Clark's Knearly Kno-Knead Artisan Boule
Several years ago, the NY Times Mark Bittman, published a No-Knead artisan bread recipe that launched thousands of youtube and blog posts. It's really simple - flour, water, salt and a lot less yeast than you think you'd need, bake it in a cast-iron dutch oven in a 500 degree oven for 30 minutes with the cover on, 15 minutes with the cover off. The result is a lovely, round "store bought" appearing loaf. The crust is crunchy and the inside is moist and chewy. A long rise time gives it a tangy, sourdough flavor. The magazine Cook's Illustrated, tweaked this recipe a year or so ago, adding beer and a some vinegar - allowing for a shorter rise time and a more pronounced sourdough flavor. Mark Bittman's recipe never worked right for me, the bottom was always burned. Also, because it was no-knead, I often found streaks of unincorporated flour in the boule - not cool. Kneading for just about 2 minutes, will ensure this doesn't happen. I have made se...