I always liked baked beans as a kid, but as an adult, meh. These, however, I love. They are a world away from the the saccharine, mushy, HFCS-containing canned ones.
The first time I made this recipe, it was summer, I was trying to cut down on cooking time, and so I used pre-cooked canned beans. While the results were okay, they were a lot mushier than I would have liked. I don't recommend using canned beans unless you're going for baked beans refritos.
Finally, beans make some people gassy, especially people who don't eat a lot of beans. To avoid this, pre-soak the beans in hot water for up to 24 hours, then drain and rinse, and cook in different water. (This also reduces cooking time.)
Smokey Baked Beans
Adapted, liberally, from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything
15 minutes prep, then 2-4 hours unattended, then another 15 minutes prep.
3/4 lb white northern beans, pre-soaked and rinsed
1 yellow onion, minced
1 tablespoon bacon lard*
1 cup apple cider**
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup water
1/2 tablespoon dry (English) mustard
1/2 teaspoon Hungarian paprika
salt and pepper to taste
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 chipotle en adobo, seeded and minced (or some cayenne pepper)
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 can tomato paste
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon bacon lard
1/3 lb bacon
1. Heat the bacon lard in a 2 1/2 quart casserole with a lid over low-medium heat. Mince the onion and saute approximately 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
2. Add the beans, stock, water, cider, and spices. Bring to a simmer while you mince the garlic and chipotle, then add them, cover the pan and reduce heat. Simmer 2 hours until beans are just tender, adding more water by the 1/2 cup as needed. (NOTE: Cooking times for beans vary enormously. If timing is an issue, cook to this point the night before and store in the fridge. This also makes the beans extra-flavorful.)
3. Add the tomato paste and return to a simmer. Simmer 1.5 hours. Add the vinegar.
4. Pre-heat a large frying pan with the additional tablespoon bacon lard over medium heat. Slice the uncooked bacon into 1/4 inch strips and fry, stirring frequently, until it is very crisp. Add the bacon strips to the beans along with 1/2 of the fat from the pan, stir, and serve immediately while the bacon is still crisp.
* I always reserve the fat when I make bacon because it's delicious (and it can damage your pipes if you pour it down the drain), so I always have some around. If you don't, you can substitute olive oil or another fat of your choice.
**I keep this on hand during the winter months. I buy it by the gallon and throw in a half-dozen cinnamon sticks and a handful of cloves. (The spices preserve the cider for months, even at room temperature.) I think the spices add additional depth to the flavor of the beans, but they'd still be very good without them.
Note for vegetarians: You *could* make these vegetarian, I guess, by adding an extra onion, omitting the bacon, and using vegetable oil in place of the bacon lard. But expect any friends who love smokey, porky things as much as I do to be sorely disappointed.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Pizza!
Pizza dough was my first use of yeast. I figured if I messed something up and it didn't rise, it didn't matter because it's a flat bread anyway. I had never made pizza at home before, because I thought I needed a pizza stone and a peel. But you don't. You can bake pizza just fine on a baking sheet.
Now pizza is one of my go-to meals, especially in the summer: it's impressive enough for company, if I'm alone it's not so much food that I'm stuck eating the same thing for a week, and it's infinitely adaptable to whatever toppings I'm in the mood for. Yes, it involves turning on the oven, but only for 10 minutes.
The reason I never used to make pizza at home is that store-bought dough....well, it's practically inedible. Seriously, it is *so* easy to make your own and only takes 5 minutes of actual cooking (plus a little more than an hour of letting the yeast do its thing). The following recipe will serve two, three if served with a big salad and some garlic bread.
Pizza Dough
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen
7 tablespoons warm water
2 tablespoons white wine
5/8 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups bread flour (plus more for dusting)
cornmeal
Whisk water and yeast in a medium bowl until yeast has dissolved. Wait up to 5 minutes for the yeast to start foaming. If the yeast does not foam, start over with new yeast. Stir in wine, oil, sugar, and salt. Add flour and stir until it comes together as a dough.
