Breakthrough Bread

For the most part, I consider myself a fairly confident cook. While the desire to feed others is part of my Mennonite DNA, cooking is actually something I enjoy. Yes- I am one of those people who LOVES reading cookbooks and experiments with new recipes all the time. I love making something from scratch and I really love having a spouse who eagerly dives into my culinary experiments.

Like everyone, there are a few things I simply cannot make. Boiled rice, for example. I gave up on it years ago (opting to bake it because it was the only way I could make it edible) and now leave the boiled rice to Jeff, who makes it effortlessly and perfectly every time. I also gave up on yeast dough until we got married. Kneading is not something I do right, for some reason, and I was NEVER able to create smooth and elastic dough until I met the "dough" cycle on Jeff's bread machine and the dough hook on my beloved Kitchen Aid mixer. Finally, I am able to make acceptable pizza crust and cinnamon buns (featured in coming posts)... but still struggled with making really good bread.

UNTIL NOW!! Passed on by two culinary genius friends (kudos to P & B!!) is a 4-ingredient recipe that will knock your socks off. I think it is based on a recipe from the legendary Sullivan Bakery in New York and is one that I can't wait to share.


 
Yield: 1 loaf

3 cups of white flour (plus a tablespoon or two for dusting)
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon yeast
1 1/3 cups water

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt.

2. Add water; stir until blended and the dough forms a rough, shaggy and sticky ball. It will not look like a smooth dough but don't worry!

3. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let rest at least 12 hours (preferably about 18 hours) at room temperature. Simply leave it alone! And- do not put it in the oven with light on (like I did a few times and ended up with a much flatter and dense bread). Just leave it alone on the counter.

4. After its slow rise, the dough surface will dotted with bubbles. Rub a little flour around the inside of the bowl to release the dough (it is still sticky) and place it on a lightly floured work surface.

5. If the dough surface is still sticky (quite likely), sprinkle it with a little more flour. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently fold the dough over itself four times (from both sides, top and bottom), tucking the final fold in to create a smooth rounded ball. Let rise for 15 minutes to 1 hour; 15 minutes will yield a dense, velvety bread while an hour will yield a lighter, more bubbly bread.

6. Ten minutes before the dough is ready, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Put a heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in the oven as it heats. I find that a small round casserole dish works great.

When the dough is ready, remove the hot pot from oven and drop the dough into it, seam side down. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes.

7. Cover with lid and bake 20 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 25 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned.

8. Cool on a rack for about an hour. Because the bread is fairly dense, it will still be warm and steamy inside after a hour of rest. Slice and enjoy with your favourite bread topping! Jeff recommends Nutella while I prefer raspberry jam topped with paper-thin slices of cheddar cheese.