Kneadlessly Simple: Fabulous, Fuss-Free, No-Knead Breads Read online

  Yield: 1 large loaf, 12 to 14 slices

  ½ cup each dark raisins and golden raisins

  2¼ cups (11.25 ounces) unbleached white bread flour or unbleached all-purpose white flour, plus more as needed

  1 cup (5 ounces) medium rye flour or whole wheat flour

  2 teaspoons anise seeds

  1½ teaspoons instant, fast-rising, or bread machine yeast

  1¼ teaspoon table salt

  ¼ teaspoon ground ginger

  ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

  ¼ teaspoon ground cloves

  ¼ teaspoon ground allspice

  ½ cup clover honey or other mild honey

  1½ teaspoons finely grated orange zest

  1½ cups ice water, plus more if needed

  ¼ cup diced (1/8 -inch pieces) crystallized ginger

  Flavorless oil for coating dough top

  2 teaspoons clover honey or other mild honey, blended with 2 teaspoons water for wash

  First Rise Soak the raisins in hot water for 10 minutes, then drain well and let cool thoroughly. In a large bowl, thoroughly stir together the white and rye flours, anise seeds, yeast, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice. In another bowl or measuring cup, thoroughly whisk the honey and orange zest into the water. Vigorously stir the mixture along with the crystallized ginger and raisins into the bowl with the flours, scraping down the bowl sides and mixing just until the dough is thoroughly blended. If the dough is too dry to mix together, gradually add in just enough more ice water to facilitate mixing, as the dough should be stiff. If necessary, add in more white flour to stiffen it. Brush or spray the top with oil. Tightly cover the bowl with plastic wrap. If desired, for best flavor or for convenience, you can refrigerate the dough for 3 to 10 hours. Then let rise at cool room temperature for 8 to 12 hours.

  Second Rise Vigorously stir the dough, adding enough more flour to yield a very stiff consistency. Turn it out into a well-oiled 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Brush or spray the top with oil. Smooth out and press the dough evenly into the pan with oiled fingertips or a rubber spatula. Cover with nonstick spray—coated plastic wrap.

  Let Rise Using Any of These Methods For a 1½- to 2½-hour regular rise, let stand at warm room temperature; for a 1- to 2-hour accelerated rise, let stand in a turned-off microwave along with 1 cup of boiling-hot water; or for an extended rise, refrigerate for 4 to 24 hours, then set out at room temperature. Remove the plastic wrap when the dough nears it, then continue the rise until dough extends ½ inch above the pan rim.

  Baking Preliminaries 15 minutes before baking time, put a rack in the lower third of the oven; preheat to 350°F. Evenly brush the top with the honey wash.

  Baking Bake on the lower rack for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the loaf is well browned, covering with foil as needed. Continue baking for 15 to 20 minutes more, until a skewer inserted in the thickest part comes out with just a few particles on the end (or until the center registers 200° to 202°F on an instant-read thermometer). Bake for 5 to 10 minutes longer to ensure the center is done. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Turn the loaf onto the rack; cool thoroughly.

  If desired, decoratively top the loaf with the Powdered Sugar—Lemon Drizzle, allowing it drip attractively down the sides. Let the loaf stand a few minutes until the icing sets before serving.

  Serving and Storing

  The loaf slices best when thoroughly cooled and tastes best after being allowed to ripen for a few hours. Store airtight wrapped in plastic. The bread will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days, and may be frozen, airtight, for up to 2 months.

  Rosemary Focaccia with Coarse Salt

  KS Quotient

  Easy: Few ingredients, easily mixed. Minimal hand-shaping.

  The name focaccia comes from the Latin focus, meaning "hearth," and this amazingly crusty flatbread was prepared long before modern-day ovens came on the scene. Especially in Italy, some versions are still baked on flat stones or tiles placed on coals, but for those without a hearth, a sheet pan set near the bottom of a hot, hot oven will do very well.