Sprinkle some flour on the counter and knead the dough for a minute or two.
Wipe out the bowl you made the dough in and coat the inside with olive oil. Put the dough in, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it rise for an hour or up to two, until it is doubled. (Or, make it the night before and let it rise in the fridge.)
Start the sauce (see below).
Preheat your oven to its highest temperature. If you have a pizza stone, sprinkle it with cornmeal and put it in the oven. Otherwise, sprinkle a baking pan with the same.
Once the dough has doubled, turn it out onto a floured counter and gently deflate the dough with the palm of your hands. Form it into a ball and let it rest on a floured spot with either the plastic wrap over it or the upended bowl. Wait 15 minutes.
Gently stretch the dough with your hands to roughly 12 inches round, trying to keep it an even thickness. Spread the sauce over the dough, then add whatever other toppings you wish.
Slide the pizza onto to your preheated pizza stone, or put the baking sheet in the oven.
Bake for about 10 minutes, checking at 7. Slice and serve immediately.
Pizza Sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 large cloves garlic, minced
splash of red wine
1 can crushed tomatoes
pinch cayenne pepper
salt* and pepper to taste
*Go easy on the salt, as the tomatoes already have some.
Heat the oil in the pan to low-medium heat. Add the minced garlic and saute until soft. Add the red wine and reduce by half, then add the tomatoes, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered an additional 30 minutes.
Toppings
You can add pretty much any toppings you want: feta, goat cheese, or mozzarella for the cheese, and just about any meats and/or veggies you want. However, anything that needs to be fully cooked or benefits from long cooking times (meat, carmelized onions, etc.) needs to be pre-cooked in a saute pan, and if, like me, you like to pile on the toppings, it's also a good idea to pre-cook any veggies that have a high water content (i.e. peppers, mushrooms, spinach) because they reduce a lot.
Resist the temptation to pile on too many toppings: this is thin-crust pizza, and while I've never had this crust fall apart under the weight of toppings, I have had that unfortunate experience when eating out, and it's quite disappointing.
Be creative, and enjoy!
Now pizza is one of my go-to meals, especially in the summer: it's impressive enough for company, if I'm alone it's not so much food that I'm stuck eating the same thing for a week, and it's infinitely adaptable to whatever toppings I'm in the mood for. Yes, it involves turning on the oven, but only for 10 minutes.
The reason I never used to make pizza at home is that store-bought dough....well, it's practically inedible. Seriously, it is *so* easy to make your own and only takes 5 minutes of actual cooking (plus a little more than an hour of letting the yeast do its thing). The following recipe will serve two, three if served with a big salad and some garlic bread.
Pizza Dough
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen
7 tablespoons warm water
2 tablespoons white wine
5/8 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups bread flour (plus more for dusting)
cornmeal
Whisk water and yeast in a medium bowl until yeast has dissolved. Wait up to 5 minutes for the yeast to start foaming. If the yeast does not foam, start over with new yeast. Stir in wine, oil, sugar, and salt. Add flour and stir until it comes together as a dough.
Sprinkle some flour on the counter and knead the dough for a minute or two.
Wipe out the bowl you made the dough in and coat the inside with olive oil. Put the dough in, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it rise for an hour or up to two, until it is doubled. (Or, make it the night before and let it rise in the fridge.)
Start the sauce (see below).
Preheat your oven to its highest temperature. If you have a pizza stone, sprinkle it with cornmeal and put it in the oven. Otherwise, sprinkle a baking pan with the same.
Once the dough has doubled, turn it out onto a floured counter and gently deflate the dough with the palm of your hands. Form it into a ball and let it rest on a floured spot with either the plastic wrap over it or the upended bowl. Wait 15 minutes.
Gently stretch the dough with your hands to roughly 12 inches round, trying to keep it an even thickness. Spread the sauce over the dough, then add whatever other toppings you wish.
