Debunking the “Bread-Making is Hard” myth

For whatever reason, I always grew up under the impression that bread-making was really difficult. I think that most people that I’ve met have that same impression. I can’t tell you where the idea comes from, or what has caused it to persist through 28 years of my own life. However, I can tell you that this notion was only reinforced when my family bought a bread machine. Wow, it must be complicated if there is this expensive contraption who’s sole purpose is to bake a loaf of bread. I remember that even loading the machine up with the ingredients seemed pretty complex at the time and then it would perform some mysterious voodoo (usually overnight), resulting in a fresh, box-like loaf of bread. Sure, the bread that resulted was good – but the only thing that made it better than what we got at the store was that hour or so that it was still warm from baking. After than, it seemed to lose its magic. Needless to say, the bread machine didn’t really get used that often. Well, that’s about the time that I resigned myself from ever trying to bake bread again.

Fast-forward over a decade into the future and here I am, surfing the internet, when I come across this article and this video from the New York Times on a dead-simple no-knead bread recipe. Really? You don’t need to knead the bread endlessly until you fall over, pass out, and awaken only to find your dough has gone flat? I just mix together a few simple ingredients and basically let it sit until it’s ready to bake?!  Yea, right.

Now, this article has been across, and back, and across the internet again and again, so we know we’re not breaking any news here. We just want all of our family and friends (and the occasional random person) to know that BREAD BAKING IS NOT HARD and YOU SHOULD BE BAKING YOUR BREAD AT HOME! We’ve been baking this recipe for about a year now and it turns out great every time. Beautiful, crunchy outside, spongy inside, and just plain tasty. So, please, give it a try! And let us know what you think! If you’re not convinced, make sure you watch that video!

Just a few notes: The recipe calls for a cast iron, pyrex, or ceramic bowl. If you don’t have one, we’ve been using our ceramic crock pot bowl and it works great. Also, we like to add a layer of corn meal to the bottom of the bowl just before adding the dough. That way, the corn meal burns and not the bread and you can just brush the corn meal right off!

And finally, the New York Times recipe. Now get to baking!

Recipe: No-Knead Bread

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.