Here's an unbelievably wonderful tasting no-knead bread recipe that is easy and just as good -- even better -- than the crusty chewy beautiful shaped bread you buy at a bakery (it would be like a round, medium high, crusty Italian bread). If you serve it, people will assume it's from a great bakery. It's from a New York Times recipe. I tried it this weekend and it was very easy (no kneading, though you have to schedule the time right) and we just tasted it and I'll be making it again and again. I'm going to try making some loaves and freezing them to see how well they freeze (I imagine they'll freeze as nicely as other bakery bread does). Here's the recipe -- well worth the try. You'll melt when you taste this bread.
3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting (I used bread flour though I'll try regular flour next time)
? teaspoon instant yeast
1? teaspoons salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed (I put oat flakes on top, though you can use any kind of flake, seeds -- e.g., sunflower, poppy, sesame -- that you like)
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 - that's what I used, enamel, Pyrex - remember pyrex can sometimes break in very hot ovens especially if you put cool things on them, or ceramic) in oven as it heats. Don't put any grease or anything like that in the pot. 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 1?-pound loaf.
I'm deeply in love with this bread.
3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting (I used bread flour though I'll try regular flour next time)
? teaspoon instant yeast
1? teaspoons salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed (I put oat flakes on top, though you can use any kind of flake, seeds -- e.g., sunflower, poppy, sesame -- that you like)
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 - that's what I used, enamel, Pyrex - remember pyrex can sometimes break in very hot ovens especially if you put cool things on them, or ceramic) in oven as it heats. Don't put any grease or anything like that in the pot. 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 1?-pound loaf.
I'm deeply in love with this bread.
, but I will for sure try it for a special occasion. Now, what would that special occasion be?? Tuesday sounds good. 
