Wednesday, September 7, 2011

My Bread


I love the act of baking bread, the smell of baking bread, eating good crusty bread. . .and the library. Two loves came together this week!

This summer my sister-in-law Alice ( a fabulous baker) recommended the book 'My Bread', by Jim Lahey, and I've been eagerly awaiting a library copy. My turn at last!

Traditional baking expert Lahey has developed a unique and low-effort method for baking artisan-style bread at home--no kneading and a long, slow rise are the keys, as well as baking the bread inside a heavy pot. You simply stir the flour, water, and salt with a tiny amount of yeast in a bowl, and leave the dough to develop--up to 24 hours for the first rise.

My first try made a flavorful, crusty loaf with, great holey texture and a moist interior. Lahey recommends using a large, heavy, covered pot such as enameled cast iron, but I had pretty good first results using a large, covered casserole dish--none of my larger pots seemed to fit the bill.

'My Bread' is full of baking info and recipes. It's recommended!


3 comments:

  1. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm, it looks delicious!! Wish I could come try some!

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  2. Wendy, that bread looks delicious! I have to eat gluten free and unfortunately my attempts at gluten free bread don't come out looking like yours! :) Maybe I will give it another shot. Thanks for your post!

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  3. Gluten free. . .sounds like a challenge! Bread can be so very tempting in all its guises!

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