Off The Shelf: No Knead Bread

It’s Saturday night and you’re out to dinner.  The server brings over a basket filled with freshly baked, warm-to-the-touch-bread.  You gently spread some lightly salted butter over the top and immediately, it begins to melt.  You raise your hand to your mouth, take a deep inhale, savoring an indescribable scent. Before you know it, the next words out of your mouth are, “may I have some more bread please?”  Why yes, of course. 

For me, bread is much more than just a source of carbohydrates. It marks the end of a lengthy trip. Or the beginning of a great Italian meal.  It’s the base of my next great sandwich.  A quick snack between virtual classes with some melted cheese on sliced bread.  Toast at your favorite diner.  Bagels.  The possibilities are endless. 

However, homemade, freshly baked bread is a game changer. It fills our home with the most magnificent scent in the world and reminds me of the good things in life. Homemade bread reminds me of why we love to eat – at home, with family and friends. 

Today, bread, which has been a staple in most of our diets for thousands of years, is often disparaged as being unhealthy and a source of carbohydrates that promotes weight gain. But how accurate is that notion?  I scoured the Internet hoping for a direct resource to quote regarding this, but found only bits and pieces of information either vaguely affirming or denying the nutritional value of bread. According to National Geographic, the majority of breads are made with wheat flour that is also used in pasta, pastries, crackers, breakfast cereals, and noodles.  It can be crushed into bulgur, a high nutritional value cereal grain that is popular in the Middle East. 

The Institute of Culinary Education advises that freshly milled flour retains more of its vitamins, minerals and oils than aged flour as it immediately begins to oxidize when wheat berries are broken open.  It is the oxidation which causes nutrients to slowly start to degrade.  As we likely won’t be milling our own flour any time soon, mill dates on flour packages may actually serve some value, especially when considering that the commercialization of breadmaking often involves additional preservatives, additives and salt that are not good for us.  In other words, we need to choose our bread (and ingredients) wisely. And what’s better than making bread at home, with your own two hands, using only the most essential ingredients? 

For aspiring artisans, the bread-making process is still very lengthy. For those of us looking for an easy win during these long and arduous days of pandemic living, the recipe below uses just a few ingredients with easy-to-follow steps that are guaranteed to impress.

This recipe is from The New York Times.  It sustained my family through the pandemic.  It defines comfort food for us – perfect for any event, really, and always better when paired with salted Irish butter.  For your convenience, it also pairs well with escargot – see here for my first “Off the Shelf” article. 

Please be warned: the bread tends to vanish in a matter of minutes.  Poof! Oh well . . . you can always make more.  And if you are so lucky as to have some leftovers, consider toasting it for sandwiches the next day, soaking it in egg and milk for French toast, or using it to garnish the perfect French onion soup. You can also slap on some avocado and reap the many benefits of this nutritious combo.  After all, the world is your oyster… or bread box. 

 INGREDIENTS

• 3 ⅓ cups all-purpose or bread flour 

  • Plus a handful for dusting

• 1/4 teaspoon instant yeast

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt

PREPARATION

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt and mix gently with fingers.  Slowly add approx. 2 cups of lukewarm tap water while continuing to mix with your bare hands.  The mixture will be a bit shaggy, but please do not worry as this is the expected result. 

2. No need to knead!  Cover your bowl with plastic wrap and place in a dark area (ex. an enclosed kitchen cabinet) where the temperature is likely in the range of 70-80 degrees.  

3. After 15-18 hours, remove the dough from the bowl, dust it with flour and fold each side gently into the center of the dough without pressing down. Wrap in a light cloth and let sit for another 2 hours on the countertop.

4. Next, preheat the oven to 450 degrees and place an empty 6 quart Dutch oven into the oven for 20 mins.

5. Carefully remove the Dutch oven and quickly drop the dough in the middle of the pot.  Immediately cover and return to the oven for 30 minutes.  Remove cover and leave it for another 15 mins.  

6. Remove from the oven and enjoy with salted butter, olive oil, assortment of cheeses, escargot (my personal favorite), avocado, vegetables and the list goes on.