  Puffy with hundreds of air pockets, crispy-chewy, and amazingly fragrant, focaccia makes the absolute most of simple ingredients like a little olive oil, coarse salt, and fresh rosemary. Don't even consider using the dried herb: Not only would its coarse, stick-like texture be intrusive, but during rehydration, it would draw too much moisture from the dough and discourage the formation of the gas bubbles essential for its enticing texture. This focaccia is so addictive, my husband and I often devour half a pan even before it has had time to cool. (I tell myself it's okay because we're eating mostly air!)

  Yield: 12 to 15 servings

  2¾ cups (13.75 ounces) unbleached all-purpose white flour, plus more as needed

  2 tablespoons fresh rosemary needles (remove the stems), chopped fairly fine

  ¾ teaspoon table salt

  1 teaspoon instant, fast-rising, or bread machine yeast

  1 1/3 cups plus ½ teaspoon ice water, plus more as needed

  2 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus more as needed

  ¾ teaspoon sea salt or other coarse crystal salt

  First Rise In a large bowl, thoroughly stir together the flour, rosemary, table salt, and yeast. Vigorously stir in the water, scraping down the bowl and mixing until the dough is thoroughly blended. Vigorously stir in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. If the mixture is too dry to blend together, stir in just enough more ice water to facilitate mixing, but don't over-moisten, as the dough should be slightly stiff. If too wet, stir in enough more flour to firm it slightly. Evenly brush the top lightly with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. If desired, for best flavor or for convenience, you can refrigerate the dough for 3 to 10 hours. Then let rise at cool room temperature for 12 to 18 hours. If convenient, vigorously stir the dough partway through the rise.

  Second Rise Brush a 15 x 10 x 1-inch (or similar) baking pan with olive oil, then line the pan with baking parchment. Brush the parchment with olive oil. Using a well-oiled rubber spatula, turn the dough out onto the pan; try not to deflate it any more than necessary. Drizzle the dough with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. With well-oiled hands, lightly pat and press out the dough until it is evenly thick and extends to within 1 inch of the edges all around. Tent the pan with nonstick spray—coated plastic wrap.

  Let Rise Using Either of These Methods For a 2 ½- to 3½-hour regular rise, let stand at warm room temperature; or for an extended rise, refrigerate for 4 to 24 hours, then set out at room temperature. Continue the rise until the dough has almost doubled from the deflated size. (If the pan has a 1-inch rim, the dough should be ¼ inch below it.) Just before baking, with oiled fingertips, make deep indentations, or dimples, all over the dough. Sprinkle evenly with coarse salt.

  Baking Preliminaries 20 minutes before baking time, place a rack in lowest position in the oven; preheat to 500°F. Place the broiler pan on the oven floor.

  Baking Reduce the temperature to 475°F. Add a cup of ice water to the broiler pan, being careful of splattering and steam. Bake on the lowest rack for 20 to 30 minutes, until golden brown, turning the pan from front to back for even browning about halfway through. Bake for 5 to 10 minutes more (or until the center registers 209° to 212°F on an instant-read thermometer) to be sure the center is done. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Using wide spatulas, lift the bread from the pan onto the rack to cool, or onto a cutting board to cut into servings.

  Tip

  If you don't have fresh rosemary, try the fennel seed and oregano or thyme focaccia variation below. Don't add any more dried oregano or thyme than called for, because these herbs both have yeast-inhibiting chemicals that, in quantity, can discourage rising.

  Serving and Storing

  Focaccia is best when fresh. Cut into rectangles and serve warm or at room temperature. Drizzle with additional olive oil or provide more as a dipping sauce, if desired. To maintain crispness, keep, draped with a tea towel, at cool room temperature for 2 to 3 days. It may be fr
ozen, airtight, for up to 2 months, but should be crisped in a preheated 400°F oven before serving.

  Variation

  Fennel Seed and Oregano (or Thyme) Focaccia with Salt

  Prepare the dough exactly as for the rosemary version except omit the rosemary. When garnishing with the sea salt just before baking, also sprinkle the dough evenly with ½ teaspoon fennel seeds and ½ teaspoon dried oregano leaves or dried thyme leaves.

