Breadwinning

I've been trying for some months now to cut back on processed foods and packaging — mostly to reduce kitchen waste, but of course it can only be good for my health, and also doesn't hurt where my bank account is concerned. Also: it's fun. I'd seen a few recommendations for easy no-knead bread recipes, and last weekend I finally jumped right in with this one published in the New York Times several years back.

Given that I hadn't made bread before (just watched my parents' bread machine do its thing sometimes when I was younger), I was kind of stunned at how well it turned out. I followed the recipe to the letter, and let the dough rest for a full 18 hours. The taste was bordering on sourdough, and the texture was fantastic: chewy but light. I love that the finished loaf even reminded me of a superhero emblem.



Oh, and it's square-ish because I baked it in a CorningWare dish. And yes, I used too much flour on the surfaces and as you can spot in the photo, even managed to get some into the middle of the dough as I prodded it into shape. And the bottom was a bit lumpy (insert joke here). But still: a major success! Today I baked a two-thirds wholemeal version, and managed to keep the flour under control.




I'm hooked. Apart from trying out olives and various herbs, I like the idea of mixing in some roasted garlic or caramelised onion. Pumpkin seeds on top? What else? Hmmm...