This Bread Kneaded A Miracle

A couple weeks ago, my friend Lizzie brought over a bowl of rising dough and we poured it out onto a floured surface, folded it over itself twice with the extra flour and then folded it up in a floured, cotton towel and waited another 2 hours to let it rise MORE. We heated up a cast iron pot (with lid) in the oven at 450 for about 20 minutes. The we poured the dough into the hot pot and baked covered for 30 minutes and then another 15 uncovered. And the final product - HEAVEN. BREAD HEAVEN.

So, I decided to do it all by myself yesterday, following the "No Knead Bread" recipe from Sullivan Bakery NYC, posted by Mark Bittman in the NY Times a few years ago. Followed the recipe and let the dough rise for 20 hours or so, then "kneaded" the bread and let rise for another 2-3 hours. Well, the first sign that something was amiss was the amount of water that had accumulated under the rising dough when I went to fold it over and wrap it in cloth. I didn't remember there being excess water. Anyhow - the dough did rise more in the cloth, but not enough...which again leads me to believe there was either too much water and/or not enough flour.

Also, I made two batches and wrapped them in different cloth towels (can't use terri-cloth). The dough in the thicker towel was much easier to transfer into the pot and also rose more. So that is key - a towel that will keep the dough covered and dry - and to do that you also need to really flour that towel so it doesn't stick so much (it'll stick either way).

Anyhow, this time was a bust. The bread tasted good, but clearly didn't rise enough and wasn't as delightfully airy (with the wonderful crunchy crust) it's supposed to be. So I will do it AGAIN and really watch my measurements. You know how I mentioned I have a tendency to eye-ball...and multi-task. But it couldn't be an easier recipe, dammit! I'm starting to think I need to change the title of this blog to "The Misadventures of Baking..."

Here's the recipe - in case anyone else wants to take a crack at it. I have no doubt you'll have better luck...

(Note - make sure your pot has a lid and can be baked up to 500 degrees. Most glass lids can't go that hot, but if they are tempered like the one on my new cast iron pot. they should be fine. Also a stainless steel stock pot with (steel) lid can suffice.



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.
Yield: One 1½-pound loaf.


I still ate it...of course. And it was pretty delicious dipped in olive oil. More like focaccia or the amazing bread you fill up on at Lo Cocco's while you wait for your pizza. Ok, not that good. I wouldn't be complaining if it was.