  Ciabatta

  KS Quotient

  Easy: Few ingredients, easily mixed. Minimal hand-shaping.

  Ciabatta means "slipper," and, if you put your imagination to work, these airy, open-crumbed loaves do vaguely resemble big, floppy slippers or soft shoes. If you don't use your imagination, they may simply look like blobs in the shape of Mr. Peanut (minus his top hat!). A tidy shape is not all that important, though, because the defining characteristic of the loaf is a noticeably holey, puffy interior, which requires a slightly softer than normal dough.

  Basically, you form the breads by dumping the dough portions onto flour-dusted sheets of baking parchment, patting each into an oblong, then gently pushing them in at the "waist" to create a vaguely slipper- or shoe-like form.

  The loaves are wonderfully crusty on the outside and soft on the inside, and, so long as the dough isn't over-floured or over-manipulated, full of holes. If these are absent, console yourself that you're really only missing out on extra air!

  Yield: 2 ciabatta loaves

  3 cups (15 ounces) unbleached all-purpose white flour, plus more as needed

  Scant 1½ teaspoons table salt

  ¾ teaspoon instant, fast-rising, or bread machine yeast

  1½ cups ice water, plus more if needed

  1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for brushing loaf top

  First Rise In a large bowl, thoroughly stir together the flour, salt, and yeast. Vigorously stir in the water, scraping down the bowl and mixing until the dough is thoroughly blended. Vigorously stir in the olive oil. If the mixture is too stiff to incorporate all the flour, stir in just a little more ice water, but don't over-moisten, as it should be slightly stiff. If too wet, stir in enough more flour to firm it slightly. Evenly brush the top lightly with more olive oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. If desired, for best flavor or for convenience, you can refrigerate the dough for 3 to 10 hours. Then let rise at cool room temperature for 12 to 15 hours.

  Second Rise Spray two 9 x 12-inch sheets of baking parchment with nonstick spray, then dust each with ¼ cup flour, mounding it just slightly in the center. Line a very large rimless baking sheet (or the back of a rimmed sheet) with a new sheet of baking parchment; dust the parchment with flour.

  Using a well-oiled rubber spatula, gently loosen the dough from the bowl sides all the way around, trying not to deflate it any more than necessary. Using well-oiled kitchen shears and working so as to deflate the dough as little as possible, cut it in half, then turn out each portion onto the prepared parchment sheets. Dust the dough tops with flour. With well-oiled fingertips, very gently push and pat each portion out into an oblong, or "slipper," about 9 x 5½ inches; don't worry about being exact. Then push in the sides so the middle of each "slipper" is narrower than its heel and toe. Gently run a flour-dusted wide-bladed spatula under the slippers to loosen them from the parchment. One at a time, lift up the loaves and invert them, spaced as far apart as possible, onto the parchment-lined baking sheet; the crinkled, floured look is traditional, so don't brush off all the excess flour. Readjust the dough to re-form the slipper shapes, if necessary. Press deep indentations, or dimples, in the slippers all over with flour-dusted fingertips. Tent the baking sheet with nonstick spray—coated foil.

  Let Rise Using Either of These Methods For a 1½- to 2½-hour regular rise, let stand at warm room temperature; or for an extended rise, refrigerate for 4 to 24 hours, then set out at room temperature. Continue the rise until the dough has doubled from the deflated size, removing the foil as the dough nears it.

  Baking Preliminaries 20 minutes before baking time, place a rack in lowest position in the oven; preheat to 500°F. Set a broiler pan on the oven floor.

  Baking Add a cup of ice water to the broiler pan, being careful of splattering and steam. Reduce the temperature to 475°F and bake on the lowest rack for 15 to 20 minutes, until the loaves are golden and crusty. Bake for 5 to 10 minutes more, until a skewer inserted in the thickest part comes out with just a few crumbs on the tip (or until the center registers 208° to 210°F on an instant-read thermometer) to be sure the centers are done. Then place the pan on the floor of the oven for 2 to 4 minutes to brown the bottoms of the loaves; lift them up to check. Let stand for 10 minutes on the pan. Transfer the loaves to a wire rack, and let stand until cooled.

