03-10-2009, 02:46 PM
Here's a bread recipe that requires no kneading and is easy enough for an 8 year old (except the hot oven part)
I make this when I am without my bread maker, and it's fabulous - really like one of those old fashioned chewy French country bread. The true bread flavour comes out as there is no sugar, oil or anything else to doctor it up.
I had to experiment a few times and found the amount of water called for is too much - especially here with our 100% humidity so I would say start with 1 1/4 cup and just add until you get the so called "shaggy" dough.
This is the easiest and best bread recipe I've found and although it takes a couple of days, it's no work at all.
3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
¼ teaspoon instant yeast (Yes, just 1/4 tsp!)
1¼ teaspoons salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed.
1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water (I think too much, start with 1 1/4 and work up), and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees. (I have left it 20 hours and it just gets better)
2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.
3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.
4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.
Check the link here, you can see the photos
http://wednesdaychef.typepad.com/the_wed..._nokn.html
I make this when I am without my bread maker, and it's fabulous - really like one of those old fashioned chewy French country bread. The true bread flavour comes out as there is no sugar, oil or anything else to doctor it up.
I had to experiment a few times and found the amount of water called for is too much - especially here with our 100% humidity so I would say start with 1 1/4 cup and just add until you get the so called "shaggy" dough.
This is the easiest and best bread recipe I've found and although it takes a couple of days, it's no work at all.
3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
¼ teaspoon instant yeast (Yes, just 1/4 tsp!)
1¼ teaspoons salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed.
1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water (I think too much, start with 1 1/4 and work up), and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees. (I have left it 20 hours and it just gets better)
2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.
3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.
4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.
Check the link here, you can see the photos
http://wednesdaychef.typepad.com/the_wed..._nokn.html