If you know me at all, you'll be aware of my love of baking, especially making bread. I've tried most of the recipes out of there - I generally avoid the recipes using bigas and sourdough starters which require lengthy preparation. However, I've had my eye on the recipe by Jim Lahey of the Sullivan Street Bakery for "No knead Bread". It was first published in the New York Times and there's also a youtube video which is useful to watch. At first you think it's impossible to bake a crusty delicious loaf without kneading and with very little work. Well, Jim says that he wants to spread the word and believe me - I'm ready to spread the gospel of Jim Lahey!!
As you can see, my very first loaf came out perfectly. The only drawback is having to leave the dough overnight or 12 hours at least, but this is the secret to the artisan flavor and texture. If you mix the dough just before you go to bed (in your pajamas if you like), you will have a delicious loaf in time for lunch. So it really is worth the wait.
When the dough has had it's 12 hours rest, you will think that it's impossibly wet to handle, but resist the temptation to add too much flour. It's the high water to flour ratio that creates the holes in the bread. And remember not to knead, this recipe requires no hard work!
You also need a cast iron dutch oven with lid, which provides the steam to the bake the outside to a thick, golden crust. I used my Le Creuset casserole which was a wedding present, now 25 years old and still going strong. Please try this recipe, why pay $5 for a loaf of bread, when you can make it for less than $1 and tastes miles better than the bakery.
Please note: If you watch the video, he tells you to use 1 1/2 cups water, so I think there is a misprint in the original recipe.
No knead bread
Ingredients:3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
¼ teaspoon instant yeast
1¼ teaspoons salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed (I used oat bran)
Directions:
- In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 1/2 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.
- Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice.
- Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.
- 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 towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. 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.
- Yield: One 1½-pound loaf.
Source New York Times
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