Kneadlessly Simple: Fabulous, Fuss-Free, No-Knead Breads (18 page)
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Authors: Nancy Baggett
Tags: #Cooking
KS Quotient
Easy: Fuss-free ingredients; two-stage mixing. Hand-shaping required.
My friend Cronshi makes challah regularly, and says she has used the traditional version of this recipe more than 100 times. When she heard about my
Kneadlessly Simple
method she asked me to rework her recipe to reduce her time spent baking each week. Now, except for the shaping and braiding, her bread takes only a few minutes of effort here and there. She likes to made four-strand loaves, and even if you've never braided bread before, this dough is so easy to handle you can do it, too. (I have also included instructions for a three-strand braid, in case you're more comfortable starting with that instead.)
This is a nice, middle-of-the-road challah with a pleasant but not overpowering egg and honey taste and a handsome golden crust.
Challah
originally referred to a sacred bread offering that was given to the priests, but has come to mean an enriched one special enough to serve on the Sabbath. Challah originated in eastern Europe, but is now a staple in many Jewish-American homes.
Yield: 2 large braided loaves
5 1/3 cups (26.66 ounces) unbleached all-purpose white flour, plus 1 1/3 cups (6.66 ounces), plus more as needed
2¼ teaspoons table salt
1¼ teaspoons instant, fast-rising, or bread machine yeast
1/3 cup clover honey or other mild honey
¼ cup corn oil, canola oil, or other flavorless vegetable oil, plus extra for coating dough top and baking pan
2¼ cups ice water, plus more if needed
2 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature and beaten with a fork
1 egg beaten with 2 teaspoons water for egg wash garnish
2 to 3 tablespoons poppy seeds or sesame seeds for garnish, optional
First Rise
In a very large bowl, thoroughly stir together 5 1/3 cups of the flour, the salt, and yeast. In another bowl or measuring cup, thoroughly whisk the honey and oil into the water. Then vigorously stir the mixture into the bowl with the flour, scraping down the sides and mixing until thoroughly blended. If too dry to blend together, add just enough more water to facilitate mixing, but don't over-moisten, as the dough should be stiff. If necessary, stir in enough more flour to stiffen it. Brush or spray the top with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. If desired, for best flavor or for convenience, you can refrigerate the dough for 3 to 10 hours. Then let rise at cool room temperature for 12 to 18 hours.
Second Rise
A little at a time, vigorously stir the beaten egg-yolk mixture into the dough. (Or use a dough hook and heavy-duty stand mixer on low speed.) Then vigorously stir in the remaining 1 1/3 cups of flour, plus enough more flour to yield a hard-to-stir consistency. Let rest for 10 minutes. Spray two 15-inch-long sheets of baking parchment with nonstick spray, then dust each generously with flour. With well-oiled kitchen shears, cut the dough in half; each half will form a loaf. Then divide one of the halves into 3 or 4 equal pieces, placing them separated on a well-floured work surface. One at a time, dust the pieces all over with flour, smoothing it in until the dough is easy to handle. Working on a clean, flour-dusted work surface and using your palms, roll the 3 or 4 pieces into 12-inch-long strands, dusting with flour as needed to prevent sticking. Taper the strands so they are 2½ to 3 inches thick in the middle and about 1 inch thick at the ends. Lay the strands side by side on the parchment. Form a braid as follows:
For a 3-strand braid: Starting in the center of the strands and working to one end, lift the left strand over the center one, so the left one is in the center position. Lift the right strand over the center one, so the right one is in the center position. Repeat the process, lifting the leftmost strand, then the rightmost, until the end is reached. Then, start in the center again and braid the second half out to the end. Tuck and press the ends underneath.
For a 4-strand braid: Starting from the center and working outward, lift the far left strand over the next one to its right, then under the next one to its right, then over the far right strand. Working from the strand now at the far left, lift it over the one to its right, then under the next one, then over the far right strand. Repeat the pattern, always working from the left to the right until the end is reached. Then, start in the center of the strands again and braid the second half out to the end, working from left to right as before. Tuck and press the ends underneath.
Transfer the braid to a well-oiled baking sheet. Spray or brush the dough top with oil. Tent the pan with nonstick spray—coated foil. Repeat the preparations for the second 3- or 4-strand loaf.
Let Rise Using Any of These Methods
For a 1½- to 2½-hour regular rise, let stand at warm room temperature; for a 1- to 1½-hour accelerated rise, let stand in a turned-off microwave along with 1 cup of boiling-hot water; or for an extended rise, refrigerate for 4 to 48 hours, then set out at room temperature. Let rise until the loaves double from their original size, removing the foil as the dough reaches it.
