Roxanne was right - No-Knead Bread = Evil

Ok Roxanne was totally right. I made the recipe that she suggested for No-Knead Bread and I tell you it's so easy and it tastes GREAT!

Here's the recipe link for anyone that missed it.

My gosh the stuff is just evil I tell you....

For you non bakers out there here's how it's done... Just try it, I swear you will LOVE it, and it is super easy to make.

1. Start by taking  3 Cups of All-Purpose flour and put it into a mixing bowl. (I haven't perfected my whole wheat version yet so I"ll let you know when I get the perfect loaf on that.)
2. Add 1/4 tsp rapid rise yeast to the flour. (You can use regular yeast - just use more like 1/2 tsp to 3/4 tsp)
3. Add 1 1/4 tsp salt to the flour.
4. Mix together until blended then make a well in the center and add just a little bit shy of 2 cups water. Mix it all up. You may need to add more water.... What you want to end up with is something that resembles a really thick pancake batter (see photo below).

I did the above steps on Christmas afternoon.

5. Now what you do is cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit for 12 to 18 hours. It is ready to move to the next step when the top is all bubbly (see next two photos since I did two batches).

6. 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.

 

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

(Now I'm going to honestly tell you that I have omitted the turning it over on itself and cover with plastic wrap step and just moved on to the next one below. It turned out fine and because the dough is so sticky and tacky it's a lot less messier.)

This next step is a deviation from the original recipe. Roxanne found the suggestion online and it's much easier and works great.

8. Line a bowl with parchment paper.

 9. Pick up the dough off the counter and put into lined bowl (or if you are skipping the counter part just dump the dough into the lined bowl)

10. Cover loosely with a cotton towel.

11. Let rise until double in size - About 2 hours.

11. About 30 minutes before baking time put your dutch oven or any other pot (with a lid) that can go up to 500 degrees into your oven and turn it on to 450 degrees f.

12. Once the dough has risen and your pot, lid & oven are 450 degrees F, pick up the parchment paper with the dough inside gently and put it into the hot pot.

13. Put the lid on and bake for 30 minutes.

14. Then remove the lid and bake for another 15 to 30 minutes until the loaf is beautifully browned.

15. Remove from hot pot and cool on wire rack as long as you can stand to not just cut off a piece and eat it.

I don't know about you but I love the smell when making bread...

If you try this please post your comments... tell me how it turns out for you and if you like it as much as we do.

~Jamie

Test run #2 (Christmas Morning) - Breakfast & a Trip to Canada

Our test run number two was Christmas breakfast with Grandma & Grandpa. Dakota & Maddie set the table and got it right this time. We had scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage patties & waffles.

Here's a photo Grandma just posted up on Facebook:


(In photo viewing left to right as seen in the picture- Hunter, Dakota, Jamie, Grandma Jeannie, Madeleine, Papa Earl)

After we ate we opened presents and ate candy from the stockings while two of the three cats were lounging around.

(Miss Molly)

(Kasey Kahne)

And here's more photos that Grandma took with her remote controlled camera:

(Hunter & Dakota)
(Hunter, Dakota & Grandma Jeannie)
(Dakota & Grandma Jeannie)
(Dakota & his Aircraft Carrier)
(Group Shot)
(Another Group Shot)
(Maddie & Grandma Jeannie)
(Another shot of Maddie & Grandma Jeannie)
(Maddie & Papa Earl)

Now my favorite picture... Grandma Jeannie & Papa Earl gave me the Red Lantern lights for my birthday... SO VERY COOL!!! Can you tell I really like them?

Here's a better shot of one:

After Grandma & Grandpa left I got a bug up my rear and decided that I wanted to drive to Canada so I could say I was in another country for Christmas. Hunter drove with me on a nice & sunny (but colder) Idaho afternoon. I dropped him off at the Porthill Mercantile to wait for me since he doesn't have a passport.

The Canadian border patrol agent thought it was humorous. When she asked what the purpose of my visit was and how long I would be in Canada, I said "I'll be here for no more than 15 mintues. I want to go up and turn around so I can post on Facebook that I was in another country for Christmas."



The U.S. agent didn't find it as funny coming back. It's not like the border was busy, there was only one car in front of me and no one behind me. They were so slow that she asked me to turn off my motor and pop my hood so the two guys standing outside of the little booth could check under my hood. Isn't it sweet & nice that they check your oil for you? They did the same thing for the car in front of me... but this lady was kinda grumpy. Maybe I was interupting a good book she was reading or do you think they train them not to smile or something?



On the drive up and drive back home we saw some amazing views. Isn't North Idaho just beautiful? Just in case I haven't mentioned it lately... I LOVE IT HERE!










Once we got home I started two batches of the No-Knead Bread recipe below. Here's a photo of the dough mixed up and ready to sit around for 12-18 hours. I'll be actually baking them tomorrow for us to have with dinner.



So far it has been a nice & relaxing Christmas Day which is exactly what I wanted. Tonight's dinner will be Ribs but I'm not sure if we are going to do a sit down dinner or just a free for all... It may, or may not be, test run #3 but if it is I'll post up later.

Here's some shots of Hunter helping me make the ribs.



Merry Christmas everyone. I hope you all have a blessed day.

~Jamie

No-Knead Bread Recipe

Here's the full recipe that Roxanne gave as a link in the comments here: Background, Why, Goals, & the Rules of the Game

I want to post it just in case the NY Times ever removes the link. We'll be making it soon and post our experience with it when we do:

Recipe: No-Knead Bread

Published: November 8, 2006 in the NY Times
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 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.