I'm completely obsessed with baking bread.There has always been something extraordinarily satisfying about pulling a freshly baked loaf of bread out of the oven. I love the warm, golden smell that envelops that whole house as it cooks, inviting friends and family close. I am comfortable in the kitchen. I have no qualms about deviating from a recipe based on what's fresh and the mood that I'm in. When it comes to baking, I don't have the same liberty to tweak and change recipes due to the fine balance and chemistry between the ingredients. I have dabbled in baking bread in the past, albeit not very successfully. I had never felt the ease and comfort that comes from finding a flawless recipe. Most of the breads I have baked required a lot of ingredients to boost the height of the rise like vital wheat gluten, potato starch and vinegar, along with fifteen to twenty minutes of vigorous kneading. No wonder housewives were able to stay so fit back in the day. I tried using my Kitchen-Aid mixer to knead it and save me some breath, but after four minutes the machine started to smoke. Regardless of the method, the final product always lacked a wow factor. Honestly, they all lacked the flavour factor too. The crusts weren't chewy enough, the insides not soft and fluffy. It just wasn't working out for me and mediocrity is not something I tolerate well.
Enter: Jim Layhe from Brooklyn's Sullivan St. Bakery and his revolutionary, no-knead, no work, let-time-do-the-work-for-you, produce-a-perfect-loaf-every-time method. Really friends, this is the truth: Four magical ingredients- flour, water, salt and yeast, combined with a long rising period of twelve to eighteen hours, a killer-hot oven and a little patience will result in the most delicious and aesthetically pleasing loaf of bread that will guarantee gold stars from any one lucky enough to taste your creation.
I have become a loyal and satisfied follower of Jim Lahey's brilliant No-Knead Bread recipe and technique. It is so simple, and virtually foolproof. The only specialty equipment you will need is a heavy 4 or 5 quart ceramic pot (I use a ceramic Bread Dome, and these can be found at cookware stores. It is safe to use in the oven up to 500˚, which is essential to the cooking of this type of bread. Le Crueset is great and hip, however I have heard that the handles only withstand temperatures of 375˚. You could potentially unscrew the handle, but you would have to be extra careful when removing the scorching hot lid. You can use any heavy-duty ceramic Dutch oven or baker; keep your eyes peeled at thrift stores for these gems, as they can often be found for cheap. Look down on the low shelves!). The effort is less than five minutes and instead of working up a sweat kneading the bread, you let time do the work for you.
Here's what you do:
In a medium sized bowl, combine 3 cups of all-purpose, unbleached flour, 1/4-teaspoon instant yeast, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water.
Mix until combined well and you will have shaggy, wet dough.
Cover tightly with saran wrap and leave for twelve to eighteen hours. The longer you let it sit, the more it tastes like sourdough. Pick your preference as you see fit. When the dough is ready, it will be bubbly and look very wet.
Flour your surface well and gently peel out the dough onto the counter, being mindful not to rip the strands of gluten that have been gently developing in the dough. Let the dough sit for ten minutes. Then, gently fold in the sides towards the middle, and tuck the top and bottom of the dough towards each other to make it round ball. Take a cotton tea towel (not terry!) and cover generously with flour. Delicately place the dough, seam side down, on the towel, fold over the sides of the towel and let rise for one or two hours in a warm, draft-free spot. It should double in size.
Thirty minutes before your dough is done rising, heat your oven and your cooking pot to 450˚. Leave the pot in the oven for at least thirty minutes so it is scorching hot. This and a good lid are essential to producing a crunchy, perfect crust.
Once your pot is hot, carefully take it out of the oven and uncover it. Unfold the tea towel and quickly place the dough, seam side up into the pot. It will look like a dreadful mess, but put it in the oven with the lid on for 30 minutes and do not open the oven! Then take the lid off and cook for another twenty minutes.
Using potholders or a heatproof spatula, remove the beautiful loaf and let it cool thoroughly on a bread board. It needs time to settle the moisture throughout the bread properly before it is cut into. Listen carefully, the loaf sounds like it's crackling when it comes out of the oven!
It looks like it's involved, but take it from someone who would really rather nap all day - it's the easiest and most rewarding bread recipe you will find. It never stops impressing me, time and time again.
Try it, you'll see. Try it, Love it, Learn it, Share it.
