Homestead mailing list

[paxamicus AT earthlink.net]

http://www.slashfood.com/2006/11/16/no-knead-bread-takes-over-the-world/


I did this. You need to make sure your cast iron is either very well  
seasoned, or you have to SLATHER the dough in oil.  If you were  
adamant about wanting to do it this way, it wouldn't take much for you  
to perfect it, I'm sure.


"The absolutely stunning crust and crumb you see in the photo above is  
a direct result of Not Martha's highly successful attempt at making  
the No-Knead Bread that Mark Bittman talked about in the New York  
Times last week. The bread was, to quote NM, "awesome," with a crunchy  
crust and an open, chewy interior. In short, it was just how you want  
homemade bread to turn out and the recipe is simple enough for anyone  
to try, in no small part because there is a video how-to that  
accompanies the recipe.

And, since I mentioned that anyone can make it, I should point out  
that just about everyone already has. The bread recipe has spread like  
wild-fire through the blogs and probably has in the nonblogging world,  
as well, considering the fact that it was one of the most popular NYT  
articles last week. There is even a flickr group dedicated to the  
bread. I'm not sure if I could track down every blogger who made the  
recipe, but here are a few who have: Smitten Kitchen, Wednesday Chef,  
Bake my day , Eat, Lovely scones, Bread, water, salt, oil, Unemployed  
Chef, and Brownie Points."


The recipe:

Adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery
Time: About 1½ hours plus 14 to 20 hours’ rising
Skip to next paragraph
Related
The Minimalist: The Secret of Great Bread: Let Time Do the Work  
(November 8, 2006)
Readers’ Opinions
Forum: Cooking and Recipes

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
¼ teaspoon instant yeast
1¼ teaspoons salt
Cornmeal 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.