Slow Bread

Do you know what is in the bread that you buy? Here is an ingredient list from a commercial white bread: enriched wheat flour (wheat flour, niacin, iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), water, high fructose corn syrup, potato flour, soybean oil, yeast, wheat gluten, calcium sulfate, sodium chloride, ammonium chloride, sodium stearoyl lactylate, mono and diglycerides, ascorbic acid, azodicarbonamide, calcium propionate, turmeric, paprika. Yummy, huh? It sounds like a science experiment to me.

The basic recipe for bread contains flour, yeast, salt and water. That's it. Chemicals are not necessary to produce a loaf of bread. And if you've been lucky enough to taste homemade bread, made without the chemicals, you will know that chemicals do not even make a tasty bread. I am lucky enough to have a mother who bakes bread. When I was a child, our home was often filled with the aroma of bread baking in the oven. To this day, it is one of my favorite smells. And homemade bread is one of my favorite foods.

Over the years, I learned to make bread myself. (Maybe not as good as Mom, but I don't do too bad!) Many people are intimidated by the thought of baking their own bread, but it really is a simple process. It just takes time. I have heard some people say they don't want to do all the work of kneading the bread. I enjoy kneading bread, though. I think it is a great stress reliever. But there is a way of making homemade bread without kneading, and without resorting to a bread maker.

No-knead breads have been around for as long as bread has. Kneading quickens the process of gluten molecules binding together. But slow rising will achieve this as well, and will enhance the flavor and texture of the bread. Slow rising may also fit into busy schedules a little better. Recently, I tried a no-knead recipe for the first time, and it was absolutely the best loaf of bread I have ever made. The crust was crunchy and the interior was light and airy. The taste was fantastic. And it was so easy. Below is my adaptation of a no-knead bread recipe that ran in the New York Times in 2006. It will produce one round loaf of bread. Try it!

No-Knead Bread
Time required: 1 1/2 hours, plus 14 to 20 hours for rising

Equipment needed:
1 large mixing bowl
1 6- to 8-quart heavy pot, with lid (cast iron, enamelware, glass or ceramic - no aluminum or steel)
2 cotton kitchen towels (no terry towels)
1 kitchen thermometer
1 spatula
measuring spoons
measuring cups
cooling rack
plastic wrap

Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/4 tsp. instant yeast
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1 5/8 cups warm water (110 to 115 degrees)
2 Tbsp. olive oil (optional)

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, yeast and salt. Add the warm water and stir until blended. The dough will be very wet and sticky. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rest for at least 12 hours (18 hours is even better), at room temperature, about 70 degrees.

2. Dough will be dotted with bubbles when it is ready. Lightly flour a work surface, and using a spatula, pour dough onto it. Sprinkle the dough with a little flour, and using the spatula, fold it over onto itself. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest for 15 minutes.

3. Coat a cotton towel with flour. With floured fingers, shape the dough into a ball. (It is very sticky and wet, so just do the best you can.) Place the ball of dough on the floured towel. Dust with more flour and cover with a second cotton towel. Let rise for about 2 hours. Dough should double in size.

4. About 30 minutes before the dough is ready, preheat oven to 450 degrees. Put your 6- to 8-quart lidded pot in the oven as it heats. It's important that the pot be heated when you put the dough in it. When the dough is done rising, carefully remove the pot from the oven. If you like olive oil, drizzle 2 tablespoons in the bottom of the pot. This isn't necessary, though. (I just like the taste!) Slide your hand under the towel and turn the dough over into the pot. Shake the pot a little if dough is not evenly distributed. It looks like a big ol' mess, but that's OK. Cover with lid, and bake for 30 minutes. Remove lid and bake for another 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Carefully dump the bread out of the pot and cool on a cooling rack.