Bread and cheese

What is it about bread?  It's so alluring, appetising, aromatic. And it's so photogenic.

This is not a recipe blog simply because there are far too recipes out there -thousands of new cook-books every year and an uncountable number on the net.  If I want fresh inspiration (or want to keep up with emerging trends) I will trawl through newly published books.  If it's a classic or regional dish, perhaps something I've read about in a novel or seen on a program such as Italy Unpacked or Rick Stein - Mediterranean, I go to the net.  

On the net of course you’ll find everything from the sublime to the ridiculous.  Lately, for example, I've enjoyed  “researching” the following…
 
Sunshine Salad - Retro Sunshine Salad –read in a novel set in the American mid-west.  As my life is lived in a totally retro midcentury modern house, I enjoyed the retro recipe. Note, I enjoyed reading about it, rather than making it. Perhaps one day.
 
Sugee Cake – Sugee Cake – The recipe wherein, to begin, semolina is soaked over-night in melted butter. (I simplified it by using almond meal rather than chopping my own.)  This was from an “airplane” novel (you know the sort, thick, hot pink cover, raised gold lettering) – Crazy, Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan. Not only is it fabulous - the book and the cake - (OK, it’s not Pride & Prejudice) but it introduced me to some great food, three forms of architecture and two ceramic traditions I knew nothing about.
 
Timpano (or Timballo) as seen in the film Big Night and described beautifully in the novel The Leopard by Lampedussa.  (A recipe I’ll give attention to in the new year.)
 
“The burnished gold of the crusts, the fragrance of sugar and cinnamon they exuded, were but preludes to the delights released from the interior when the knife broke the crust; first came a smoke laden with aromas, then chicken-livers, hard-boiled eggs, sliced ham, chicken, and truffles in masses of piping-hot, glistening macaroni, to which the meat-juice gave an exquisite hue of suède.”
 
​But I digress. Now to the bread.
Fancy making a loaf without getting your hands sticky, without kneading, just a bit of hanging around?  This method, with a 24 hour rising time, was "invented" by Jim Lahey, a NY baker .  It was a huge hit and was taken over by scores of bloggers, subtly hinting they may have been the instigator.  "Jenny" is such a one and is actually worth watching - no-knead-bread - as she's a bit of a hoot, but below is my adaption, even easier (after you've got the idea from Jenny or Jim).  
 Important - you need a heavy cast iron casserole (or Dutch oven) such as  Le Creuset or Staub.

400gm plain flour (any sort - play around)
generous 1/4 tsp dry yeast
1 tsp salt 
1 2/3 mls (1 2/3 cups) hot water (not boiling)
Have ready two similar sized bowls, a tiny bowl and some parchment-type baking paper.

• Place all dry ingredients in a bowl (setting aside a generous tablespoon in the tiny bowl). Mix together to aerate.
• Add the water and pull it all together roughly. It looks raggy. I use a flat plastic, patisserie spatula (or corne, in French). Scrape down the sides, for neatness.  Cover and leave for 3 hours (or more, it's very forgiving).
• The top of the dough will be bubbly.  Sprinkle it with the flour in the tiny bowl, and scrape at the sides with the flour helping it to come away into one piece. (See image.)
• Tear off some baking paper to roughly line the second bowl. Dump the dough into this bowl.  
• Cover and leave for 35 minutes.
• ​In the meantime, place your heavy casserole and its lid into the oven and heat it to 230˚ C / 450˚F.  You'll need good oven mitts here because it's all going to get very hot.
• To bake, lift the paper and dough together and drop them into the casserole.  Put on the lid and  place in the oven to bake for 30 minutes.
• Carefully remove casserole. Bread should look gorgeous but now put it back into the oven, lid removed, to brown further for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Cool on a rack.

Jim (the real baker) does his with cold water over night.  The flavour will be better but this is so easy.

There are more and more great, small artisan bakeries around so why bake some bread?  No other reason than you can and it's fun!

We could make cheese next time.  Why?  Because we can and it's fun.