Pressed for Time

It has been one of those weeks. You know the week where you have more things to do than time. You know. Cooking did not figure into things at all. Banjo has been incredibly patient. However, my good friend Michelle, who is a wonderful creative and mostly vegetarian cook has recently started to make this bread and thinks it is well, the greatest thing since...sliced bread. The fact that you can make it and keep it in the fridge just using what you need when you need it fits right in for many of us. And it is good. Really good. She made sauteed Italian peppers Saturday night and was able to make just the right amount of bread for that meal.

No kneading, no proofing no...really. Try it. And while you are at it check out the blog it comes from. www.theitaliandishblog.com. It gives you all the particulars and a video.

So we can all use a little help from our friends right. Thanks, Michelle. Pass the bread please.

No Knead Artisan Bread

adapted from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day

for a printable recipe, click here
makes four 1 pound loaves.

3 cups lukewarm water
1-1/2 tablespoons granulated fast acting yeast (2 packets)
1-1/2 tablespoons kosher or other coarse salt
6-1/2 cups unsifted, unbleached all purpose white flour

Mixing and Storing the Dough

1. Warm the water slightly. It should feel just a little warmer than body temperature, about 100 degrees F. Warm water will rise the dough to the right point for storage in about 2 hours.

2. Add yeast and salt to the water in a 5 quart bowl or a plastic container with a lid.

3. Mix in the flour - kneading is unnecessary. (Note: I dump all this in my KitchenAid mixer, let it mix it for just about 10 seconds and then put it in the plastic container. I just find it easier to let the mixer do this part). Add all of the flour at once, measuring the flour by scooping it and leveling it off with a knife. Mix with a wooden spoon - do not knead. You're finished when everything is uniformly moist, without dry patches. This step is done in a matter of minutes. The dough should be wet and loose.