low-knead bread recipe
So about a month ago the trials started with the No-Knead Bread Recipe, both the abridged version and the full-length version. After a few experiments resulting in some flatter, some crustier and others with just an okay crumb, the winner has been found. Some off-time has been spent scouring other blogs and insights into easy, high-quality home breads. The key this time was not in any crazy additives or changes, but perhaps just a re-sequencing of events that were already found in the original order.
One quick qualm was with this recipe’s recommendation for 1/4 oz of instant yeast. What does that mean when you use spoons and volumetric mechanisms? Most research, including the back of the jar state 2.25tsps active dry yeast for .25oz instant yeast. In the idea that bread was wanted, and not a helium balloon, .33tsp ADY was used in the shoot-from-the-hip method.
Speedy no-knead bread (makes one large loaf)
Ingredients:
3 cups bread flour (or all-purpose)
1/4 oz instant yeast
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp natural, unrefined cane sugar (like sugar-in-the-raw)
1 1/2 cups really warm water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
oil as needed while prepping for second rise
1. Mix the water, yeast and sugar together and let sit until the concoction begins to foam.
2. Combine flour, salt, olive oil and balsamic in a large bowl. Add the foaming concoction and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest about 4 hours at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.
3. Lightly oil a work surface and place dough on it; fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest at least 30 minutes more.
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 and oil lightly. Slide your hand under dough and put it into pot, seam side up. Or just dump the shaggy pile on in. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes.
5. 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.
The first rise went well so the dough was removed from the vessel, oiled and kneaded for a minute or two just to make sure the oil was in there and the ball would not stick to the bowl. Wrapped up like a present and set it back by the heater (in a Maine winter, that is the only place to get things warm unless you have a wood stove).
About fifteen minutes later Castirona (the trusty cast-iron enamel pot) was put in the oven at 450F. Just got out of shower and got dressed and pulled Castirona out of the oven. A quick greasing with extra virgin olive oil on a paper-towel and the preparations are done. Spatula ready in the right hand, the left hand tipped the bowl, with the 2nd risen dough mass, completely upside down and let gravity put in the transition energy. The amalgam of ingredients stretched out of the plastic mixing bowl and separated slowly from the oiled inside. The spatula is only needed for the last bit. Giving the no-longer empty Castirona a shake to even out the jiggling ball of dough that is already reacting to the scalding pot. Right back in the oven for 30 minutes. Annndddd go!
A lackadaisical tendency led the bread’s first stead to be for about 35 or so minutes. No biggie, this is not the critical burn phase. The second stead ended up being over twenty minutes, probably should have been fifteen or less. However, if you did not know this you would never have known. The crust is crunchy and brown, the crumb is airy and absorbitant and there is some cracking on top.
Twenty minutes or more of resting are advised, then the use of a decent breadknife. Olive oil with pepper, balsamic vinegar and diced tomatoes, and thin slices of wicked fresh avocado along with a Tempranillo made this bread absolutely stellar (and a healthy appetizer to boot).
