Bread, Bread, Bread

"I won't quarrel with my bread and butter."  ~ Jonathan Swift

Let's start by saying the recipe for No-Knead Bread has been around the block more than a few times.  That doesn't mean it doesn't bear repeating in this blog.   This bread is a simple, luscious loaf for the solo baker, wonderful with honey and butter or jam and  in later reincarnations as toast, in sandwiches or for bread pudding for one.  It keeps nicely if well-wrapped, which is important to you.

The first time we saw it was in a 2006 NYT Minimalist  where Mark Bittman interviewed Jim Lahey, of Sullivan Street Bakery at 533 West 47th Street, documenting the process for an incredibly delicious artisan-type bread.  (Mr. Lahey, with Rick Flaste, has since written a book on the subject, published in 2009.) 

(Courtesy: WW Norton)

This particular loaf, a boule,  is scrumptious to the max, but also qualifies in the very-easy-to-make category, albeit time-consuming.   Two years later, a quicker version (four hours rise) of the bread was developed; it eats, but not nearly as well.  There's even a whole wheat version that I haven't tried.  I'll admit to knowing (I watched the video!) that Jim Lahey didn't exactly agree with the idea of a faster bread made this manner, but thought you could try to decrease the time involved by still using a  minimal amount of yeast and adding some vinegar the the dough.  Watch here a lively, fun video with Lahey and Bittman in which they kibitz about the faster bread and bread in general.