Whole Wheat No-Knead Bread

The idea of no-knead bread was introduced by Jim Lahey, in this New York Times article a few years ago. All credit for the idea goes to him, of course. I've made variations on this recipe over the course of those years, but I've found I like the simplest version the best. This loaf uses 2/3 whole grain flours and produces a wonderfully crusty, bubbly loaf with extremely minimal effort.

 The idea of no-knead bread is that an extended rising time lets the gluten develop without kneading. You only use a small amount of yeast (otherwise you would have a dough explosion!).  I love this recipe for its hands-off nature. I've discussed bread-making before, and how it really only takes a few minutes of effort, spaced out over time, but this recipe takes that a step further. You mix the ingredients, cover and let rest for 18-24 hours (longer is better).  Punch it down, let it rise another hour or two, then bake. You're hands-on for all of 10 minutes to produce a bakery-quality loaf.

This requires some pre-planning of course - because the rise time is so long, you need to be prepared to wait for your bread. Probably no big deal - but if you want something to make for dinner tonight, this recipe isn't it.  But if you can plan ahead, this recipe is so easy that it's well-worth the extra wait time.

 The other special requirement here is a cast-iron dutch oven. I use this one from Lodge (who makes great cast-iron cookware), but you could use another brand, including an enameled version. If your dutch oven has a plastic handle, remove it before placing it in the oven (it can melt!) - there are metal replacement knobs available for Le Creuset dutch ovens.  If your dutch oven is small, you can bake two smaller loaves; I bake one large loaf in the Lodge oven. If you don't have, and don't want to purchase, a cast iron dutch oven, you can try baking this loaf on a regular old baking sheet - it's likely that it will turn out fine, but the crust will not be the same.

I've written the directions below the way I make this bread, which differ a bit from the original method, but feel free to follow the NYT instructions if you prefer.

Whole Wheat No-Knead Bread
You can use different flours or proportions of flours here if you like - but stick with gluten-containing flours (like wheat) to ensure good texture. And yes, the tiny amount of yeast is really all you need.
Yield: 1 loaf

INGREDIENTS
1 cup whole wheat bread flour
1 cup bread flour
1 cup whole grain spelt flour
1/4 tsp yeast
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups water
Additional flour or cornmeal, for dusting

DIRECTIONS
1. Stir together flours, yeast, and salt. Make a well in the center with your fist, then pour in the water. Stir to combine, until a dough forms. If it is too dry, add additional water 1 tbsp at a time. If it is too wet, add additional flour 1 tbsp at a time. This should be a sticky dough.
2. Place in a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside to rise 18-24 hours. (I place it on top of the fridge.)
3. After the rise, punch down the dough and shape into a round loaf. Place on a baking sheet dusted with flour or cornmeal, cover with a clean dish towel, and let rise 1-2 more hours, until at least doubled in size.
4. Place a covered cast iron dutch oven in your oven (adjust the racks as necessary first).  Heat the oven to 450 degrees, allowing at least 30 minutes to pre-heat. 
5. Carefully uncover the dutch oven, place the dough in the bottom, and re-cover. Bake 30 minutes, until golden brown. (The original recipe says to bake an additional 15-30 minutes uncovered, but I found the loaf was done at 30 minutes. If you like a darker crust, let it go uncovered a bit longer.)  

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Applesauce Pecan Bread

Our spring weather has hit a bit of a snag - with temperatures dropping to freezing last night, I had to bring the more delicate plants inside. It's going to be a bit chilly today, but it should warm back up pretty quickly. In anticipation, I'm getting things together for a few more outdoor plantings. Even though I know harvest is a long ways off, each day I grow more eager for harvest time. For now, I have to console myself with baking bread. And that's how this hearty loaf was born. 

This is a quick bread, meaning it's not yeast-raised so there is no rising time. It's sweet, but not overly so, and heavily studded with nuts and raisins. And between whole wheat flour, honey for sweetness, and only a bit of butter, it's not so bad in the health department either.

I like a slice of this bread, warmed for a few seconds in the microwave, with my coffee.  It's dense and not overly moist (like some banana breads can be), so it's fairly sturdy.You can see how many nuts and raisins there are from these pictures - trust me, this bread does not skimp on flavor!

Keep this loaf in the fridge, and it will easily keep a week or more. The aroma of the spices as this bakes are truly heavenly - it's worth making just to fill the house with that smell.

