Read Kneadlessly Simple: Fabulous, Fuss-Free, No-Knead Breads Online
Authors: Nancy Baggett
Tags: #Cooking
Kneadlessly Simple: Fabulous, Fuss-Free, No-Knead Breads (25 page)
KS Quotient
Fairly Easy: Two-stage mixing. No hand-shaping required.
This began as a traditional recipe e-mailed to me by a reader of a story I wrote for the
Washington Post
on no-knead breads. The writer, Suzy Hubbell, wondered if I could make over a family favorite, her grandmother Anna Danielson's Swedish limpa bread, to fit the knead-free method. Several other people wanted to their recipes converted, too, which eventually led me to provide suggestions on how to go about it in a bonus chapter in the book (see chapter
Kneadlessly Simple Recipe Makeover Guide: How to Convert Traditional Yeast Recipes to the KS Method
).
Making over this slightly sweet bread was well worth the effort. The caraway and anise seeds in combination with molasses, brown sugar, and rye flour give it a mild yet enticing flavor that even those who don't care for rye bread usually like. I find it truly addictive, especially toasted and topped with butter.
Yield: 2 medium loaves, 12 to 14 slices each
3½ cups (17.5 ounces) unbleached all-purpose white flour
2 cups (10 ounces) rye flour, plus ½ cup (2.5 ounces), plus more as needed
2¾ teaspoons table salt
1¼ teaspoons caraway seeds
1¼ teaspoons anise seeds
1¼ teaspoons instant, fast-rising, or bread machine yeast
2/3 cup light or dark molasses (not blackstrap)
¼ cup corn oil, canola oil, or other flavorless vegetable oil
2 cups ice water, plus more if needed
1/3 cup good-quality instant nonfat dry milk (don't use a generic brand)
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
3½ tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, divided
First Rise
In a very large bowl, thoroughly stir together the white flour, 2 cups of the rye flour, the salt, caraway seeds, anise seeds, and yeast. In another bowl or measuring cup, whisk the molasses and the oil into the water until well blended. Vigorously stir the mixture into the bowl with the flours, scraping down the bowl sides and mixing until the dough is well blended and smooth. If too dry to mix completely, a bit at a time, add in enough more ice water to blend the ingredients and yield a firm but not hard-to-stir dough. Brush or evenly spray the top with oil. Tightly cover the bowl with plastic wrap. If desired, for best flavor or for convenience, you can refrigerate the dough for 3 to 10 hours. Then let rise at cool room temperature for 12 to 18 hours.
Second Rise
In a small, deep bowl, stir together the dry milk, brown sugar, and 2 tablespoons of the butter with 1½ tablespoons hot water until well blended. Gradually stir the milk mixture, then ½ cup of the rye flour, into the dough until well blended and no streaks remain; the mixture will be hard to stir, so you may prefer to work in the flour with well-oiled fingertips (or use a dough hook and heavy-duty mixer on low). If necessary, working in the bowl, lift and turn it while dusting with and smoothing in more rye flour, as the dough should be very stiff. Cut the dough in half with well-oiled kitchen shears. Put the dough portions in two 8½ x 4½-inch well-oiled loaf pans. Lightly brush the tops with some of the remaining melted butter. Smooth and press the dough evenly into the pans, tucking it under at the ends. Brush with more butter. Cover the tops with nonstick spray—coated plastic wrap.
Let Rise Using Any of These Methods
For a 1½- to 2½-hour regular rise, let stand at warm room temperature; for a 1- to 1½-hour accelerated rise, let stand in a turned-off microwave along with 1 cup of boiling-hot water; or, for an extended rise, refrigerate for 4 to 48 hours, then set out at room temperature. When the dough nears the plastic, remove it and continue the rise until the dough extends ½ inch above the pan rims.
Baking Preliminaries
15 minutes before baking time, place a rack in the lower third of the oven; preheat to 350°F.
Baking
Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F. Bake on the lower rack for 55 to 60 minutes, or until the loaves are very well browned. Cover the tops with foil and continue baking for 15 to 20 minutes longer, until a skewer inserted in the thickest part comes out with slightly moist crumbs on the tip (or until the center registers 202° to 204°F on an instant-read thermometer). Bake for about 10 minutes longer to ensure the centers are done. Brush the loaf tops evenly with the remaining melted butter. Cool in the pans on a wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes. Run a knife around the loaves to loosen, then turn out onto the racks. Let cool thoroughly.
Serving and StoringServe warm, or cool, or toasted; the bread slices best when cool. Cool thoroughly before storing in plastic or foil. Keeps at room temperature for up to 3 days. May be frozen, airtight, for up to 2 months.
KS Quotient
Easy: Two-stage mixing. No hand-shaping.
