The basic bread without additions - it's wonderful


The first loaf I ever baked - parmesan and rosemary - I immediately wrote the Foodwine list about this amazing bread!


Asiago cheese, Rosemary, sun-dried tomato and green olive - practically a meal in itself

 

 

Amazing Almost No-Knead Bread

 

(Note from Cook’s Illustrated) Transferring dough to a preheated Dutch oven to bake can be tricky. To avoid burnt fingers and help the dough hold its shape, we came up with a novel solution: Let the dough rise in a skillet (its shallow depth makes it better than a bowl) that's been lined with greased parchment paper, then use the paper's edges to pick up the dough and lower it into the Dutch oven. The bread remains on the parchment paper as it bakes.

 

An enameled cast-iron Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid yields best results, but the recipe also works in a regular cast-iron Dutch oven or heavy stockpot. I used a heavy Le Creuset Dutch oven.

 

Use a mild-flavored lager, such as Budweiser (I used Shiner Bock). The bread is best eaten the day it is baked but can be wrapped in aluminum foil and stored in a cool, dry place for up to 2 days.

 

This is a loaf of bread that both looks and tastes incredible.

 

 

3 cups (15 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus additional for dusting work surface

 

¼ teaspoon instant yeast

 

1 1/2 teaspoons table salt

 

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons water (7 ounces), at room temperature

 

 ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons (3 ounces) mild-flavored lager

 

I tablespoon white vinegar

 

1. Whisk flour, yeast, and salt in large bowl. Add water, beer, and vinegar. Using rubber spatula, fold mixture, scraping up dry flour from bottom of bowl until shaggy ball forms. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 8 to 18 hours.

2. Lay 12- by 18-inch sheet of parchment paper inside 10-inch skillet and spray with nonstick cook­ing spray. Transfer dough to lightly floured, work surface and knead 10 to 15 times. Shape dough into ball by pulling edges into middle. Transfer dough, seam-side down, to parchment-lined skillet and spray surface of dough with nonstick cooking spray. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until dough has doubled in size and does not readily spring back when poked with finger, about 2 hours.

3. About 30 minutes before baking, adjust oven rack to lowest position, place 6- to 8-quart heavy ­bottomed Dutch oven (with lid) on rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees. Lightly flour top of dough and, using razor blade or sharp knife, make one 6-inch­long, l/2-inch-deep slit along top of dough. Carefully remove pot from oven and remove lid. Pick up dough by lifting parchment overhang and lower into pot (let any excess parchment hang over pot edge). Cover pot and place in oven. Reduce oven temperature to 425 degrees and bake covered for 30 minutes. Remove lid and continue to bake until loaf is deep brown and instant-read thermometer inserted into center regis­ters 210 degrees, 20 to 30 minutes longer. Carefully remove bread from pot; transfer to wire rack and cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.

 

ALMOST NO-KNEAD BREAD WITH OLIVES, ROSEMARY, AND PARMESAN

Follow recipe for Almost No-Knead Bread, adding 4 ounces finely grated Parmesan (about 2 cups) and 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves to flour mixture in step 1. Add l/2 cup pitted, chopped green olives with water in step 1.

 

ALMOST NO-KNEAD WHOLE WHEAT BREAD

Follow recipe for Almost N 0- Knead Bread, replacing 1 cup (5 ounces) all-purpose flour wim 1 cup (5 ounces) whole wheat flour. Stir 2 tablespoons honey into water before adding it to dry ingredients in step 1.

 

ALMOST NO-KNEAD CRANBERRY-PECAN BREAD

Follow recipe for Almost No-Knead Bread, adding l/2 cup dried cranberries and 1/2 cup toasted pecan halves to flour mixture in step 1.

 

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