Back in the days of college, the "Atkins" diet was one of the those lingering dietary buzzwords. I never really understood it but the gist seemed to be that bread was off limits. This concept did not sit well with the ladies of my dormitory who could take down a French baguette daily. In response, they coined their regiment as the "Snikta" diet. Get it? Atkins spelled backwards.
Yah, I thought it was pretty silly too.
What I will agree with is that bread is awesome.
Dipped in olive oil, topped with cold cuts, slathered in peanut butter, or floating in soup- bread can make or break a meal. My favorite type of bread is airy with a soft interior and crispy, crunchy exterior. The center is easy to pull apart and absorbent; the exterior has texture and a little chew.
Naturally, I had to know the recipe when my coworker brought in a homemade bread that met all my requirements (thank you, KJ). This No-Knead Bread by Jim Lahey of Sullivan Street Bakery is wildly popular and was posted in the New York Times. It's really as simple as it sounds - mix, sit, bake.
There is one catch, however, to being absolved from kneading the bread: a wild amount of time (14-20 HOURS) needed to let the dough rise. Make sure you time this one out! I let mine rise over night to knock out a good chunk of the waiting time. As you can see... all the patience yields a beautiful loaf of carboliciousness.
There is one catch, however, to being absolved from kneading the bread: a wild amount of time (14-20 HOURS) needed to let the dough rise. Make sure you time this one out! I let mine rise over night to knock out a good chunk of the waiting time. As you can see... all the patience yields a beautiful loaf of carboliciousness.
For the recipe, check out this post in the New York Times for No-Knead Bread or this post for the speedy version!