Applesauce Pecan Bread
Yield: 1 loaf

INGREDIENTS
1 large egg
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 cup honey
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9"x5" loaf pan with nonstick spray.
2. Combine egg, applesauce, butter, and honey in a medium bowl and stir to combine. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg and stir to combine.
3. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in raisins and pecans.
4. Bake for one hour, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove bread from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

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Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread

  

This whole wheat sandwich loaf is our basic, go-to bread recipe. The loaves are dense enough to support a sandwich, but not as dense as all whole-wheat loaves. The bread is lightly sweet and has just the right amount of moisture. It slices well, keeps on the counter without a problem, and toasts perfectly. I like to make this on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, while we're doing various chores and errands that don't keep us away from home for too long. 

Although the process takes a while to complete, with several rises, I don't consider it time-consuming. That's because most of the time it takes is down-time – you need a minute or so of work, then you leave it be for another hour. Easy. And bread making is one of the most rewarding cooking tasks for me, personally. There's something about slicing into a fresh loaf you made with your own hands that is incredibly satisfying. If you have never made bread before, I highly recommend you try it, at least once. If the smell of fresh-baking bread filling your home isn't enough motivation, think of how proud you'll feel after accomplishing this "difficult" task.

 

That's right, I don't think bread making is difficult. Tricky, sure, it can be. Something where experience is important, and practice really makes perfect, certainly. But it's not hard. You CAN do it, and you'll be glad you did.
 

I adapted this recipe from Joy of Cooking, in the interest of full disclosure. Their original recipe, as written, did not work at all for me (it was extremely dry!!!), and so I adapted it to suit my tastes (and to actually make bread, rather than a dry, floury mess). Their recipes usually work for me, and although this one did not, I like my adapted version a lot. So I suppose it all works out in the end.

 

Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread
This recipe uses part whole wheat flour and part white flour to keep the texture of the bread lighter. It is ideal for slicing for sandwiches or toast and keeps well on the counter.
Yield: 2 9x5 inch loaves

INGREDIENTS
1 ½ tbsp active dry yeast (2 packets, or 4 ½ tsp)
1 – 1 ¼ cup warm water
1 cup milk
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp maple syrup (or honey)
1 tbsp salt
2 cups whole wheat bread flour
3-4 cups bread flour

DIRECTIONS
1. Combine 1 cup water and yeast in a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer, if you plan to use it for making the dough). Set aside.
2. Combine milk, butter, maple syrup (or honey) and salt in a measuring cup. Microwave for 1 minute, stir well, then microwave about 20 seconds longer, until the butter is just melted and the liquid is warm (105-115 degrees Fahrenheit). Stir into the yeast mixture.
3. Stir in the two cups of whole wheat flour to the liquids, then add 3 cups of the bread flour. Continue working the dough until the flour is absorbed. You want the dough dry enough that it does not stick to your hands or the bowl, but wet enough that it sticks to itself and incorporates all of the flour. At some point, you’ll need to switch to your hands to work the flour into the dough. If the dough has not reached this consistency, add either more flour (if too wet) or water (if too dry) one tablespoon at a time, to achieve the correct consistency. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes.
4. Place the dough in a large oiled mixing bowl, flipping once (so both sides get some oil on them) and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place for about an hour, until approximately doubled in size. (The top of the refrigerator is a great place to let dough rise.)
5. Once the dough has doubled, punch it down and let it rise another hour (in the same bowl, still covered with plastic wrap).
6. After the second rise, punch down the dough again, and divide it in two. Spray two 9x5 inch loaf pans with cooking spray. Take one half of the dough and flatten it into a rectangle with your hands. Tightly roll it along the long side (so you get a long and skinny roll, not a short and fat roll), and tuck then ends under to form a little loaf shape. Place in the pan, spray or brush the top with a bit of oil, and repeat with the other half of the dough. Cover the loaves with a clean dish towel, and let rise until doubled again, 20-45 minutes.
7. While the dough rises, preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit (425 if using glass or dark metal pans). 8. When the dough has doubled, place the pans in the oven (uncovered). Bake 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees (325 if using glass or dark metal pans) and bake 25-30 minutes longer. The crust should be golden brown, and the loaves sound hollow when tapped when the bread is done baking.

9. Remove the pans from the oven, and remove the loaves from the pans. Place the loaves on wire racks to cool completely. Store in an airtight container (I use gallon-size baggies). You can freeze a loaf, sliced or unsliced, to keep fresh if you won’t go through them very quickly.
 