Slide the pizza onto to your preheated pizza stone, or put the baking sheet in the oven.
Bake for about 10 minutes, checking at 7. Slice and serve immediately.
Pizza Sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 large cloves garlic, minced
splash of red wine
1 can crushed tomatoes
pinch cayenne pepper
salt* and pepper to taste
*Go easy on the salt, as the tomatoes already have some.
Heat the oil in the pan to low-medium heat. Add the minced garlic and saute until soft. Add the red wine and reduce by half, then add the tomatoes, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered an additional 30 minutes.
Toppings
You can add pretty much any toppings you want: feta, goat cheese, or mozzarella for the cheese, and just about any meats and/or veggies you want. However, anything that needs to be fully cooked or benefits from long cooking times (meat, carmelized onions, etc.) needs to be pre-cooked in a saute pan, and if, like me, you like to pile on the toppings, it's also a good idea to pre-cook any veggies that have a high water content (i.e. peppers, mushrooms, spinach) because they reduce a lot.
Resist the temptation to pile on too many toppings: this is thin-crust pizza, and while I've never had this crust fall apart under the weight of toppings, I have had that unfortunate experience when eating out, and it's quite disappointing.
Be creative, and enjoy!
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Apfelkuchen
I work for a judge, and every other week, all the judges in the court meet over breakfast, and they rotate who brings food. This week it's our chambers' turn to bring the goodies, and my judge, who knows I like to cook, asked me to make something.
My first thought was to make baked apples tossed in butter, spices, and sugar with granola baked on top. Because I hate cloyingly sweet things for breakfast. But the judge said that many of the other judges liked stuff that was a bit more decadent.
My next thought was to bake a pie...I make good pies, and I love pie for breakfast. Then I remembered that it's March and no fruit is in season. I looked at a bunch of recipes and eventually stumbled across one for coffee cake, which reminded me of this recipe that I became pretty much obsessed with this summer. I made it with peaches, I made it with plums, and then I made it with peaches again.
This being March, I decided to adapt it for apples. I also made Blueberry Boy Bait with frozen blueberries, and it's delicious...very buttery and only slightly sweet, it's an ideal breakfast cake. Plus, it was super easy. To adapt it to our altitude, reduce baking powder to a generous 2 1/2 teaspoons. To make the night before, wrap the pan in foil when you remove it from the oven to keep the boy bait as moist as possible.
Apfelkuchen
Adapted from Gourmet, via Smitten Kitchen.
2 1/4 teaspoons or 1 (1/4-ounce) package active dry yeast
1/4 cup tepid water (about skin temperature, 90F)
2 cups (267 grams) plus 2 tablespoons (18 grams) all-purpose flour, divided
1 cup sugar (220 grams), divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup plain whole-milk yogurt (124 grams) at room temperature
1 large egg, warmed in shell in warm water five minutes
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon dried ginger
1/2 teaspoon clove
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 sticks (5 ounces or 142 grams) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons and softened, divided
3/4 c chopped walnuts
1/2 c raisins
1/4 c rum
3/4 pound apples, peeled, quartered, and thinly sliced crosswise (about 1 apple)
Pour the rum over the raisins to soak. Stir together yeast and warm water in mixer bowl and let stand until foamy, about five minutes. (If mixture doesn’t foam, start over with new yeast.)
Add two cups flour, 2/3 cup sugar, salt, yogurt, egg, spices, and vanilla to yeast mixture and mix at medium-low speed 1 minute. Beat in one stick of the butter, one tablespoon at a time, until incorporated. Beat at medium speed until dough is smooth and shiny, about five minutes. (Dough will be very sticky.) Scrape down side of bowl and sprinkle dough with remaining two tablespoons flour. Cover bowl loosely with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Butter a baking sheet. Cream the remaining two tablespoons butter with the remaining 1/3 c sugar, then mix in the walnuts and raisins. Spread the mixture in bottom of a 8- or 9- inch square (I used a 7 x11, because that's what I had) baking pan. Slice and peel the apple and arrange in one layer in the pan.
