Bread that makes itself (gotta love that)
I was down last week with a particularly virulent head cold. Boy, did that bug pack a wollop. And I was caring for an sick 9-year-old. So I did what anyone in that situation would do. I baked bread, made White Wine Coq au Vin from Sunset Magazine and made green goddess dressing (I couldn’t taste it mind you, until days later, but I couldn’t resist. Sick 9-year-old and I saw it on Barefoot Contessa. We watched a lot of tv and are now experts on paranormal activity in old buildings across America).
Back to the bread. What if I told you that this recipe is easy enough that you can accomplish each of its very few steps on your way to or from the bathroom to slug down another fizzy cold remedy? Really.
Much more importantly, what if I told you that the recipe requires no skill, no technique and no special equipment (no bread stones, no sprayers, no special pans), yet it results in a great looking and tasting loaf, with a thin crispy crust and a soft, chewy center? I guess I’d say it’s a cross between a loaf of ciabatta and good old country white. I know this is hard to believe, but it’s a forgiving recipe too.
I’m late to the party on this one. It swept the Internet in 2006. It is the no-knead recipe developed by Jim Lahey of Sullivan Street Bakery in New York. It was written about by columnist Mark Bittman, but please please please don’t call it Bittman’s Bread. I’m sorry I even typed that. It is Jim Lahey’s technique, and I feel certain some ancient peoples cooking in clay pots would like some credit too.
I’ve got several photos to share, but to want to be sure that it doesn’t make it look more complicated than it is. Basically, this recipe is a matter of mixing some flour, salt and yeast with some water, letting it sit for a long while, and then flopping that dough into a hot dutch oven. In a nutshell, that is it! And with a recipe this simple and yielding such delicious rewards, this is a recipe that should last a lifetime. Scott proclaimed it the best homemade bread he’s ever eaten. I tried it both dusted with cornmeal, and dusted with white flour. Both were delicious and I suspect that other variations – rosemary, olives, etc, will be equally delicious.
Whisk flour, salt and yeast...
Then…
add the water and stir, and leave at room temperature for 12-18 hours...
…then….
the surface is covered with bubbles...
In one version, I put the dough on a marble slab and found the pastry scraper helpful because it is a sticky dough, but another time, I didn't bother. I just left the dough in the bowl and added a little flour and folded the dough over on itself and let it sit for 15 minutes...
then, according to directions, you shape it into a ball and place on a floured towel (either cornmeal or regular all-purpose flour. I tried it each way and both were delicious.) Note, both times, my dough didn’t look or feel like ANYTHING that would position itself into a ball, but that didn’t matter.
The dough rises for two hours on a well-floured cotton cloth.
Yum!
Here's the second version, coming out of the oven. This time, the dough had risen in a white flour-dusted cloth, instead of the cornmeal. My team liked this better than the cornmeal one, but they were both great. You place (or gently flop) the dough into a preheated Dutch oven with a lid, and bake 30 minutes with lid on, and another 15 or more without the lid.
Cooling...
Get that butter at room temperature ahead of time so you're ready for the warm bread!
aaaahhhhh.....
