You’re asking, what’s the catch? Great, fresh bread with 5-6 minutes of hands-on work? It’s just that simple – just a few common ingredients and a couple common kitchen tools.

Tool Simplicity -- The gear list for a basic, slow-rise bread includes exactly six tools:

Use a sturdy stirring spoon, wood or metal

(1) Large mixing bowl (2) A sturdy mixing spoon (3) One-cup measure (4) Teaspoon measure (5) Baking pan or surface (6) Cooling rack

That’s it! Even the simplest of equipped kitchens can become a fresh bread baking factory! One of the stated reasons for not making yeast breads is the mess that arises during the process. The sticky kneading board or countertop, the fine dust of flour flown about the kitchen during kneading, or the yeasty dough underneath one’s fingernails, etc., etc. With this method, initial clean-up is limited to the mixing spoon, a one-cup measure and a teaspoon measure. How much easier could it get?

Dollars to Pennies – It would be difficult to drive to your local bakery, wait in line, and drive home in less than 5-6 minutes, but if time and flavor doesn’t convince you to try this bread making method, perhaps cost will. We added up the cost of the ingredients in the first recipe below and compared it to some other bread choices:

The Baking Pan – Not all bread needs to be baked in a loaf pan, though they certainly work quite well. Bread can be baked in a free-formed, round loaf and baked on a cookie sheet. Many of the recipes we explored called for using a Dutch oven or a lidded casserole dish. The heavy cast iron or ceramic character of these pans suits bread baking perfectly with their special heat transfer capabilities.

 

Serving Fresh Bread
If you’re a newbie to serving fresh-from-the-oven bread, you’ll find that it may be difficult to cut when hot. It’s perfectly fine to allow family or guests to tear a piece of bread from a fresh loaf. Or, allowing the bread to set a few minutes will make for easier cutting. A true bread knife is invaluable for slicing fresh bread. Choose a knife that has a serrated edge and is long-enough to match a typical loaf of peasant bread – at least a 10-12” blade length.

In a carpenter’s world the saying goes, “Measure twice, cut once.” Bakers don’t quite have the chance to measure twice, so it’s best to get it right the first time! Having accurate measuring tools is the first step. It’s amazing how many measuring tools are inaccurate in their construction. Choose tools that are from a reputable manufacturer. We have several styles of cups and spoons that we recommend and would be happy to point out their different features.

Measuring Liquids – To measure liquid ingredients, use a glass or plastic cup that has accurate markings and features a spout for pouring. When measuring make sure to “read” the liquid’s level horizontally from eye level. If the angle of your view is not level, your measurement will be off. Use a small rubber or silicone scraper to fully empty the measuring cup. For very viscous liquids like honey or molasses, oil the inside of the measuring cup; the sweet liquid will slip out easily without leaving any product behind.

Measuring Dry Ingredients – To measure dry ingredients, use graduated or nested measuring cups. They may be made of plastic, ceramic or stainless steel. We like measuring cups that have permanent markings embossed on their handles or sides. Painted markings may disappear in time with dishwashing and handling. With accurate tools in hand, a correct technique is also required. Here are a few tips for accurately measuring some common bread ingredients.

• Powdery Textures – (Flour, Baking Powder, Baking Soda, Confectioner’s Sugar) – Stir or lightly fluff the powder in its container. Spoon the powder into the measuring cup. Fill to overflowing, then scrape off any excess so that the contents are level with the top of the cup. Do not pack, tamp down, or allow it to settle. Also, do not scoop powdery ingredients with the measuring tool; this has the effect of packing the ingredients causing too much to be used.

• Granulated Textures – Sugar, Salt – Simply pour or spoon into the measure and level off.

Measuring by Weight – Measuring ingredients by weight is a well-used method in commercial kitchens and in international cultures. We often prefer weighing ingredients when baking because it is so easy to add ingredients according to the scale’s display without measuring cups or spoons. Convert your favorite recipes from volume measurements to weight measurements and simplify your life. The density of the ingredient will affect the volume-to-weight calculation; use the Nutrition Information table on the ingredient’s packaging where the volume-to-weight conversion for the product is listed.

Tip #1: Upon discovering your new favorite bread, mix several batches of the dry ingredients and store in a zipper bag. Write a card with the remaining ingredients listed, the baking temperature and time noted, and tape it to the bag. The next time you are ready to mix a loaf, it will take you only two minutes and only one spoon to wash!

Tip #2: Showcase your fresh bread in a bread basket, or on a cutting board draped with a beautiful tea towel. Baskets and fabric will allow steam to be released while keeping your bread warm.

Tip #3: Slow-rise, no-knead breads seem to use a smaller quantity of yeast than other yeast bread recipes and usually less than a single envelope. Consider buying a jar of yeast that allows you to use just what you need and avoids a half-used packet.