Stir dough until flour is incorporated, then spread evenly over apples. Loosely cover with buttered plastic wrap, then kitchen towel. Let rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until almost doubled, about 1 to 1 1/2 hour.
Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle. Bake until kuchen is golden-brown and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in pan five minutes, then invert and unmold onto a rack to cool completely.
Serve with additional yogurt, lightly sweetened, or sweetened crème fraîche.
For an uglier, but longer-lasting, kuchen, dice the apples, mix with the butter, sugar, raisins, and nuts, and fold into the dough before spreading it into a greased baking pan.
My first thought was to make baked apples tossed in butter, spices, and sugar with granola baked on top. Because I hate cloyingly sweet things for breakfast. But the judge said that many of the other judges liked stuff that was a bit more decadent.
My next thought was to bake a pie...I make good pies, and I love pie for breakfast. Then I remembered that it's March and no fruit is in season. I looked at a bunch of recipes and eventually stumbled across one for coffee cake, which reminded me of this recipe that I became pretty much obsessed with this summer. I made it with peaches, I made it with plums, and then I made it with peaches again.
This being March, I decided to adapt it for apples. I also made Blueberry Boy Bait with frozen blueberries, and it's delicious...very buttery and only slightly sweet, it's an ideal breakfast cake. Plus, it was super easy. To adapt it to our altitude, reduce baking powder to a generous 2 1/2 teaspoons. To make the night before, wrap the pan in foil when you remove it from the oven to keep the boy bait as moist as possible.
Apfelkuchen
Adapted from Gourmet, via Smitten Kitchen.
2 1/4 teaspoons or 1 (1/4-ounce) package active dry yeast
1/4 cup tepid water (about skin temperature, 90F)
2 cups (267 grams) plus 2 tablespoons (18 grams) all-purpose flour, divided
1 cup sugar (220 grams), divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup plain whole-milk yogurt (124 grams) at room temperature
1 large egg, warmed in shell in warm water five minutes
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon dried ginger
1/2 teaspoon clove
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 sticks (5 ounces or 142 grams) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons and softened, divided
3/4 c chopped walnuts
1/2 c raisins
1/4 c rum
3/4 pound apples, peeled, quartered, and thinly sliced crosswise (about 1 apple)
Pour the rum over the raisins to soak. Stir together yeast and warm water in mixer bowl and let stand until foamy, about five minutes. (If mixture doesn’t foam, start over with new yeast.)
Add two cups flour, 2/3 cup sugar, salt, yogurt, egg, spices, and vanilla to yeast mixture and mix at medium-low speed 1 minute. Beat in one stick of the butter, one tablespoon at a time, until incorporated. Beat at medium speed until dough is smooth and shiny, about five minutes. (Dough will be very sticky.) Scrape down side of bowl and sprinkle dough with remaining two tablespoons flour. Cover bowl loosely with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Butter a baking sheet. Cream the remaining two tablespoons butter with the remaining 1/3 c sugar, then mix in the walnuts and raisins. Spread the mixture in bottom of a 8- or 9- inch square (I used a 7 x11, because that's what I had) baking pan. Slice and peel the apple and arrange in one layer in the pan.
Stir dough until flour is incorporated, then spread evenly over apples. Loosely cover with buttered plastic wrap, then kitchen towel. Let rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until almost doubled, about 1 to 1 1/2 hour.
Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle. Bake until kuchen is golden-brown and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in pan five minutes, then invert and unmold onto a rack to cool completely.
Serve with additional yogurt, lightly sweetened, or sweetened crème fraîche.
For an uglier, but longer-lasting, kuchen, dice the apples, mix with the butter, sugar, raisins, and nuts, and fold into the dough before spreading it into a greased baking pan.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Braised Chicken with Olives and Almonds
This dish is a real show stopper, because it's one of those where you can't quite tell what all is in there, but the flavors are balanced marvelously. It's a bit fussy, but *so* worth it, and it's perfect for this weird time of year when I'm completely sick of wintery food but the spring veggies haven't yet started to arrive, and when I still want stick-to-your-ribs food but not quite as sticky as I wanted in November.
