NO KNEAD BREAD

Ok, so I’m a little late to jump on the bandwagon but as the saying goes “it’s better late than never”. I actually had this recipe for sometime now but because baking isn’t my cup of tea I totally ignored it. The snow storm made me do it!! ha-ha! . No where to go, I surfed the internet and came across this website showcasing her 4 yr. old son making/baking Jim Lahey’s no knead bread recipe. I then decided... that’s it, if a 4 yr. old kid can do it why can’t I?

Thanks to Jim Lahey for this brilliant idea. http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3Lm55dGltZXMuY29tLzIwMDYvMTEvMDgvZGluaW5nLzA4bWluaS5odG1s. This no knead method has changed my mind, I never would have thought it possible for somebody like me to bake such beautiful bread. If I were to compare this bread…it almost taste like the bread from Macaroni and Grill restaurant sans the rosemary or the bread I buy from an Italian bakery.

I will do some tweaking on my next try, adding some rosemary, just wondering at w/c stage will I add the rosemary. I’m thinking on the second rise? Any advice/suggestions will be appreciated. I believe this recipe is so forgiving that tweaking can be done. I’ll let you know otherwise. Oh, I forgot, just so you’ll know it’s a 2 days process. Your patience will be tested as it did mine. I had to peek at the dough every 30 minutes as it was rising, crazy huh? The long wait was rewarded ‘tho, the smell of the bread baking, so exciting. The site of the bread rising as it’s baking is interesting oh and it sings too! Love the crackling sound of the bread the moment you pull it out off the oven. Again, the impatient me didn’t wait for the bread to rest and cool down. I of course had to slice it right away..hhmmm..the crust is perfect, crispy, soft and spongy inside, and the holes OMGosh.

If you haven’t tried baking this yet, you should give this a try and you’ll know what I mean. I’m hooked! Enough of my blah, blah, blah…I’m getting ready for my next try. This time i'd love this just dip w/ balsamic, extra vigin olive oil and fresh cracked black pepper yum!
My daughter whipped up her delicious Broccoli soup ala Panera to go w/ the bread. What a perfect combination. Thanks, anak!


THE INGREDIENTS:
3 cups bread flour or AP flour
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cup of lukewarm water

IN A BIG BOWL, MIX ALL THE INGREDIENTS USING A WOODEN SPOON. YES, IT'S SUPPOSE TO LOOK LIKE THIS.

WRAP UP THE DOUGH AND LET IT REST/RISE FOR AT LEAST 18 -20 HOURS AT A WARM PLACE.DON'T BE LIKE ME, I CHECKED IT EVERY 30 MINUTES. NOT GOOD!

THIS IS HOW IT LOOKS AFTER 19 HOURS. I LOVE THE YEAST SMELL.

CLOSE UP SHOT OF THE WET DOUGH 20 HOURS.

DUMP THE DOUGH ON A FLOURED SURFACE. THIS IS A MESSY STAGE. TO PREVENT THE DOUGH FROM STICKING, DIP THE SPATULA IN WATER AS YOU GATHER THE DOUGH. THEN USE YOUR HANDS TO FORM A BALL. NORMALLY WE PUT FLOUR TO OUR HANDS BUT AS SUGGESTED, WATER IS BETTER SINCE THERE ARE ENOUGH FLOUR ON THE BOARD. IT'S ALL ABOUT BALANCE. AFTERALL, IT IS THE HIGH WATER CONTENT THAT MAKES THIS BREAD SO DELICIOUSLY LIGHT AND THE CRUST VERY CRISP.

GINGERLY MOVE THE DOUGH ONTO A FLOURED TOWEL. LET IT RISE FOR ANOTHER 2 HOURS.
I WARNED YOU GUYS THIS IS A 2 DAY PROCESS. INVEST A LOT OF TIME BUT NOT AS LABORIOUS AS THE CONVENTIONAL WAY
FLOUR THE TOWEL LIBERALLY (I DIDN'T FLOUR ENOUGH SO IT WAS A BIT MESSY WHEN I TRANSFERED THE DOUGH INTO THE POT.
IT'S SUPPOSE TO DOUBLE IN SIZE.

HALF HOUR BEFORE THE SECOND RISING ENDS, SLIP COVERED POT (I USED MY LE CREUSET) INTO YOUR OVEN. CRANK UP THE HEAT TO 450F. LET IT PRE HEAT FOR 30 MINUTES.

AFTER PRE HEATING, REMOVE THE HOT POT FROM OVEN. SPRINKLE SOME CORNMEAL OR FLOUR IN THE POT THEN PLOP THE WET/WOBBLY DOUGH INTO THE POT. DON'T WORRY IF THE SHAPE IS MESSED UP..IT'S "RUSTIC".
COVER AND PUT BACK INTO THE OVEN. BAKED COVERED FOR 30 MINUTES.

THEN UNCOVER AND BAKE FOR 20 MINUTES MORE.
TO CHECK, YOU CAN EITHER TAP THE BREAD..SHOULD SOUND HOLLOW OR TEMPERATURE SHOULD BE 210 F IN THE MIDDLE. VIOLA!!! DONT FORGET TO LISTEN TO THE CRACKLINGS THE MOMENT YOU PULL IT OUT OFF THE OVEN.

AFTER PATIENTLY WAITING, I SAY IT WAS WORTH IT!!
THIN CRUNCHY BROWN CRUST, LARGE, OPEN HOLES, SPONGY, FLAVORFUL HHHMMMM! NEED I SAY MORE.

PAM'S BROCCOLI SOUP WAS THE PERFECT PAIR FOR THE BREAD. SORRY, THE FLASH DIDN'T DO JUSTICE TO THE SOUP. BUT AS ALWAYS MY DAUGHTER MAKES THE BEST BROCCOLI SOUP....AND I MEAN THAT.FOR THE BROCCOLI SOUP RECIPE PLS.

CHECK MY ARCHIVES.http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vYmxvZ3MubXlzcGFjZS5jb20vaW5kZXguY2ZtP2Z1c2VhY3Rpb249YmxvZy52aWV3JmZyaWVuZElEPTE3NzE3NzkwMyZibG9nSUQ9Mzk1MTQxMDk0

HERE'S THE ORIGINAL RECIPE.

Published: November 8, 2006....
Adapted from Jim Lahey, ....Sullivan Street.... Bakery

Time: About 1½ hours plus 14 to 20 hours’ rising

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting

¼ teaspoon instant yeast

1¼ teaspoons saltCornmeal or wheat bran as needed.

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 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.

2. 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. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

3. 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.

4. 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.