I really, really want to learn how to make homemade bread. I've been hinting to Adam for months that I'd like a bread machine for my birthday.
But, when we waiting to be seated at Founding Farmers in DC, I picked up a book called "Food Matters" by Mark Bittman, a food columnist for the New York Times. He had a recipe for homemade wheat bread that looked incredibly easy. Just like that, I decided that I didn't need a bread machine because I could totally tackle this bread making thing on my own.
No-Knead Whole Wheat Bread
{From Mark Bittman}
But, when we waiting to be seated at Founding Farmers in DC, I picked up a book called "Food Matters" by Mark Bittman, a food columnist for the New York Times. He had a recipe for homemade wheat bread that looked incredibly easy. Just like that, I decided that I didn't need a bread machine because I could totally tackle this bread making thing on my own.
No-Knead Whole Wheat Bread
{From Mark Bittman}
Ingredients:
3 cups wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
Directions:
1. Combine the flour, salt and yeast in a large mixing bowl. Add 1 1/2 cups water and stir until blended. The dough should be wet and sticky, but not liquid. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest in a warm place {like the microwave} for twelve to twenty-four hours.
2. Grease your metal loaf pan with some of the olive oil. Put the dough in the bread pan and use a spatula to settle it evenly. Brush the dough with the remaining olive oil. Cover with a dishtowel and let the dough rise again for an hour or two.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the bread for forty-five minutes. Immediately turn the loaf out onto a cooling rack and let it cool before slicing.
3 cups wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
Directions:
1. Combine the flour, salt and yeast in a large mixing bowl. Add 1 1/2 cups water and stir until blended. The dough should be wet and sticky, but not liquid. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest in a warm place {like the microwave} for twelve to twenty-four hours.
2. Grease your metal loaf pan with some of the olive oil. Put the dough in the bread pan and use a spatula to settle it evenly. Brush the dough with the remaining olive oil. Cover with a dishtowel and let the dough rise again for an hour or two.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the bread for forty-five minutes. Immediately turn the loaf out onto a cooling rack and let it cool before slicing.
It's that easy! This bread is perfect for enjoying as a side with dinner or even for dessert with butter and jam/honey. But...it's not quite sandwich material. I'm still on the hunt for a taller and fluffier bread for our daily dose of pb&j.
I LOVE baking my own bread! It makes the apartment smell so good! Let me know if you ever find a fluffy PB&J bread... I've been trying for MONTHS with no luck!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you decided to make your own. I think bread machines are kinda "cheating" a bit. I haven't tried it yet, but everyone and their mother has been RAVING about the book Artisan Breads in Five Minutes a Day. Apparently, it's super easy, super delicious, and doesn't involve all the kneading/waiting for bread to rise phases (even though it does use yeast).
ReplyDeleteyum yum! let me know what you think about unplanned and the human experience! maybe blog about them!
ReplyDeleteCaitlin--
ReplyDeleteHi! I peek at your blog sometimes, and only just started my own. Anyway, I wanted to comment on this post... here is the recipe I use:
http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/Simple-Whole-Wheat-Bread/Detail.aspx
I use brown sugar instead of honey, and more wheat and less white flour. It definitely takes some time to make, but you get a lot of bread out of it (I make it into 3 loaves, bake all of them, and freeze two. This makes small sandwiches, but one commenter said she makes it into two loaves and its great sandwich size). Plus you can do other things during the different stages (I like to bake on laundry days). It is somewhat dense and sweet for sandwich bread, but I love it! Its fairly easy too... it was my second or third attempt at bread baking, and came out perfectly the first time I made it!