I’ve been baking bread for a while now. My usual recipe is the 5 minute a day bread, which works out wonderfully. The only problem I’ve had is that after the bread cools, I lose the crispy crust that I long for.
Tony happened to be flipping channels yesterday and said he stopped in his tracks when he saw America’s Test Kitchens eating this crunchy bread. The secret? Super hot oven, and it bakes in a dutch oven for 30 minutes with the lid on. I imagine this steams the bread and the last 20 minutes gives it this amazing crust!
Almost No-Knead Bread (courtesy of America’s Test Kitchen)- 3 cups (15 ounces) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
- 1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
- 3/4 cup (7 ounces) water, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup (3 ounces) beer
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
Whisk flour, years, and salt in large bowl. Add water, beer and vinegar. Using a wooden spoon, fold the mixture incorporating all of the flour. It will be a slightly sticky dough. Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit for at least 8 hours, or up to 18 hours.
Put parchment paper on counter. Take the dough out of the bowl and knead 10 to 15 times with a bit of flour. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 2 more hours.
For the last 30 minutes of the rising, heat oven to 500 degrees – putting your dutch oven in the oven with the lid. After 30 minutes, reduce heat to 425 and using the parchment paper, carry your dough to the dutch oven – the parchment paper will be on the sides of the pan, just put the cover on and bake for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, remove the lid and cook an additional 20 minutes. Tony and I were kind of worried that seemed like a long time, but it was absolute perfection!
Best part? Tony said it was the best bread he’s ever had! He said “this is like bakery bread!” Love it! 😀
Then we were off to grocery shop – I did great!
On the menu (remember breakfast and lunch is just me!):
Breakfasts:
- cranberry oatmeal with smoked almonds
- green eggs and ham frittata
- spicy oats with bacon and cheese
- egg sammie with fruit
- breakfast pizza on a pita
Lunches:
- Buffalo Chicken Soup
- Chicken Tacos with black beans and asparagus guacamole
- Baked Potato with Chili and cheese (becoming a favorite for me!)
- Falafels with tzatziki sauce
- Shrimp Stir Fry
Dinners:
- Soup and Sandwiches
- Greek Chicken with Rosemary Potatoes
- Pot Roast with garlic mashed potatoes and green beans
- Chicken enchiladas
- Spinach lasagna (only half will have spinach Tony!)
- Sirloin steak with Pomme Frites
We had thoughts of going to grab something to eat when Tony said “we still have those good hot dogs at home.” Thus hot dogs with cheese fries was born!
![bread 074](http://biz319.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/bread-074.jpg)
Then we fried Ore Ida crinkle cut fries. We decided they looked naked by themselves:
![bread 075](http://biz319.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/bread-075.jpg)
So I heated up the last of the queso I made.
![bread 076](http://biz319.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/bread-076.jpg)
![bread 077](http://biz319.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/bread-077.jpg)
We ate lunch so late that neither of us were hungry for dinner. Until about 9:00, I finally got hungry and made us a plate of nachos – I had a picture of it, but somehow my computer ate it!
Needless to say, 50% of my calories were from fat yesterday – but because of all the exercise I did, I am down 1.8 for the week! I don’t plan on weighing in again until April 1st. My goal is to be 159 by then.
Off to jump in the shower and put my food together for the day. Happy Monday! 😀
Oh, and check out Shelley’s 1st 5k recap! I knew she would do great!!
Wow that bread does look amazing! Perfectly crusty!
I love that recipe. I made it a few months ago. I think I need to make it again! Your pictures made me crave it. 🙂
That bread looks incredible!! It definitely looks like something you’d find at a fancy bakery. You are so talented!!
So glad that the bread turned out GREAT – now you can add all sorts of herbs and things and make my mouth water even more, lol!
Thanks for the shout out – that was one heck of a crazy run!