  Serving and Storing

  Slices best when completely cooled. Serve sliced horizontally for sandwich bread or grilling or vertically for snacking. Keeps, draped with a tea towel, at cool room temperature for 2 to 3 days. It may be frozen, airtight, for up to 2 months, but should be crisped in a preheated 400°F oven before serving.

  Neapolitan-Style Pizza Dough

  KS Quotient

  Super-Easy: A minimum of ingredients, mixed all at once. Easy hand-shaping.

  This is a simple, easy to handle, and virtually foolproof pizza dough calling for the most basic and economical supplies—yeast, salt, olive oil, and all-purpose flour. Some recipes call for a high-gluten flour, but I like regular flour better. The flat, thin layer doesn't need the extra gluten for support and the dough is more tender and much easier to stretch and shape without it. Because relatively little gluten development is necessary, the dough also requires less "micro-kneading" time than usual. After 4 to 12 hours on the countertop, it is ready to use, refrigerate, or freeze until needed.

  The recipe makes enough dough for two 11- to 12-inch pizzas. If desired, freeze one or both dough portions for up to a month. Use each dough portion for one traditional Tomato Sauce and Mozzarella Pizza, or for another pizza of your own choosing. For your convenience, I've also provided my pizza sauce recipe, although you can, of course, substitute any tomato-based sauce desired.

  Yield: 2 11-12 inch pizza

  3 cups (15 ounces) unbleached all-purpose white flour, plus more as needed

  Generous 1¼ teaspoons table salt

  ½ teaspoon instant, fast-rising, or bread machine yeast

  Scant 1½ cups ice water, plus more if needed

  1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for brushing over dough and pans

  First Rise In a large bowl, thoroughly stir together the flour, salt, and yeast. Vigorously stir in the water, scraping down the sides, just until thoroughly blended. Stir in the olive oil until evenly incorporated. If the mixture is too dry to mix, add in just enough water to facilitate mixing, as the dough should be firm. If the dough is soft, stir in enough more flour to firm it. Brush the top with olive oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. If desired, for best flavor or for convenience, you can refrigerate the dough for 3 to 10 hours. Then let rise at cool room temperature for 4 to 12 hours.

  Second Rise Stir the dough to deflate it. Divide it in half using oiled kitchen shears. The dough portions can be used immediately; or refrigerated for up to 12 hours and then used; or frozen, wrapped airtight, for up to 1 month. Use each half to prepare one pizza, following the recipe for Tomato Sauce and Mozzarella Pizza or another recipe of your choosing.

  Tomato Sauce and Mozzarella Pizza

  KS Quotient

  Super-Easy: Quick; simple hand-shaping required.

  Traditionalists insist that only a little cooked tomato sauce and soft, fresh mozzarella should top the classic version called Pizza Margherita. Since I really like to add some black olives, too, I'll just say that my version is an almost but not quite authentic Pizza Margherita. If you feel you'll miss the meatiness of typical American pies, I won't tell if you replace the olives with thinly sliced pepperoni or hard sausage as well. Just don't overload on extras or your pizza won't crisp as it should. Als
o, if at all possible, use fresh mozzarella; it will instantly raise the quality of your pie to gourmet.

  Note that the recipe is designed so you can ready your pizza on a 12-inch pizza pan or a sheet of baking parchment. The dough, along with its pan or parchment, is then slipped onto a preheated baking sheet set on the lowest rack of the oven. This crisps the crust and eliminates any chance of sogginess, yet obviates the need for a pizza stone or baking tiles. (It's fine to use them if you have them, of course.) Once the dough is puffed and partly baked, add the toppings, then slip the pie back into the oven for its final turn. The result will assure your reputation as a first-rate pizza maker.

  Yield: One 11½- to 12-inch pizza

  ½ recipe Neapolitan-Style Pizza Dough, ready for the second rise