The Scots are known for eating a lot of oats, in the form of breakfast porridge, or oatmeal; as a component of various baked goods; and in their beloved haggis, which, since it involves assorted peculiar animal parts, I prefer not to dwell on here. Sometimes, Scottish recipes call for incorporating leftover oatmeal, which not only saves time and avoids waste, but in the case of yeast bread, results in an exceptional loaf. The consistency and taste are different from bread made just by tossing some uncooked rolled oats in with the flour: the texture is much moister and smoother than normal and the flavor and aroma slightly sweeter and more "oaty." (For this recipe I assume that you don't have leftover oatmeal sitting around, so it calls for preparing the right amount of partially cooked and sweetened oatmeal.)
This loaf is mild and homey, with a slightly chewy-crisp crust. Like many old-fashioned British breads, it calls for a bit of spice and dried currants. I like it for toast, or in thick, warm-from-the-oven slices spread with butter and smidge of jam and accompanied by a freshly brewed pot of tea. This is the simple, sublime way I first ate it back in the 1980s, at a bed and breakfast on a cold, damp summer afternoon in the Scottish Highlands.
Yield: 1 large loaf, 13 to 14 portions or slices
2½ cups (12.5 ounces) unbleached white bread flour, plus ¾ cup (3.75 ounces), plus more as needed
Scant 1¾ teaspoons table salt
¾ teaspoon instant, fast-rising, or bread machine yeast
¾ teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1¼ cups plus 2 tablespoons ice water, plus more if needed
½ teaspoon finely grated orange zest
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing pan and loaf top
¾ cup old-fashioned rolled oats, plus 4 tablespoons for garnish
2/3 cup boiling water
6 tablespoons packed light or dark brown sugar
2/3 cup dried currants, rinsed under hot water, then thoroughly drained and patted dry
First Rise
In a large bowl, thoroughly stir together 2½ cups of the flour, the salt, yeast, allspice, and nutmeg. Vigorously stir the ice water and orange zest into the flour mixture, scraping down the sides just until the ingredients are thoroughly blended. If too dry to mix, a bit at a time, stir in just enough more ice water to blend the ingredients, but don't over-moisten, as the dough should be fairly stiff. Stir in more flour to stiffen it if necessary. Brush the top with softened butter. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. If desired, for best flavor or for convenience, you can refrigerate the dough for 3 to 10 hours. Then let rise at cool room temperature for 12 to 18 hours.
Second Rise
In a medium bowl, gradually stir the oats into the boiling water until well blended. Let stand for 5 minutes to partially cook. Stir in the butter and sugar until the sugar dissolves and let cool thoroughly. Vigorously stir the cooled oatmeal mixture into the dough until thoroughly incorporated. Add in ¾ cup of the flour and the currants until evenly distributed throughout, then, as needed, enough more flour to yield a very stiff dough, scraping down the bowl thoroughly. Using an oiled rubber spatula and working all the way around the bowl, fold the dough in towards the center.
Generously butter a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Add 2 tablespoons of oats to the pan; tip it back and forth to evenly distribute them. Invert the dough into the pan. Smooth out the top and press the dough evenly into the pan. Brush the loaf top with melted butter. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoon oats over the top, pressing down to imbed them. Using an oiled serrated knife or kitchen shears, cut a 6-inch-long, ½-inch-deep slash down the loaf center. Cover the pan with nonstick spray—coated plastic wrap.
Let Rise Using Either of These Methods
For a 1¾- to 2½-hour regular rise, let stand at warm room temperature; for a 1- to 2-hour accelerated rise, let stand in a turned-off microwave along with 1 cup of boiling-hot water. Continue the rise until the dough nears the plastic. Remove it and continue until the dough extends just to the pan rim (it will rise a lot in the oven).
Baking Preliminaries
20 minutes before baking time, put a rack in the lower third of the oven; preheat to 375°F.
Baking
Bake on the lower rack for 65 to 75 minutes, until the top is nicely browned and a skewer inserted in the thickest part comes out with moist crumbs on the tip (or until the center registers 204° to 206°F on an instant-read thermometer). (As necessary to prevent over-browning, cover the top with foil.) Then bake for 5 to 10 minutes longer to ensure the center is baked through. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the loaf to the rack; cool thoroughly.
Serving and StoringThis tastes good warm, but will cut much better when cool. Cool completely before storing. The bread will keep at cool room temperature for 3 to 4 days, and may be frozen, airtight, for up to 2 months.
TipThe extended rise option normally offered in
Kneadlessly Simple
recipes can't be used for this bread. Once the oatmeal is added to the dough, the same chemical processes that make the finished loaf exceptionally moisture retentive and sweet-tasting also begin to break down the wheat gluten needed for good loaf structure. Since the gluten breakdown continues even during refrigeration, it's best to use an accelerated or regular second rise so the dough doesn't stand too long. The high moisture retention means that this loaf needs a slightly longer than normal baking time, too.