Adapted from my absolute favorite food blog, Smitten Kitchen. Serves two, or up to four if, like me, the eaters think one thigh is plenty.
Braised Chicken with Olives and Almonds2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup blanched almonds (preferably Marcona)
1/4 cup country bread, torn into small pieces (I used my now-somewhat-stale no-knead bread)
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
Small pinch saffron
1 tablespoon chopped parsley (or green garlic)
1 tablespoon grape seed oil
4 chicken thighs
Salt
Paprika
Flour for dusting
1 dried ancho chili
1/2 large white onion, sliced
1/2 cup very dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup pitted green olives, sliced
1. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small braising pan. Add the almonds, bread and garlic. Cook over medium heat so the garlic softens and the bread toasts but nothing burns. Scrape into a food processor and let cool for 5 minutes. Add the saffron and parsley and pulse until it resembles tabbouleh.
2. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Add the grape seed oil to the braiser and place over medium-high heat. Let the oil get very hot, almost to the smoke point, while you dust the chicken with salt and paprika and then dredge it in the flour. Add the chicken, two pieces at a time so it isn't crowded, and brown all sides, then remove to a plate. Wipe out the pan. Add the remaining olive oil, the chili, and the onions and cook until softened. Remove the chili and reserve it for your next dish. Nestle the chicken in the pan, pour in the wine and reduce by half.
3. Add the almond mixture and the broth, bring to a simmer, cover the pan and braise in the oven until the chicken is almost tender, about 40 minutes. Stir in the olives and cook until the chicken is very tender, 10 minutes more. Serve from the pan.
So that was Monday dinner: I snacked on some manchengo and quince paste, some of the green olives, and some of the marcona almonds while I was cooking, then dinner proper was this chicken, saffron rice, and the braised greens from my last two posts. And...yum...and definitely company-worthy.
Spanish Saffron Rice
This is more a method than a recipe, as it is infinitely adaptable to any veggies you want to include and any spices you wish to add. However, this is the variation I made to go with Spanish food last night:
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 white onion in small dice
2 pinches saffron
1 c rice
2 1/2 c water
salt and pepper to taste
Heat the olive oil over low-medium heat in a medium saucepan. Add the onion and rice and saute, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent. Add the saffron, salt, and pepper and saute 1-2 minutes longer.
Add the liquid, bring to a simmer, then cover and turn heat to low. Simmer about 20 minutes, stirring a couple of times, until all the liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork before serving.
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 white onion in small dice
2 pinches saffron
1 c rice
2 1/2 c water
salt and pepper to taste
Heat the olive oil over low-medium heat in a medium saucepan. Add the onion and rice and saute, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent. Add the saffron, salt, and pepper and saute 1-2 minutes longer.
Add the liquid, bring to a simmer, then cover and turn heat to low. Simmer about 20 minutes, stirring a couple of times, until all the liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork before serving.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Braised Spinach with Currants and Pine Nuts
I had something like this at Piatti a few months ago. I thought the idea was super-exciting but, sadly, the dish was so salty I couldn't taste any of the other flavors.
So, I decided to make it myself.
This will feed four (three if one of them is a spinach fiend like me):*
2 tbsp olive oil
1-2 large shallots
1/3 c pine nuts (pinons)
1/3 c dried currants
6 c baby spinach
salt
Heat a pan with the oil over medium heat while you thinly slice the shallot, then add to the pan. Add the pine nuts and currants. Saute, stirring frequently, until the shallot is translucent, about 2-3 minutes.
Wash the spinach and tear it into bite-size pieces. Add it to the pan and stir until wilted, about one minute. Add salt to taste. (4 large pinches worked for me.)
(Note: Washing the spinach adds needed moisture for the cooking process and is necessary even if the spinach is pre-washed.)
