minutes.
Cool the loaf on a rack. Once cool, brush off any excess cornmeal using a pastry brush.
For ease of calculating, this recipe takes 21 hours from start-to-finish.
I've been making bread since I was in my early teens, and I continue to do so fairly regularly. I love the feel of the dough in my hands, it's yeasty smell, and the thrill of watching it rise.
Anyone who's made bread the traditional way (sans bread maker or Kitchen Aid) has likely had a few flops. I'm no different, but my successes have far outnumbered my failures. Regardless, there seems to be a certain inborn sense which tells you when the dough is too sticky, when it hasn't been kneaded enough, or when the coolness of a room will necessitate a longer rising.
Then, in 2006, The New York Times published a recipe for No-Knead Bread. It claimed that anyone, regardless of experience, could turn out a bakery-quality loaf from their own ovens. Like a bakery, you're using a small amount of yeast, letting it proof over a long period of time, and cooking the dough in a hot, humid environment.
A like-minded foodie friend of mine introduced me to the end product, which truthfully, I couldn't believe was homemade. A crunchy crust, a moist, chewy, hole-riddled crumb, and a taste I can only describe as real.
Since then, I've modified the recipe and method to suit my personal taste, and I humbly admit the results have been spectacular. I've passed the recipe along to numerous friends, and all have successfully produced delicious bread, with next to no effort.
With delight, I pass along the recipe; no inborn bread making sense required.
No Knead Bread (adapted from The New York Times)
3 c all-purpose or bread flour
1/4 t instant yeast (Fleishmann's Quick-Rise)
1-1/4 t salt
1-1/2 c room temperature water
Flour & cornmeal for dusting
In a large bowl, combine flour, yeast and salt. Whisk through to combine. Add water, and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined (it will not resemble dough at this stage). Cover bowl with plastic wrap, and allow to sit at room temperature, undisturbed, for 18 hours.
At the end of the 18 hours, turn the dough over on itself a couple of times (I use a bowl scraper), cover again, and allow to rest for 15 minutes.
While it rests, lightly coat a 9" pie plate with vegetable spray. Using about 1/4 c cornmeal, sprinkle all sprayed surfaces until you can no longer see the pie plate underneath. This may sound like an over-exaggeration, but trust me.
Coat your work surface with 2 heaping soup spoons of flour. Tip the dough onto the flour, turn in over to coat the other side, and begin shaping the dough into a round. To do this, slide your floured palms under the dough, pulling the sides underneath as you do so, until your palms meet in the middle. Rotate the dough, and repeat until you have a rough round (it doesn't need to be perfect). Lift the dough and place it onto the pie plate. Sprinkle the dough lightly with cornmeal, cover with a cotton towel, and set aside for two hours.
At the 1-1/2 hour mark, place a heavy, lidded pot (I use a 3.5 litre Le Creuset, but I've seen this done successfully with a black enamel roasting pan) into a cold oven, and turn the oven onto 450 degrees.
At the two hour mark, carefully remove your pot from the oven, place it into an empty sink, and invert the dough into the hot pot. Cover, and place into the oven for 30 minutes. Remove the lid after 30 minutes, and continue baking for an additional 15 minutes.
Cool the loaf on a rack. Once cool, brush off any excess cornmeal using a pastry brush.
For ease of calculating, this recipe takes 21 hours from start-to-finish.
Oh that looks good I am on A train to big city and starving I should drop in is it still warm. Yummy hug B
ReplyDeleteI have to make this again, it's been too long!
ReplyDelete