Breaking Bread

I’ve been itching to make homemade bread for quite some time. The first kitchen gadget I bought when I signed the contract on the Little Condo on the Prairie was a Kitchen Aid mixer with a dough hook. My Grandma Evie, who died of cancer when I was four, baked bread from scratch.  My mom?  Not so much.  Have I opened the Empire Red monster that I coveted for so long? No.  Have I made bread?  Not until today.

Mark Bittman, New York Times food writer and author of How to Cook Everything, first popularized Jim Lahey’s no-knead bread method in his Minimalist column. Just flour, salt, instant yeast, warm water, and a Dutch oven. No dough hook necessary. I bought Lahey’s book. My Bread: The Revolutionary No-Work, No Knead Method. I scoured the internet to find the optimal temperature for the water. I was SO afraid that I would kill the yeast and end up with a tortilla or a pita instead of a boule.  It turned out great.  Next time, I'll bake bread in a smaller pot so my loaf is round rather than egg-shaped.  The LeCreuset I used this time is HUGE.