Oh, and wtg on the 1.8…and I’m doing the same thing as you – weighing myself once (tomorrow, because I didn’t like the number I saw today) and then not again until April 1.
For excellent taste, this Cooks recipe is the only white bread I make. So far I have made over 40 loaves in the last two months, most going to my grandchildren. Fortunately, I bake two loaves at a time in clay bakers.
Here are a few suggestions:
-Being without preservatives the bread remains fresh for only a few days. Since the two of us do not eat much bread I freeze half the loaf.
-Use unbleached APF. It is tastier and has much more food value than APF.
-Lightly oil the mixing bowl for ease of removing the dough from the bowl.
-Microwave the water,beer, and vinegar for about sixty seconds. It should be lukewrm
-wet your fingers to reduce dough sticking to your fingers
-generously sprinkle 12″ x 12″ square of flour
-fold the dough in half. Pick it up and flip it over and over, on the same spot 10–12 times. Stay within the square.
-cover a 9″ frying pan with a 12″ length of parchment paper.
-pulling the edges for a smooth top, sprinkling the top of the dough and slash cutting are all for looks. Practise and watching the videos are a great help.
-place dough in the fry pan. The paper act as handles to place the dough in the hot pot.
-For a soft crust, wrap the bread in a tea towel and let it cool
-Doughy fingers? Without soap or water scrub your hands as if washing them. Only a thin film of dough witll remain and is easily washed off.
-Mix the dry ingredients with a measuring spoon. You are going to have to wash it afte dispensing the vinegar so this aids in cleanup.
-a wet paper towel is best to clean up the floured board.
-If you are going to shape the dough, let it sit for 15 minutes after you dump the dough to “almost” knead
-If you need more liquid to pick up the last of the flour, add one tablespoon of liquid at a time. When you hear the dough while mixing you have the correct mix.
-Save the plastic from the first rise for the second rise.
Wow – thanks for all the tips!!!
Your food looks amazing and I’m seriously in awe of your grocery bill.
We went shopping yesterday and ours was 152 something. The comment you left me made me realize that since I don’t really know how to cook I have no idea how to meal plan and I’ve never done it (if pork was .05 I would still not buy it because I would have no idea what to do with it.) I seriously need help, I’m going to have to start shopping sales and then cooking according to what is on sale.
I shop mostly at Kroger.
WOW – your bread looks absolutely amazing! That is a goal of mine – to one day make bread from scratch and have it taste good AND look good.
Congrats on the weight loss, too!!
Great job on the weight loss Biz!!
I hope to be at your weight by April 1st!! Ha!
I’m glad your homemade bread turned out so well–a no knead bread was the first I ever made at home, and now four years later I make all of our bread (albeit with the help of a breadmaker). Good luck in March!
Yummy bread – yay for weight loss – what a great start to your week!
That bread looks great. I’ve always been too nervous to bake my own bread. I have no idea why!
That bread DOES look like bakery bread. Wow. I make my own bread too, but although it tastes great it never turns out LOOKING quite so good!
The bread looks beautiful. I have never made bread at home.. I guess because for some reason I think it is hard to make bread at home.
Mmm… that bread looks fantastic! Bread is something that I’ve always wanted to try, but it seems so labour intensive. After looking at those photos I might have to give it a go!
I’ve been wanting to try that recipe but I’m still working my way thru the 5 min cook book. 😉
Mmmmmm cheese fries…my hubs loooves them. lol
Congrats on the loss & have a great week!
Lynn
I’m excited for your buffalo chicken soup recipe! That bread does look amazing. I’m so intimidated by baking…
I will be trying this bread tomorrow. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Homemade bread is such a treat. This one here looks wonderful.
Oh wow – gorgeous bread! Bakery quality for sure!! Congrats on still being down! Fingers crossed for this month, I know you can do it 🙂
That bread does look amazing!
I love your menu plan for the week it looks so good 🙂
Ohmigosh that bread does look incredible amazing!!!