Let's Get This BREAD!!!

So one of my interest have always been in cooking. Something I've been trying to learn to do is to make a sourdough starter. For some reason, I just can't manage to make one. The results have been horrific and the things of nightmare. I'm not planning on stopping, however I have found away around it. 

It's called The No Knead Method and the baker who came up with it is named Jim Lahey. So when it came time to work on my produsage assignment for this class I decided I would create a resource where I could gather and present my resources on bread making. Hopefully others will find it interesting and helpful and they will add their own resources and attempts at making bread. If you are interested feel free to join the community here:

http://www.pearltrees.com/sab07f/bread-baking-with-bunn/id33065706

For now enjoy this post about my attempt!

So, as I mentioned I followed the No Knead Method. I started by gathering the ingredients. I have certain selected brands on the PearlTrees page, but for this attempt I used what I had at the houese.

Next I mixed together 3 cups of flour, 1 and 1/4 teaspoons of salt, 1/4 teaspoons of active yeast, and 1 and 1/3 cups of water. The mixing is just enough that the ingredients are incorporated and you have a sticky dough. 

Next, I let it sit for 18 hours so the fermentation could work and it began to rise!

I'm pretty sure that at this point I could take a chunk and put it in my jar for future starters. I need to look in to that. I've wasted a LOT of flour. Everyone groans when they see I'm trying again.

So, I forgot to put flour down when I removed the dough from the bowl, above is the waste from sticky dough on an unfloured surface... So after flouring a new piece of parchment, I rounded the dough by folding the edges in and on top and then flipping it so it rests for another 2 hours with the seams down. 

After the 2 hours I preheated the oven to 475 degree and put the empty ceramic cast iron dutch oven in the oven to warm up. The recipe calls for a 4.5 to 5.5 qt dutch oven, but I have a 3 qt, so that's what I used. After the pot has been in the oven for around 30 min, take it out and flip the dough into it seam side up and cook for 30 minutes with the lid on.

This is what it looks like following the 30 minute cook time with the lid on. Take the lid off and cook for another 10 to 15 minutes. Until the crust is a nice chestnut brown. Below is my finish product. I probably will cook with the lid off closer to 10 minutes on the next one.  

If interested give it a try and post pics in your own Pearltrees folder on my site! Pics of Sandwiches to follow!!!