This weekend, however, I took the plunge and baked some bread from scratch. It was a huge success. The crust was soft, crispy, and flaky, with great flavor and a substantial crumb. It was golden brown and possessed a wonderful, meaty texture. In short, it turned out just like what you would expect from a fine artisan bakery. I did it all without any stress or rhythmic thumping. (I have several witnesses, and they are free to comment here and verify that this is all true. If they do not agree, of course, and did not like my bread, they are NOT invited to comment.)
So, after baking just one loaf, I have joined the baking elite.
I wish I could take credit for any of it. Here is the secret recipe, though, and the accompanying article. The trick has to do with time and baking procedures. To get the crispy crust, apparently all you need to do is bake the dough sealed in a big pot. The pot lid keeps the moisture in, thus keeping the crust dough wet (as everyone knows, this moisture is the key to that crispy crust that all good bread has). Also, if you let the dough rise for a long time, apparently you don't have to knead it at all.
7 comments:
As a witness to the eating part of this process, I must agree that the bread tasted fantastic. So good, even, that I didn't feel sad that I couldn't eat the dessert. It fulfilled my need for sweets---which, admittedly, is saying something. :)
Congrats on mastering another major food item, along with mashed potatoes and chocolate chip cookies. Perhaps you could bring said bread on Feb. 20th as well. :)But to hear that it trumped the sweets, maybe that would be too much to ask for one meal.
I know Jocelyn makes a delicious artisan pot bread as well. Have you talked to her about it?
I have had this bread flagged as a to make for two weeks. Hopefully I will find time this weekend. It looks yummy. Maybe you can tackle parker house rolls next.
That looks delicious! I want to try it!
NY Times bread? Sounds pretty liberal to me!
I found this recipe in a video on youtube a few weeks ago, and I've been meaning to try it. I'm glad it turned out so well for you. I'm excited to try it. It looks beautiful.
The bread was delicious! I would describe the crust as chewy and European. But, to set the record straight, the picture is not of Bryan's loaf. Bryan's was beautiful, but not quite that symmetrical. But it was just a first try. . .:-)(Ellie)
Post a Comment