The Real Deal - Almost No Knead Bread

So, two posts in one day. I figured this would be easier to read, without bunching everything up on one page.


Well, I have to say the Croutons, made out of the failed Crock Pot Bread were delicious. I couldn't stop eating them last night. Just the right crunch. Just the right everything. This was my first try with them, and they were great.

I used oil mixed with Italian Dressing (Ken's) to coat them (a little more than 1/3 cup altogether), then baked them in the oven for about 30 minutes - on 350, until they were nicely brown. Mmmmm, now I need to make some creamy soup to go with. It's a good thing I'm off from work this week.

And what happened with my 2nd batch of Almost No-Knead Bread? (if you are looking for the recipe, you can find it here. As I said in the Crock Pot post, this recipe calls for lager. For the first batch I used New Castle, and for the second I used Heineken. I really don't know if either of them qualifies as "lager", but both flavors turned out well - and it's what I had in the cupboard.


Also, for the crock pot version, I did not score the top of the bread, but I did for the cast iron pot. I think it just prettier opened up on top. More Artisan. 

I need to work on my timing. For the second batch, I mixed up all the ingredients, then put the whole shaggy mess in the fridge overnight. I had read that this improves the flavor, if you have time to chill it. 

I pulled it out at 9am, and let it proof all day. Following the recipe after the first rise, you knead it just a bit, shape into a round, and then let it rise for 2 more hours. Well, I was baking this thing last night at 9:30pm. Very bad timing. It was too late to eat any, and I had to smell that fresh baked bread smell all night. I woke up famished. I guess we all know what I had for breakfast. Pin It Now!