It all started last weekend, when my family came to visit. I thought I would give a recipe for five-minute-bread I had seen on Down to Earth a try. It was a huge success, and I've had a fresh loaf baked every other day. It truly is a simple exercise, much simpler than the results gained!
Pane di casa. Literally.
You will need a heavy lidded pot. I already have an enamelled cast-iron one which I love making rich, hearty, slow-cooked things in. Mum and I spied a wider, shallower version in Aldi last week, so we snapped one of those each. It really is as simple as mix, leave, shape, bake.
Mix: 5 cups plain flour + 2 1/2 cups water + 1 1/2 teaspoons salt +1/2 teaspoon yeast
Leave: cover and leave overnight in a warmish place
Shape: Ease the dough out of the bowl and shape however you like.
Bake: Preheat the lidded pot in a very hot (250 degrees Celsius) oven for 15mins. Bake for 30mins, then a further 10mins at 200 degrees Celsius with the lid off.
I have had some fairly brickish results from past breadmaking efforts, but this one is a keeper. I know because i just wrote the recipe down by heart.
Ham and Cheese scrolls looking oh-so-toasty.
My tips:I've been using 1 1/5 cups wholemeal flour and 3 1/2 cups white.
Warm water seems to help with the rising more than cold.
If you have an oven with a separate grill section, you can turn the oven on low and sit your dough in the grill section to get nice and cosy and rise a little quicker.
The less you touch it the better. The recipe calls for a quick knead after rising, but my better loaves have been turned out and only very briefly massaged.
Stock up on butter. You are going to need it.
These babies will be going in the freezer for emergency school lunches.
Do you make bread at your place?
Mmmmmm mmmm. :-) x
ReplyDeleteI make the no-knead bread often - I think it's very similar to yours. Tell me, are those ham and cheese ones with the same bread base? I NEED THAT RECIPE!!!! x
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