Following the success of our last loaf of bread we decided to try a new loaf using mostly just regular flour, instead of the bread flour we used previously. I had about a half a cup of the bread flour left so I used that and 2.5 cups of regular flour, keeping every thing else the same.

Well, almost everything. Instead of using bran, this time we used cornmeal, flour, oats and flax seeds.  As with the other loaf, this bread turned out marvelously!

We wondered whether using regular flour would make the bread a little less dense and whether that would make the holes (butter traps...) bigger.

One thing I noted was that the bread was not at all browned when I removed the lid. The bread also appeared to have risen higher than the first loaf.

So, that meant that I cooked it longer than the first, leaving it in the oven for a full 15 minutes after removing the lid, whereas I cooked the first loaf for a mere 7 minutes after removing the lid.


Since Chip had gone to bed by the time this loaf was ready, I waited until morning to cut it open and try it. As with the first loaf, Chip did the honours. He came in from his usual Saturday morning run, took a shower and then came down to cut the bread. Once again, the crust was so hard that it was difficult to cut. We may need a superior bread knife soon. The holes did indeed appear to be larger. We toasted the bread and slathered it with butter. I added honey to mine and the butter traps turn out to be very good honey traps as well. Heh.

All I can say is Mmmmm....fantastic!

I think we'll try the next loaf with rosemary and whole grain flour.

Innovations in bread baking don't come along every day so when I saw an article in the NY times for a no-knead bread with the taste of bakery bread, I was excited. There is even a video! w00t!

The news spread quickly across the Blogosphere and pretty soon I was seeing blog after blog touting the simplicity and beauty of this new recipe.

Encouraged by the success of my friends, I set out to make my own no-knead bread.

The recipe was simple:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon instant/dry yeast
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 5/8 cups water

Mix all the dry ingredients, add in the water and stir well.  Cover your bowl with plastic and put in a warm place for 12-18 hours. You'll know it's done when the surface is dotted with bubbles.

Lightly flour your work surface and scrape your dough out. It will still be quite sticky. Turn the dough in on itself a time or two then sprinkle it with a light dusting of flour and cover it with plastic. Allow the dough to rest for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile lay out a cotton t-towel and generously cover it with flour, bran, cornmeal, or any combination thereof. Dust your hands with flour and move your dough onto your prepared teatowel and quickly shape your dough into a round loaf.

Once again, dust the top of your loaf with flour/cornmeal/bran and cover with a second cotton teatowel. Let sit for two hours until the dough has doubled it's size.

About 20 minutes or so before your bread is ready, find a good heavy 4-6 quart pot that has a lid. I used my Le Creuset enamel coated cast iron dutch oven. Say that three times fast.


Pre-heat your oven to between 450 & 500. I set mine for 450.  When the oven is ready, stick your pan inside and warm it until your dough is ready.

Remove the top teatowel and slide your hand under the bottom teatowel. Hold it over your warmed pan and flip your dough inside.

Cover your pan with the lid and bake for half an hour and then remove the lid.

This picture illustrates what greeted me when I removed the lid. It was already lightly golden and beautiful. I had to call Chip down from upstairs just to gaze upon it's beauty.

The instructions said to cook it for another 15-30 minutes  but we took it out in about seven because the colour was perfect.

I removed it from the oven and the pan, placing it reverently on a wire baking rack and then we waited anxiously while it rested for five minutes. As the buzzer sounded we both ran to the kitchen. I handed Chip the bread knife and let him do the honours as I snapped pictures.

Now isn't this a beautiful sight? I bet you wish you were here sharing this loaf of bread with us? I don't think it will last long. I may never buy another loaf of bread again.

Wouldn't this make a fantastic hostess gift? Of course you may overshadow your hosts but hey... I think they'd forgive you.










We smothered this with butter and sunk our teeth into it, savouring the smell. Cutting through the crust was a challenge.



It really did have a crust I never expected to achieve in my own home.
Inside we found the big holes you find in bakery quality bread. It was warm and tender and truly delicious.

I was supposed to have lunch with Adam but he got stuck on the call queue so instead I took him a sandwich on the fresh bread. He declared it a "must have" for Thanksgiving dinner.

I have to say, I quite agree!