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variations on "no knead" bread

paul johnson <paulzjoh@mtnhome.com>
Sun, 25 Sep 2011 05:30:26 -0500
v111.n038.3
NYT no knead bread

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting  (get italian 
bread flour from Sam's Club)
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 5/8 cups water
Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed.

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups 
water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover 
bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably 
about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly 
flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it 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.

*[I've changed step 3&4 without any drop in quality. Put final ball 
of dough on floured parchment paper for final rise.  After dough is 
on parchment you never have to touch it again. Pick up parchment 
paper and place in a plastic container with lid, I use a 6 by 13 
one.  Put lid on and let.rise.  Still use 2 hr.  or longer 
rise.  When oven and pan are heated just pick up dough by using 
corners of parchment paper and put in hot pot. By using parchment 
paper you don't have to take pot out of oven, just take off lid and 
drop dough in, Lots quicker and a lot less messy.  Paper is easily 
removed after baking.]*

3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work 
surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a 
ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, 
wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust 
with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel 
and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more 
than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 F. 
Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or 
ceramic) in oven as it heats. (I have been using one of those small 
speckled enamel chicken roasters) 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 O.K. 
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 
beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

*If you find a whole loaf too much, there are two options.

At end of first rise, freeze half of dough; takes roughly 24 hours to 
defrost and raise, perhaps a little less flavor, but not much difference.

Or after a day or so of eating when interior of loaf has dried out a 
little; slice bread and freeze.  I freeze in two slice portions just 
wrapped in cling wrap. 15/20 seconds in microwave completes defrost.*

Yield: One 1 1/2-pound loaf.