Baking Preliminaries
15 minutes before baking time, place a rack in the lower third of the oven; preheat to 375°F. Brush each loaf evenly with the egg wash; be sure to reach the nooks and crannies of the braid, wiping up any egg from the baking sheet. Immediately evenly sprinkle the loaves with poppy (or sesame) seeds, if desired.
Baking
Bake on the lower rack for 25 to 35 minutes, or until the tops are well browned. Then cover with foil and continue baking for 25 to 30 minutes longer, until a skewer inserted in the thickest part comes out with just a few particles on the end (or until the center registers 201° to 203°F on an instant-read thermometer). Then bake for 5 to 10 minutes more to make sure the centers are done. Cool on the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Set the loaves on the rack; cool thoroughly.
Serving and StoringServe warm, or cool, or toasted; the bread slices best when cool. Cool thoroughly before storing in plastic or foil. Keeps at room temperature for 3 days. May be frozen, airtight, for up to 2 months.
KS Quotient
Easy: Fuss-free ingredients, added all at once. No hand-shaping required.
Most sticky buns are formed by rolling dough around a cinnamon-sugar mixture and fashioning pinwheel rolls, but these deliver the same luscious taste while skipping the fussy shaping. The dough is simply studded with little pockets and swirls of a buttery, cinnamon-sugar streusel and bathed in a gooey brown sugar sauce that forms on the bottom during baking. The buns are simultaneously shaped and baked in jumbo-size muffin cups (ones with a volume of about 1 cup each), then served inverted. So, the "tops" stay soft and the succulent sauce flows down the bun sides—yummy!
These are best eaten right out of the oven, so the refrigerator rise option, which lets you hold the buns for up to two days until ready for them, is particularly convenient. About 2½ to 3 hours before baking, allow them to warm up and finish rising on the counter, then pop them into the oven, bake, sample, and swoon!
The following buns are made from a half batch of the
Easy White Bread Loaves
. Use the other half to prepare a loaf of bread as directed in the original recipe.
Yield: 12 large buns
½ batch dough for
Easy White Bread Loaves
, stirred and ready for the second rise
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
2/3 cup (3.33 ounces) unbleached white bread flour or all-purpose white flour, plus more as needed
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
½ cup (1 stick) cool, firm unsalted butter, cut into 1/3-inch pieces, plus 1/3 cup more, melted, for muffin cups
½ cup dark raisins, rinsed under hot water, thoroughly drained, and patted dry, or ½ cup chopped walnuts, optional
18 tablespoons (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons) dark corn syrup
Second Rise
Have on hand half a batch of Easy White Bread dough, ready for the second rise. Prepare the sticky bun streusel by briefly processing together the brown sugar, 2/3 cup flour, and cinnamon in a food processor. Add the butter pieces. Pulse the processor on and off until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. (Alternatively, combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and cut in the butter using forks or a pastry blender.)
Vigorously stir ½ cup of crumb mixture and the raisins or nuts (if using) into the dough until fairly evenly distributed; it's all right if some patches of crumbs remain. Evenly coat 12 jumbo-size muffin cups with melted butter. Put 1 teaspoon melted butter, 1½ tablespoons corn syrup, then 1 tablespoon of the crumb mixture in each cup. Cut the dough in half with well-oiled kitchen shears, then divide each half equally among 6 cups; dust the dough with a little flour for ease of handling, if desired. Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture over the dough portions, dividing it equally among them. Press down firmly on each with well-greased fingertips to imbed the crumbs. Drizzle any remaining butter over the tops. Tent the muffin tins with nonstick spray—coated foil.
Let Rise Using Any of These Methods
For a 1½- to 2½-hour regular rise, let stand at warm room temperature; for a 45-minute to 1½-hour accelerated rise, let stand in a turned-off microwave along with 1 cup of boiling-hot water; or for an extended rise, refrigerate for 4 to 48 hours, then set out at room temperature. When the dough nears the foil, remove it and continue the rise until the dough doubles from the original size or extends about two-thirds of the way up the cup sides.
Baking Preliminaries
15 minutes before baking time, place a rack in the lower third of the oven; preheat to 350°F. Set the muffin tins on a large rimmed baking sheet (to catch any boil-overs of the sauce).
Baking
Bake on the lower rack until nicely browned on top, 20 to 25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the thickest part comes out with only a few particles at the bottom (or the centers register 200° to 202°F on an instant-read thermometer). Remove to a wire rack and immediately run a knife around the buns to loosen. Place a heat-proof cutting board flat against the muffin tin, then invert the tin and shake to remove the buns; the bottoms will become the tops. Transfer the buns to a serving plate. Scrape any sauce clinging to the cups out onto the buns; serve immediately.
Serving and StoringThese are best served hot and fresh. They will keep at cool room temperature for up to 2 days. Freeze, airtight, for longer storage. Reheat, wrapped in foil, in a low oven (or under a plastic cover at low power in the microwave for about 20 seconds) before serving.