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Pumpkin Focaccia

We've had some crazy weather mood-swings the past few weeks - from single digits to a few days in the mid-50s, the weather can't seem to decide what it wants to be. The nice thing is that this means any ice that forms doesn't stick around for more than a few days. Oddly, however, my cooking can't decide if it's winter or spring. Winter means hearty, warm, comforting meals. Spring means fresh, herb-y creations. I suppose every season needs some good baking though, because that's about the only thing I've gotten creative with recently.

It seems like everything I've posted the past few weeks is bread. Or baking. No real entrees! Our meals have been fairly simple, with lots of leftovers, and repeats of things I've already posted. Like bagels. Or this potato salad.  Grilled fish. You get the idea. I'm planning to try a few new, more creative ideas this weekend - so here's hoping I'll have some real meals to show you soon. In the meantime, enjoy the baked goodness!

The pumpkin here doesn't really lend much flavor to the bread; I added it for moisture and softness. It makes the bread a beautiful golden color. The flavor is much more from the herbs and pumpkin seeds, which give a hearty, substantial feeling to this bread.

Like I mentioned before, you can always just use more rosemary in place of the lavender. Or use whatever herbs you like best. I imagine some fresh basil would be a delicious addition.

Pumpkin Focaccia
This hearty flat bread is ideal for dunking in soups.
Yield: 2 loaves

INGREDIENTS
2 cups bread flour
1 1/4 cups white-whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp lavender
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
2 tsp instant yeast
1 - 1 1/4 cups warm water
1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

DIRECTIONS
1. Crush rosemary and lavender in a mortar and pestle (or, in a bowl, using the back of a spoon).  Combine flours, salt, crushed herbs, seeds, and yeast in a large bowl. Stir to combine. Make a well in the center of the flour and add the water and pumpkin puree. Stir until all the flour is incorporated, adding extra water 1 tbsp at a time if the dough is too dry. (You may need to switch from a spoon to your hands at some point.)
2. Knead the dough for 5 minutes or so, on a clean surface, until it is smooth and elastic. Add some flour to the surface if your dough is sticking too much.
3. Lightly oil a large mixing bowl. Place the dough in the bowl and flip once (so the dough gets a light coating of oil). Cover with plastic wrap and leave to rise in a warm place for an hour or so, until the dough has approximately doubled in size.
4. Divide the dough into two pieces, and shape each into a flat bread about 1/4 inch thick using your hands. I made two oval-shaped loaves, so they would fit on my round pizza stone side-by-side. Place the doughs onto a lightly oiled baking sheet, and brush the top with olive oil. Sprinkle on the pumpkin seeds. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rise until puffed, about 25 minutes.
5. While the dough rises, place your pizza stone in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
6. When the dough is done rising, reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees, and carefully transfer the dough to the hot pizza stone. Bake for about 15 minutes, until golden brown. Cool loaves on a wire rack.

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Rosemary Lavender Cornbread

This is the cornbread we took to the potluck over the weekend. It's not a huge departure from traditional cornbread, but rather a subtle variation that makes it extra delicious.You get a slightly sweet, very flavorful cornbread that's perfect alongside whatever soup or chili you dream up. Or drizzle with some honey and eat it for dessert!

Rosemary and lavender are very complimentary herbs, lending a sweetly herbal/floral note to the bread. They smell amazing when you crush them together.  Trust me, the whole effort of making this bread is justified by that smell.

I used a mortar and pestle to crush my herbs, as pictured above, but you can use the back of a spoon in a bowl with curved sides to crush the herbs, or just leave them whole. You don't want them reduced to a powder, but you want to avoid huge pieces. I imagine fresh lavender and rosemary would be amazing here, if you have them.

If you don't have/can't find/don't want to buy lavender, you can substitute an equal amount of rosemary - it should still be quite tasty.

Rosemary Lavender Skillet Cornbread
The herbs add a subtle sweet and floral note to this classic bread. 
Yield: 1 12-inch skillet sized loaf

INGREDIENTS
1 cup whole wheat bread flour
1 1/2 cup fine cornmeal
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp rosemary, crushed
1 tsp lavender, crushed
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 eggs
1 cup milk

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil a 12-inch cast iron, oven-safe skillet.
2. Crush the herbs in a mortar and pestle (or use the back of a spoon in a bowl) until slightly crushed and very fragrant. 
3. Combine flours, salt, baking powder, and herbs in a large bowl, and mix together. Make a well in the center, and add the remaining ingredients. Stir until just combined.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and smooth the top with a spoon or spatula, so the batter reaches the edges of the pan.
5. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the top of the bread is golden brown. Let cool slightly before slicing or removing from pan.

We enjoyed this with corn chowder, and I've been snacking on pieces straight from the fridge.

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