Farmers Market Month, Day 7: Bread

[rachelmanija]

I made bread from this recipe: My Mother's Peasant Bread. It was so easy, not a hassle as I wasn't planning to go anywhere anyway, and quite fascinating to do. I used a single two-quart bowl as I didn't have a one-quart. (The recipe says that's fine.)



After the second rising, it felt resilient, elastic, almost velvety, and somehow alive when I poked it, like some sea creature. Only dry rather than slimy.

It was a little doughy when I first sliced it, so I popped it back in the oven for five minutes and then it came out perfect:



The inside is light and fluffy, the crust is chewy, and the flavor is a pleasant, non-tangy bread-flavor. And that is exactly how I like my bread. I had some with butter, and some with browned butter/brown sugar.



It was so good that I had another slice with black sesame spread, and that was AMAZING.



I may never buy bread again.

Comments

[vass]

I've tried that recipe! It's great. Way easier than anything else I've tried (I am not good at baking.)

If you get curious and start wanting to try other recipes, there are various ones flying around where instead of kneading, you leave the dough in the fridge overnight with a loose lid. They're also good and easy.

[graydon]

There are a bunch of fancy breads -- pure rye, extra-chewy whole wheat stuff, various "ancient grains" -- where the trick is to rise in a refrigerator. It can take a few days, but the reduced metabolic rate on the yeast makes some things possible that won't work at room temperature.