Skip to main content

The Easiest Bread Recipe

I have to confess that I'm a little behind in my blog for this week.  To tide you over, here's a recipe for super easy, no-knead bread that practically makes itself.

You can make endless variations on this recipe (at least I haven't come to an end) by switching out some of the AP flour for whole wheat (not all of it, that makes for a pretty unpleasant loaf), adding nuts, seeds, grains, spices, herbs, a little sourdough starter, a touch of olive oil, etc.  You can even put in a scoop of canned pumpkin (decrease the water a little bit) and some cinnamon.  Or soak garlic cloves in olive oil, then brush the top of the loaf with the infused oil and sprinkle with sea salt and dried parsley before baking.  Once you get the hang of the basic loaf, the sky's the limit.

If you add just enough extra flour to make the dough a little more stable, you can form a standard loaf, or rolls, or even braid it, if that's your heart's desire.  It probably wouldn't make a bad pizza dough, either, although I have yet to try that.

Equipment needed:  Liquid and solid measuring cups, measuring spoons, large mixing bowl, plastic wrap, parchment paper, 6 quart enameled cast iron stock pot.

Ingredients:

5 cups AP flour
1 tsp yeast
2 1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups water

Dump all ingredients in your mixing bowl and stir until combined (I mix by hand - don't knead).  Sprinkle a little flour on top, cover with plastic wrap, leave out on kitchen counter, and go to bed.

When you get up in the morning, punch dough down if necessary (how much the dough rises will depend on how warm and humid your kitchen is).  Put stock pot with lid in oven and pre-heat to 500. Leave pot and lid in oven for 30 minutes.

While oven is heating, dump dough out onto well-floured surface and form into ball.  Place on parchment paper, dust top of dough lightly with flour, and cover again with plastic wrap.

When oven is fully heated, remove pot - don't forget how hot that pot is!  Remove plastic wrap from dough, and put the dough with parchment paper in the pot.  Cover with lid, and return to oven.  Reduce heat to 450, and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove lid and continue baking for 10-15 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.  Allow to cool just enough that it's safe to eat, because man is it delicious warm!  Enjoy!!!


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The complexity of communication

com·mu·ni·ca·tion ( kə ˌ myo ͞ on ə ˈ k ā SH( ə )n/) noun - the imparting or exchanging of information or news Sounds simple, right?  And at its heart, sure, the concept of communication is simple.  You let me know something, I respond, repeat as necessary, and the expected result is that an idea has been shared to the satisfaction of both parties. But we’ve all had a misunderstanding or even an argument that illustrates darned well the complexity of communication.  Ever struggled to figure out why a fussy baby is crying? While you read this, do you know which words I’m emphasizing, if I’m trying to be funny, what I might be exaggerating, or when I’m completely sincere?    The words we say are just a small part of what we communicate.  Intent, mannerisms, and personal experience all influence purpose and perception.  We can communicate without saying a word (let me add that I am mightily jealous of anyone who can raise one eyebrow at a ...

Making the most of an open office

The open office: love it or hate it, you probably don’t get to choose the layout of your workspace.  You can decide, though, to make the most of it.  Here are a few tips for getting along and maximizing productivity in a big, busy, loud space. Noise canceling headphones are invaluable in a shared workspace.  On a phone call, keep your attention where it belongs.  Use Plantronics’ Voyager Focus for maximum passive and active noise cancelling, both so you can concentrate on what’s being said and so that background noise doesn’t annoy your caller.  When you’re not on a call, use the Focus to listen to music, block out the surrounding noise and allow you to, well, focus.  Inevitably, headphone fatigue will set in, no matter what device you use.  Consider that fatigue a reminder to take a walk, stretch your legs, and refresh your mind. All offices should have available spaces where employees can shut the door and get a little quiet or have a priva...

The New Plantronics Voyager 8200 UC

When kids feel slighted or jealous, they’re likely to accuse their parents of favoritism.  I’ve let my children know, from the get-go, that I probably do have a favorite, but don’t panic.  My bias is fluid and easily won.  This is a carefully thought-out and tested philosophy intended to keep the young’uns on their toes and kissing up, which is right where I like them.  Now that I have access to the latest and greatest Plantronics’ offerings, it turns out that my choice of headsets can also be swayed.  But I’ve never denied being fickle. Not long ago, I waxed rhapsodic about the Voyager Focus, its superior noise cancelling, comfort, and the way it helped me concentrate and get work done.  Recently, though, I started using the new Voyager 8200 UC, and, well, be still my beating heart. The 8200 is Plantronics’ latest offering in the Bluetooth enterprise headset market.  It’s modeled on the amazing BackBeat Pro 2, and looks more like a cons...