I used to make my own bread many years ago. It took a lot of time and attention and with my busy schedule, I really couldn't fit it in anymore- not until I discovered the no knead- little attention bread technique originally popularized in a New York Times article. Now I try to make this crusty boule once a week. It is fabulous and the secret to having the crisp, crunchy crust and soft airy interior is the flour-water ration and using the right Dutch oven- I use an enameled Lodge pot (see photo)- I also have a French Fontignac. Both are enameled cast iron. Both also have the heat resistant bakelite sort of plastic (maybe its silicon) knob. My Fontignac says it is resistant to 430 degrees so I cut the temperature down by 20 degrees (the standard directions are for 450 degrees) and wrapped the knob in aluminum foil before putting it in the hot oven. The bread came out perfect even though I decreased the temperature by 20 degrees. If you have an iron top knob on your Dutch oven- keep the 450 degree temp. When you handle the sticky dough- don't flour your hands or else you will change the flour-water ratio. Wet your hands when you handle the dough and it won't stick. This recipe really needs little attention but it does need to be made over 2 days. Start it late in the afternoon and you can finish it the next morning. The basic recipe is below. After making the basic boule, I think I will try adding other ingredients- maybe a kalamata olive bread or add some fresh herbs like thyme.
No Knead Crusty Boule
3 cups of flour (preferably a good bread flour like King Arthur's)
1/4 tsp instant yeast (make sure it is instant yeast)
1 tsp salt
1.5 cups warm water
You also need parchment paper.
1. Late in the afternoon or early evening, mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl. It will look pretty shaggy but that's OK. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it set overnight in a warm place for about 15 hours more or less. After "sleeping" it should be about doubled and bubbly.
2. Flour a surface and use a spatula to dump the dough out of the bowl onto the surface. Wet your hands and grab the dough pulling all the sides to the middle then turning it over and continue to fold th eends under so you have a nice tight ball shape on top. Keep your hands wet so the dough does not stick to your hands.
3. Put a square of parchment paper on your counter. Plop the dough, which is in the shape of a tight ball with the ends tucked under, on to the paper. Lift the parchment paper and put bread and paper into a smaller bowl to rise. Cover bowl with a moist towel and let it rest for about 2 hours. It should just about double in size.
4. About half an hour before the rest period is over, turn on your oven to 430 degrees (if you have a plastic knob- 450 if not). Put the your pot into the oven and let it preheat for 30 minutes so the pot will be really hot.
5. Remove the hot pot and plop the dough into the pot. If your pot is really well seasoned, you won't need the parchment paper. I leave my bread on the parchment paper anyway so it's easier to lift out. If you want your boule to look more rustic, pinch and twist the top so it looks sort of like a belly button. The more rough it is on top- the more rustic your bread will look. Shake the pot a little bit to even out the dough.
6. Put the cover back on and bake for 30 minutes in the hot oven. Then uncover it and bake for another 20-25 minutes or until well browned.
7. Remove from oven, and let cool. You will hear the bread sing as the crust crackles as it cools!
8. Hopefully you will have a nice crunchy crust with a chewy bread texture that has lots of air holes. lather while still slightly warm with Irish butter and you will be in bread heaven!
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