*The photos show a half recipe.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
No-Knead Bread at Altitude
I've long been afraid of baking bread. Yeast is so...alchemical and mysterious. And I'm not really one for measuring. But last weekend it was snowing (again), I was already making soup, and I figured that since I was going to be stuck inside anyway, it was time to conquer my fear. Reminding myself that flour is cheap and it would not be the end of the world if the loaf ended up in the trash, I pulled out Bittman's No-Knead Bread recipe that's been lingering in my recipe file for three(!) years and dove in.
And the bread wasn't bad. Really, it wasn't. But it wasn't great, either. It was kind of dense and tough. I suspected this might have something to do with the fact that (1) I used all-purpose flour instead of bread flour, because that's what I had on-hand (2) I mixed it 2-to-1 with whole wheat flour, because I ran out of all-purpose (did I mention it was snowing?) and (3) I was using a sea-level recipe at 5280 feet.
I did not, however, let this deter me for long. This weekend, I tried again, followed the recipe better, and tweaked it for high altitude. And this time, it was *delicious.* So without further ado, I bring you:
Mile High No-Knead Bread
Adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery, via Mark Bittman at The New York Times
Ingredients:
3 c bread flour
1 1/4 teaspoons salt*
scant 1/4 teaspoon instant (rapid rise) yeast
*I recommend Real Salt. It's mined in Utah from a prehistoric seabed and Whole Foods sells it in bulk for less than $3 a pound.
1. Combine flour, yeast, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add 1 3/4 cups tepid (warm room temperature) water and stir until blended. Dough will be sticky and shaggy, but will come together in a rough ball. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let rest at room temperature (68-70 degrees) for 12-15 hours. When dough is ready, it will have roughly doubled in size and surface will be dotted with bubbles.
Note: High gluten content in your flour is essential at high altitude. Do *not* substitute all-purpose or whole grain flours unless you add additional wheat gluten.
Note: Don't be tempted to skimp on the salt. It turns out it's important.
2. Dump dough out of bowl onto lightly-floured work surface. Fold it over itself a few times. Sprinkle with flour, cover with saran wrap, and let rest 10-15 minutes
3. Using just enough flour (really, the least you can get away with) to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a silpat or non-terry cotton towel with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with an oiled piece of saran wrap covered with a second, damp cotton towel. (This is to make up for the fact that air pressure is less at altitude.) Let rise for about 1 1/2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.
4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel or silpat and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 45 minutes, then check the temperature of the bread. Remove lid and cook for up to another 15 minutes, until bread reaches an internal temperature of 210 degrees.
Note: Mine got stuck at just over 200 degrees, but I took it out after about 55 minutes anyway because, well, it just seemed done.
5. Remove bread from oven and cool on a rack until it reaches nearly room temperature before you cut into it. (This keeps it from drying out.)
Enjoy!
And the bread wasn't bad. Really, it wasn't. But it wasn't great, either. It was kind of dense and tough. I suspected this might have something to do with the fact that (1) I used all-purpose flour instead of bread flour, because that's what I had on-hand (2) I mixed it 2-to-1 with whole wheat flour, because I ran out of all-purpose (did I mention it was snowing?) and (3) I was using a sea-level recipe at 5280 feet.
I did not, however, let this deter me for long. This weekend, I tried again, followed the recipe better, and tweaked it for high altitude. And this time, it was *delicious.* So without further ado, I bring you:
Mile High No-Knead Bread
Adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery, via Mark Bittman at The New York Times
Ingredients:
3 c bread flour
1 1/4 teaspoons salt*
scant 1/4 teaspoon instant (rapid rise) yeast
*I recommend Real Salt. It's mined in Utah from a prehistoric seabed and Whole Foods sells it in bulk for less than $3 a pound.
