First Fridays: Artisan No-Knead Bread

Okay, so maybe I'm stretching my First Friday concept a little bit here, but really, a good homemade loaf or boule of bread can be considered art.  Plus I am super excited to share with you a new recipe that is SO easy.

I have been baking bread fairly consistently for about 6 years.  A couple years ago I provided my parental units and my in-laws with a bread-of-the-month club where I baked a loaf of bread and sent it (overnight shipping) every month.  Selections included a variety of yeast and quick breads such as anadama, French, Vienna rolls, squash bread, banana blueberry bread and challah.   I've also had fun working with flat breads such as naan, pizza doughs and have even attempted making crackers on occasion.

When my brother and sister-in-law gave me Alice Waters' In The Green Kitchen, I flipped right to the "No Knead Bread" page.  A quick Internet search revealed that this recipe was hot, hot, HOT!  It has a cult following.  I'm serious.  The recipe entered the public realm in 2006 from the New York Times article printed here.  It was adapted from Jim Lahey's recipe of the Sullivan Street Bakery.

Anyway, this is why I am in love with the bread.  It takes 2 minutes to make, literally.  You throw some flour (3 cups), salt (1 1/4 tsp) and yeast (1/4 tsp) into a bowl.  Stir.  Add water (1 1/3 cups).  Stir.  Cover.  Let sit for 12-18 hours.  Yes, that means you have to plan accordingly. The next day, flour your hands, scrape the dough out of the bowl, put it on a floured or cornmealed cotton dish towel.  Wrap it up and let it sit for 1-2 hours.  Then you bake it (450 degrees for 30 minutes) and you end up with a crusty, airy boule of bread. So good.

The hitch comes with the baking.  Essentially you're creating an oven within an oven by baking the bread in a covered pot at 450-475 degrees (the temperature depends on the recipe you use).  This means your pot has to be able to withstand high temperatures.  All of the bakers seem to suggest Le Creuset Cassoulet pots but I am not so fortunate to own one.  So the first time around I used my cast iron dutch oven.  After 30 minutes at 475 degrees, the bottom was unfortunately burned although the rest of the bread was perfect (I simply sliced off the bottom and threw the burnt bread frisbee to our lab; she seemed to enjoy it).   For the next loaf, wanting to get rid of the burnt bottom, I decided to change a few things (unfortunately, this is bad scientific method because I'm not sure which of the changes was actually responsible for creating the most yummy bread ever).  I used King Arthur bread flour instead of all-purpose flour.  I lowered the oven temperature to 450 degrees (and ended up baking it for 15 minutes longer).  I also used my crock-pot insert to bake it in (with a foil lid because I wasn't sure that the crock-pot glass lid would withstand the high temperatures).  The result is pictured below.

I think I may have found a new item to sell at the Farmer's Market this summer.  It would be lovely if I could find some locally sourced flour.  Until then I will continue using King Arthur bread flour.  So much for the no/low carb diet this summer. This is too good to pass up!  Enjoy!