Kneadlessly Simple: Fabulous, Fuss-Free, No-Knead Breads (24 page)
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Authors: Nancy Baggett
Tags: #Cooking
KS Quotient
Easy: Few ingredients, added all at once. No shaping required.
Infused with fresh, roasted garlic and punched up with a little Parmesan, this is a whole different animal from the typical commercial loaf peppered with garlic salt. The flavor of the roasted herb is much more subtle, earthy, and appetizing. And the cheese gives the bread a beautiful golden hue, crisp crust, and characteristic Parmesan aroma. Be sure that both the garlic and cheese are fresh and of good quality, as they are what makes (or breaks) this bread. Even if you love garlic, curb the impulse to add extra; too much of it can inhibit the yeast growth.
If you're a fan of pesto, you can add a couple tablespoons to the dough for a handsome, basil-flecked bread; see the variation at the end. Homemade pesto is best, but a high-quality commercial pesto will suffice.
The bread is lovely cut into thick slices and served with a bowl of minestrone, spaghetti, or any other Mediterranean-style dish or meal. The slices are also good grilled or toasted and used for crostini. Top with an eggplant or olive spread for a memorable munchie even vegetarians can enjoy.
Yield: 1 large loaf, 12 to 14 portions or slices
1 large head (knob) garlic
1 tablespoon good-quality olive oil, plus more for brushing dough
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus 2 tablespoons for garnish
4 cups (20 ounces) unbleached all-purpose white flour or white bread flour, plus more as needed
Scant 2 teaspoons table salt
1¼ teaspoons instant, fast-rising, or bread machine yeast
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons ice water, plus more if needed
Preliminaries
Peel off and discard the papery outer skin from the garlic but do not separate or pull off the cloves. Cut across the pointed tops of the cloves to expose the flesh inside; discard the cut-off portion. Put 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small ovenproof custard cup or small bowl. Dip the cut side of the garlic into the oil to coat the cloves, then turn the head cut-side up and set in the cup. Cover the cup with foil. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the garlic is very soft and fragrant. Let cool, then squeeze or scrape out the garlic from the cloves into a medium bowl. Add ¼ cup of Parmesan and thoroughly mash with a fork until the mixture forms a paste. The paste may be made several days ahead and refrigerated; let warm up slightly and stir before using.
First Rise
In a large bowl, thoroughly stir together the flour, salt, and yeast. Vigorously stir the water and the garlic mixture into the bowl, scraping down the sides and mixing until the ingredients are thoroughly blended. If the mixture is too dry to incorporate all the flour, a bit at a time, stir in just enough more water to blend the ingredients; don't over-moisten, as the dough should be very stiff. If necessary, stir in enough more flour to stiffen it. Brush or spray the top with olive 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. If convenient, vigorously stir the dough once partway through the rise.
Second Rise
Using an oiled rubber spatula, lift and fold the dough in towards the center, working all the way around, avoiding deflating as much as possible. Brush or spray with olive oil. Re-cover with nonstick spray— coated plastic wrap.
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 2-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 24 hours, then set out at room temperature. Continue the rise until the dough doubles from the deflated size, removing the plastic if the dough nears it.
Baking Preliminaries
20 minutes before baking time, put a rack in the lower third of the oven; preheat to 450°F. Oil the inside of a 3- to 4-quart (or slightly larger) Dutch oven or heavy metal pot. Heat it in the oven until it just starts to smoke, then remove it (use oven mitts). Taking care not to deflate the dough, loosen it from the bowl sides with an oiled rubber spatula and gently invert it into the pot. Don't worry if it's lopsided and ragged-looking; it will even out during baking. Spritz or brush the top with water, then sprinkle over 2 tablespoons of Parmesan. Immediately top with the lid. Shake the pot back and forth to center and even out the dough.
Baking
Reduce the heat to 425°F. Bake on the lower rack for 45 to 50 minutes. If the loaf is golden brown, continue baking, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes longer, until the top is well browned and a skewer inserted in the thickest part comes out with just a few crumbs on the tip (or until the center registers 207° to 208°F on an instant-read thermometer.) If the loaf top looks pale after the initial 45 to 50 minutes, uncover and continue baking for 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown. Then bake for 5 to 10 minutes longer to ensure the center is baked through. Cool in the pot on a wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes. Run a table knife around the loaf to loosen it. Transfer it to the rack; cool thoroughly.
