I am SO ecstatic!! I can hardly stand it!! My hubby was up at 4 this morning and tried out this artisan bread recipe from the new book I just got in the mail a few days ago...
And came out with these gorgeous loaves all before he had to be off for Camden this morning! So now I'm trying my hand at it. I have 2 more loaves in the oven as we speak!
Check out this crust, would you!! This bread is unbelievably delicious... delectable... scrumptious.....words fail me!
The crazy thing is....you can make loaves like these in 5 minutes a day! The secret is in a super-moist dough that you make a huge batch of ahead of time and then can refrigerate for up to weeks at a time...yes WEEKS!!
And here's the real kicker...NO KNEADING either!!
The authors of this astounding idea developed this technique after years of fine-tuning their initial concept of low maintenance, efficient, perfected artisan bread with an immaculate crust...just like their grandmothers from Europe used to make. Here's how it works:
"It all came down to one fortuitous discovery:
Pre-mixed, pre-risen, high-moisture dough keeps well in the refrigerator.
This is the linchpin of Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. By pre-mixing high-moisture dough (without kneading) and then storing it, daily bread baking becomes an easy activity; the only steps you do every day are shaping and baking."
Now this is really neat:
"As our high-moisture dough ages, it takes on sourdough notes, reminiscent of the great European natural starters. When dough is mixed with adequate water (this dough is wetter than most you may have worked with), it can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks (enriched or heavy doughs can't go that long but can be frozen instead). "
So what about NO kneading??
"And kneading this kind of dough adds little to the overall product; you just don't have to do it. In fact, overhandling stored dough can limit the volume and rise that you get with our method. That, in a nutshell, is how you make artisan breads with the investment of only five minutes a day of active effort."
And here's this luscious loaf on the inside...
The texture is out of this world! I'll let ya in on a little secret: If you want to make me do anything...anything in this world...bribe me with bread like this! I go weak in the knees over moist, slightly doughy, slightly springy, slightly tangy, flakey thinned crusted bread...JUST like this!! And I know you will, too...believe you me! It's a carb-fest for sure! : D