A conversation with bread
Bread, we’ve come a long way, haven’t we?
It seems like only yesterday that you were a troublesome character. Nothing short of abuse would make you behave. I’ll be honest; sometimes I loved giving you what was coming to you. Slapping you around, kneading the hell out of you until I deemed you ready for a rest. Those were some fun times. And don’t lie, you liked it, too. All I ever wanted to do was break you. Is that too much to ask?
Over the years, we were fools to think it would get easier. When the early 1900s brought us stand mixers and dough hooks, we knew we had an upper hand in the relationship. When the 1980s gifted us with bread machines and rapid rise yeast, we thought that maybe, just maybe, we had a chance.
But bread, you were stubborn still. It got to the point where nothing short of song, dance and good old-fashioned ‘80s sex appeal would work on you. I can’t believe you made this guy work so hard for you. You’re nothing if not selfish.
Making bread in the 80s
MySpace Melbourne | MySpace Video
All synth and sex aside, I’m tired of resenting you for being so difficult. I’m a changed woman, bread. I’m getting older – wiser—and I want something simple. Something effortless. Our relationship is too much drama sometimes, don’t you think? If I propose a new idea, will you at least try it? For us?
You see, a few years ago, Mark Bittman told us that the more we ignore you, the better you’ll be. If we put in as little effort into you as possible, you rise, obviously missing all of the attention we once bestowed.
And when you’re fresh from the oven, my goodness, you’ll be wearing your Sunday best! A youthful sheen over a crunchy, bubbly crust, and a tender heart that’s just begging to be dressed in garlic butter. You’ll be a pleasure, pure and simple.
Maybe with a sudden change of heart on your part, and my cease to abuse, our relationship will finally work out. I’ll give you what you want – time, love, and patience – and you’ll give me what I want – nourishment, taste, and satisfaction. I think we can do it. Do you?
(Click on link below for recipe)
No-Knead Bread
- Adapted from Mark Bittman and The New York Times
- Time: About 1-1/2 hours plus 14 to 20 hours’ rising
- 3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
- 1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
- 1-1/4 teaspoons salt
- Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed.
1. In a large bowl add flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until dough is shaggy and sticky, but blended. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rest at least 12 hours (preferably about 18 hours) at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.
2. Dough is ready when its surface is bubbly. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle dough 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, shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton kitchen towel (not terry cloth) with flour. Put dough ball seam side down on towel and dust with more flour. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. You’ll know it’s ready when the dough is more than double in size and will not readily spring back when touched.
4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (Le Creuset, 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, seam side up (it may look like a mess, but that is OK). 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 browned. Remove from pot and cool on a rack.
Yield: One 1-1/2-pound loaf.
(**P.S.: Thanks to David Lebovitz, who found that awful ’80s clip.)
– Cynthia Furey
December 30th, 2008 at 2:03 pm
Hey, I didn’t give them permission to use me and my sculpted abs and awesome 80s hair in that video! I want my royalties!
Great bread though. I love that stuff!
December 30th, 2008 at 7:40 pm
Love the look of that crust! I’m a “kneader” and the first time I tried it, it was hard to believe the look of loaf of no-knead bread when it came out of the oven. It does seem like the more we let it take its time and do its own thing, the better?
December 30th, 2008 at 9:32 pm
Wow! What a beautiful loaf of bread! Very nice job.
December 30th, 2008 at 9:37 pm
Ah, bread… my longtime rival. Thanks for the tip – I’ll definitely have to try this as more often than not my bread is leaden.
December 31st, 2008 at 9:43 pm
Cooks Illustrated worked with this recipe, which they like but found not flavorful. Their contribution, which I use, makes use of several ounces of beer and an ounce of white vinegar in substitution for just plain water. I have played with various combinations and have finally settled on just beer and an ounce of white vinegar. It is a wonderful bread.
January 1st, 2009 at 7:30 am
I too came late to the Bittman no knead bread phenomenon. Beware, it can become an addiction.