TipMost pot breads won't stick to their baking containers, but cheese breads sometimes do. That's why this recipe calls for oiling the pot before preheating it.
Serving and StoringThe loaf tastes good warm but will cut much better when cool. Cool completely before storing. To maintain the crisp crust, store draped with a clean tea towel or in a heavy paper bag. Or store airtight in a plastic bag or wrapped in foil: The crust will soften, but can be crisped by heating the loaf, uncovered, in a 400°F oven for a few minutes. The bread will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days, and may be frozen, airtight, for up to 2 months.
After mashing the garlic and the Parmesan into a paste, mix in 3 tablespoons homemade or commercial pesto until well blended. Proceed exactly as for the original bread.
KS Quotient
Easy: All ingredients added at once. No hand-shaping.
Herbed olive breads often feature rosemary, and sometimes oregano or thyme, but this unusual, wonderfully savory Cypriot version goes in a deliciously different direction with chopped fresh cilantro, mint, and chives. The bread surface is crackly crisp, but the olive-studded inside is tender and almost soft, due to the ample addition of olive oil. The loaf is a large, shaggy-looking round with a slightly open texture. Wedges or chunks are pretty irresistible "plain," and sumptuous dunked in olive oil.
You'll need a Dutch oven or similar heavy pot or deep, flat-bottomed casserole for baking this bread. See chapter
Getting Started: Basic Know‐How, Ingredients, and Troubleshooting
if you aren't sure what to use.
Yield: 1 large loaf, 14 to 15 wedges or slices
4¼ cups (21.25 ounces) unbleached all-purpose white flour, preferably unbleached, plus more as needed
1¾ teaspoons table salt
¾ teaspoon instant, fast-rising, or bread machine yeast
2 cups ice water, plus more if needed
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives or finely chopped scallion tops
¼ cup good-quality olive oil, plus more for brushing dough top
1 cup thoroughly drained, chopped (pitted) Kalamata olives
About 3 tablespoons cornmeal for dusting baking pot
First Rise
In a large bowl, thoroughly stir together the flour, salt, and yeast. In another bowl or measuring cup, vigorously whisk together the water, cilantro, mint, and chives. Stir the mixture into the bowl with the flour until the dough is just lightly mixed. Then add the olive oil, scraping down the bowl sides and mixing until thoroughly blended. The dough should be very stiff; if necessary, add in enough more flour to stiffen it. Gently stir in the olives until evenly distributed throughout. Brush the top with oil. Tightly 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
Using an oiled rubber spatula, lift and fold the dough in towards the center all the way around until thoroughly loosened from the bowl; don't deflate any more than necessary. Evenly brush the inside of a 3½- to 4-quart Dutch oven or other heavy pot or large, deep, flat-bottomed ovenproof casserole with olive oil. Add the cornmeal, then tip the pot back and forth to distribute it on the sides. Invert the dough into the pot; don't worry if it's ragged-looking or lopsided. Shake the pot to center the dough. Brush the surface with olive oil. Top the pot with its lid.
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 24 hours, then set out at room temperature. Let rise until the dough has doubled from its deflated size.
Baking Preliminaries
20 minutes before baking time, place a rack in the lower third of the oven; preheat to 475°F.
Baking
Reduce the oven temperature to 425°F. Bake on the lower rack, covered, for 55 to 60 minutes or until crisp and lightly browned. Brush the loaf with olive oil and continue to bake, uncovered, testing until the top is well browned and a skewer inserted in the thickest part comes out with just a few crumbs on the tip (or until the center registers 207° to 208°F on an instant-read thermometer), 12 to 15 minutes longer. Bake for 5 to 10 minutes more to ensure that the center is done. Cool in the pot on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the loaf and remove it to the rack; let cool completely.
Serving and StoringThis loaf tastes good warm, but will cut better when cool. Cool completely before storing. To maintain the crisp crust, store draped with a clean tea towel or in a heavy paper bag. Or store airtight in a plastic bag or foil: The crust will soften, but can be crisped by heating the loaf, uncovered, in a 400°F oven for a few minutes. The bread will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days, and may be frozen, airtight, for up to 2 months.
