Breaking bread.

 

A couple of weeks ago, Edye stumbled upon a bread recipe that sounded too good to be true... but there was a video and it was the New York Times, how could it be fiction? So, much to Alastair's alarm, she went into the kitchen pulled out the yeast, salt and flour and started throwing them all together. Quelle horreur! Then, she added water... straight from the tap!

When Alastair asked (in that way spouses do when they don't want to offend, but know that their loved one is teetering on the brink of failure), 'What are you doing?' Edye responded playfully, 'I'm making bread,' and grinned. The world must have tipped on its axis: Bread is Alastair's turf, Edye hates yeast.

Then, the messy, gooey dough was covered and abandoned...

'Aren't you going to knead it?' Alastair asked increduously.

'Nope.'

And, she didn't touch it until the next day when she formed the dough into a ball and turned into a HOT Le Creuset pan, put the lid on and shoved it into the oven and walked away again. About an hour later, a lovely, crisp boule rolled out of the oven looking spritely, somewhat mysteriously not ours but beckoning. When we sliced into it, we cringed at being caught not waiting long enough... but it smelled like bread, looked like bread and we couldn't wait any longer to see if, indeed, it ... yes, it was.

So, now Alastair and Edye make bread: hot, crusty and heavenly for breakfast or dinner. We no longer lament the lack of bakeries in Britain, nor do we have to go to the supermarket for a box-shaped and cardboard tasting loaf.

And, now it's yours. For those of our friends and family who are so far away, we share this with you. Breaking bread with you, after a fashion.


Alastair and Edye's No-Knead Bread

This recipe is based on the scribbles Edye copied from the original NYTimes recipe. Alastair follows Edye's notes without ever seeking the formal instructions, sound familiar?

3 cups flour (scooped)
1/4 tsp. instant yeast (the word 'instant' is important)
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c water

Mix dry, add water. Cover with kitchen towel, let proof 12 - 19 hours. Put lidded pan in oven, preheat to 450 degrees. Meanwhile, turn out dough, lightly pat, fold in thirds, then thirds again, turn over, seam down. Turn over again, seam up into pot and cover. Bake 30 minutes with lid on, +/-15 minutes with lid off. Turn out onto rack to cool.

No Knead Bread (actual recipe)

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
¼ teaspoon instant yeast
1¼ teaspoons salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed.

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 68-70 degrees.

2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot; it may look like a mess, but that's O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

Yield: One 1½-pound loaf.

There are accompanying video, photos and article.

We'd love to hear from any of you who give this a taste.

Enjoy!