January 1st, 2009 at 3:04 pm
What a beautiful loaf! I’ve seen this bread so many times and each time it looks so tempting, I have to give it a try already!
January 1st, 2009 at 11:18 pm
Your writing cracks me up!
So this actually works? Amazing. I’ll have to try it when I can get my house to stay over 65 degrees.
What’s up with the 1 and 5/8 cups of water? Seems like a random measurement.
January 2nd, 2009 at 10:44 am
The 5/8 put me off a little too! In the NY Times story Bittman indicates that there’s a percentage range for water content in bread dough, and this recipe is about 42 percent water — on the high end. I wonder if it’s because some of it ends up as steam.
January 2nd, 2009 at 10:54 am
Hey Pete! I had never heard of C.I.’s version before your comment. I looked at some photos for the C.I. version and it too l00ks like a great recipe that I’m gonna have to try. I like the Bittman bread because it’s a blank canvas for compound butters and for mixing in spices and cheese (it takes rosemary and cheddar very well).
January 3rd, 2009 at 8:15 am
I’m glad to hear that it takes rosemary well since that’s what I mixed in yesterday when I started this process (I threw in a little onion as well). I’m so glad I stumbled onto this post. I haven’t made bread in years!
I can’t wait to see how this turns out.
January 3rd, 2009 at 12:19 pm
Damn that bread is stubborn … reminds me of women I’ve dated. Great piece. Love the angle you took.
take care
Jeff
January 5th, 2009 at 7:58 am
[...] Furey and the Feast has a bread recipe based on the podcast I saw of Mark Bittman’s No-Knead B…. But I’m scared of straying from the recipe which gave me my one and only success! [...]
January 6th, 2009 at 11:59 am
CYN!!! That video is HILARIOUS!! i think I even caught him doing ab rolls (a la Vrushali Korde style from Drill Team – or was that “frying the bacon”?), and a yoga pose or two!!
I love the writing – anything with personifying food works! 
Intro is great!
I haven’t tried the bread yet, but Steve is always telling me to bake something besides banana bread, something to go with soup – I’ll try it!
You know me – simple is best so I won’t screw it up!
January 25th, 2009 at 2:04 pm
What a nice bread! And nice clip too! lol! I’ve tried making bread a few times and the crust always becomes quite hard. I have to try a few more times and see.
February 18th, 2009 at 8:11 pm
LOL! That video has me cracking up. I love the no-knead recipe. If you are interested in more variations of it you should look at the book “Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day”.
March 13th, 2009 at 4:26 pm
I am Venezuelan women, I Like your blog, is very cool!
May 7th, 2009 at 6:06 pm
What am I doing wrong, it says the dough will be sloppy, but mine isn’t. It looks and feels like regular dough.
May 8th, 2009 at 10:33 am
Hi Amy! The first few times I made it, it initially did just look like regular dough. I added a couple tablespoons more water the next time (It was around summer and I wondered if the heat had something to do with drying it out) and it was fine. After you let the dough rise the first time, it does get more gooey and liquidy, better fitting the description. Let me know how it turns out!
October 13th, 2009 at 1:49 am
I had no luck with this bread. It was such a mess, the kitchen counter was still sticky three days after, and the dough didn’t rise properly. It tasted okay, but I don’t think I’ll make it again.
October 17th, 2009 at 10:30 pm
That sucks! You know the first time I made this recipe, it did seem a little sticky. On a humid, balmy day, I’ll add less water and it turns out OK.
March 4th, 2011 at 11:16 am
I love the “no knead” factor of this bread. This recipe rocks but my bread making still sucks. Fortunately my husband seems to like it… he’s obviously after something!
June 7th, 2011 at 5:42 am
I opine that to get the loan from banks you ought to have a firm motivation. But, one time I have got a student loan, because I was willing to buy a house.
January 24th, 2012 at 7:31 pm
Good work,hope your blog be better!I just want to make a blog like this!for your nice sharing!Just keep on.