1. Combine flour, yeast, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add 1 3/4 cups tepid (warm room temperature) water and stir until blended. Dough will be sticky and shaggy, but will come together in a rough ball. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let rest at room temperature (68-70 degrees) for 12-15 hours. When dough is ready, it will have roughly doubled in size and surface will be dotted with bubbles.
Note: High gluten content in your flour is essential at high altitude. Do *not* substitute all-purpose or whole grain flours unless you add additional wheat gluten.
Note: Don't be tempted to skimp on the salt. It turns out it's important.
2. Dump dough out of bowl onto lightly-floured work surface. Fold it over itself a few times. Sprinkle with flour, cover with saran wrap, and let rest 10-15 minutes
3. Using just enough flour (really, the least you can get away with) to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a silpat or non-terry cotton towel with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with an oiled piece of saran wrap covered with a second, damp cotton towel. (This is to make up for the fact that air pressure is less at altitude.) Let rise for about 1 1/2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.
4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel or silpat and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 45 minutes, then check the temperature of the bread. Remove lid and cook for up to another 15 minutes, until bread reaches an internal temperature of 210 degrees.
Note: Mine got stuck at just over 200 degrees, but I took it out after about 55 minutes anyway because, well, it just seemed done.
5. Remove bread from oven and cool on a rack until it reaches nearly room temperature before you cut into it. (This keeps it from drying out.)
Enjoy!
Welcome!
I've been wanting to start a food blog for a long time now. I was putting it off until I found a job, and then my camera broke, and I've been procrastinating on buying a new camera for months now. Well, my parents gave me money for a camera for my birthday. In November. And I still don't have a camera. So....
I've decided that if I can't stop myself from putting off camera-shopping, I can at least stop procrastinating starting my blog. It's minimalist for now, until I learn a bit more about layout. But at the very least, I can start posting.
My goal is to share some of the wonderful things that come out of my kitchen. When I moved out of the dorms and into my first apartment, I cooked much the way my (wonderful, but busy) mom had. I love my mom, and one of the ways she showed she loved us was putting dinner on the table every night. But she was busy building an academic career and raising me and my brother, so she didn't make anything that took more than 15 minutes. Most meals had the same template: saute a bunch of veggies, add a can of beans, or boneless skinless chicken breast, make some rice or pasta, and dinner was served.
But you see, my first apartment was in Minnesota, and I am from the West. And I had a burning desire for Mexican food: not the bland, salty, Midwestern kind; I wanted the mole from the Red Iguana . Since I couldn't find it, I decided I would just need to figure out how to make it myself.
So I figured out how and began migrating away from the simple food my mom makes. And I discovered a dirty little secret: If I cook it myself, I can make it exactly the way I like it. Restaurants have to cater to the taste buds of thousands of people: I only have to cater to me. Control freak that I am, I fell in love with the kitchen. And here, I hope to share that love.
I've decided that if I can't stop myself from putting off camera-shopping, I can at least stop procrastinating starting my blog. It's minimalist for now, until I learn a bit more about layout. But at the very least, I can start posting.
My goal is to share some of the wonderful things that come out of my kitchen. When I moved out of the dorms and into my first apartment, I cooked much the way my (wonderful, but busy) mom had. I love my mom, and one of the ways she showed she loved us was putting dinner on the table every night. But she was busy building an academic career and raising me and my brother, so she didn't make anything that took more than 15 minutes. Most meals had the same template: saute a bunch of veggies, add a can of beans, or boneless skinless chicken breast, make some rice or pasta, and dinner was served.
But you see, my first apartment was in Minnesota, and I am from the West. And I had a burning desire for Mexican food: not the bland, salty, Midwestern kind; I wanted the mole from the Red Iguana . Since I couldn't find it, I decided I would just need to figure out how to make it myself.
So I figured out how and began migrating away from the simple food my mom makes. And I discovered a dirty little secret: If I cook it myself, I can make it exactly the way I like it. Restaurants have to cater to the taste buds of thousands of people: I only have to cater to me. Control freak that I am, I fell in love with the kitchen. And here, I hope to share that love.
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