Tip #4: Yeast is a dormant, one-celled organism that “comes alive” when in contact with water. To ensure freshness, always check the expiration date when purchasing. Unopened yeast packages may be stored in a cupboard; opened packets or jars should be stored tightly closed in the refrigerator.

Tip #5: Within 5 minutes of removing the bread from the oven, turn the bread out of its pan and place on a cooling rack. This will prevent the outside of the bread from getting wet from steam condensation as the bread cools.

Tip #6: Slow-rising bread asks the yeast to work for a relatively long period of time. However, there are limits to yeast’s tolerance – at some point, the yeast can become expended and fail to rise – call it post-party exhaustion. Over-fermentation can be avoided by cooling the dough for more of the rising period, and acting within the 24-36 hour window.

Tip #7: Keep extra sets of measuring cups and measuring spoons in your utensil drawer. This will allow you to keep baking without having to wash or rinse a measuring cup or spoon for the next ingredient. Extras will also allow you to avoid reaching into a dirty dishwasher during the next recipe.

Q: What is the proper etiquette when dipping bread in oil?
A: Dipping oils are a great way to enjoy fresh bread while substituting healthier oils for butter. Tear off a bite-sized piece of bread and dip in oil. Do not dip an entire slice of bread in the oil, and certainly do not “double-dip” the slice after having bitten off a piece.

Q: What is the difference between all-purpose flour, bread flour, cake flour, and self-rising flour?
A: All-purpose flour is for general use in any recipe unless specified otherwise. Bread flour is made from hard wheat which has a higher protein content and greater percentage of gluten. Cake flour is flour with a low protein content and only half the glutens of bread flour. Cake flour produces a fine, very tender product in baking, but it is not suitable for bread making; use it for cookies and cakes. Self-rising flour is pre-mixed flour containing baking powder and salt and is more suitable for making quick breads, (pancakes, muffins, waffles), than yeast breads.

Q: What is a dash? A pinch? A smidgen?
A: Many baking recipes call for a dash, pinch or a smidgen. According to most, a dash is 1/8 tsp., a pinch is 1/16 tsp., and a smidgen is 1/32 tsp. And yes, there are measuring spoon sets available for a Dash, Pinch and Smidgen!

Q: Why the emphasis on the feel of the dough?
A: Flour varies in the amount of moisture that it can hold based on local weather conditions, the type of flour, or the way in which flour was measured. Some say the amount of flour used can vary up to 25%. Becoming comfortable with the feel of the dough provides a guidepost for achieving the desired outcome.

Q: Does sifting affect the measurement of flour?
A: Yes! A cup of sifted flour will weigh approximately 4 ounces. In contrast, one cup of unsifted flour will weigh 4.75 ounces – a 18+% difference! If the recipe calls for sifted flour, most definitely sift the flour. If the recipe does not specify sifted flour, then spoon “fluffed” flour (see above) into the measuring cup and level off. In the “olden days” flour was routinely sifted to break up clumps of flour and to remove hard bits. Today’s flour quality does not require sifting unless specified by the recipe.

Kneadlessly Simple, Fabulous, Fuss-Free, No-Knead Breads by Nancy Baggett. Copyright 2009. Photography by Alexandra Grablewski. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc, Hoboken, NJ.

Recipes excerpted from Kneadlessly Simple, Fabulous, Fuss-Free, No-Knead Breads by Nancy Baggett. Copyright 2009. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc, Hoboken, NJ. Reprinted with permission of the publisher. All rights reserved.

Crusty White, Peasant-Style Pot Bread
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This was our first attempt at using the cool, slow-rise method of bread-making. We added a cup of kalamata olives as suggested in one of the variations. It was a huge success!  Not only was it incredibly easy, the result was extremely rewarding!  The recipe produced a well-rounded loaf with a beautiful golden crust. The taste and texture was divine! We plan to make this bread again and again.



Great Granola Breakfast Bread
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Bolstered by our first round of success, this recipe sounded wonderful and we were right! Easily mixed, as promised, the bread had just the slightest hint of sweetness. The added granola provided some extra texture. We thoroughly enjoyed it when it was warm, and possibly even more when it was toasted. Buttered toast and a glass of milk - breakfast nirvana!



Crispy Roasted Garlic and Parmesan Pot Bread
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Another winner!  We roasted the garlic earlier when the oven was on and had the garlic/cheese paste ready to mix into the dough ahead of time. The dough took all of five minutes to make, and another minute to tend the next day. The baked bread had a rich, yet not overwhelming, garlic and cheese flavor that made the perfect bruschetta base and a fantastic garlic toast. Yummm...