Adventures in cooking: Bread

I recently have been on a cooking spree testing out new recipes to be used at our restaurant in Panama.  I want to make everything from scratch not only because it's cheaper but having everything boated in to the island leaves a pretty big carbon footprint that I don't want to contribute to. In my quest to not buy pre made, I figured I should learn how to make my own bread.  I have experimented before to so so results so I figured my second go round might not be so hot either.

I used Jim Lahey's book "My Bread" and his "no knead" technique.  Basically you don't have to do much except make the dough and let it sit for 12-18 hours.  The slow-rise fermentation process is apparently catching on and even non bakers are realizing how easy it is to make those beautiful Euopean style breads. Sounds easy but I'm skeptical. So last night I began; one regular peasant loaf and another called pancetta bread.....because everything is better with bacon.
In literally 5 minutes, I had two balls of dough.

 Ok, so I got to this point but it's just dough...maybe it won't even rise.  I was still very, very skeptical.  Beautiful bread just isn't this easy, right? So I hung out, watched a couple episodes of season 3 Dexter (I'm way behind but yes, I know what happens to Rita and the kid) with the boyfriend and decided to check in on my dough balls.  They were doing exactly what the author said they would.  They were expanding in size and had those little bubble things.  I went to bed and was supposed to be up at 8 to then take the dough out of the bowls and let it rise for another two hours.  Getting up at 8 on a weekend just wasn't going to happen.  I figured if the long rise was conducive to the bread than it can rise for even longer.  I got out of bed at 10. 


I took the bread out and formed it into a ball and let it sit for another hour.  The pancetta bread I actually formed into little muffin sizes and didn't really let those sit very long.  I baked them in the oven at 400 ish for about 30 minutes.  If they tasted as beautiful as they looked I would be effing ssssstoked!  During this time I sent Ryan to the store to get eggs so I could make beautiful little sandwiches for breakfast. However, they were done before he got back and I really wanted to taste it while it was warm....a bite turned into me eating the whole thing and I kinda felt bad about that.




 Anyway, it was delicious.  Bread and bacon? I mean, come on.   I did a little dance in the kitchen while my dog looked at the bacon bread in my hand with jealousy in his big brown eyes.  Sorry, pup.

Now, hopefully my loaf will turn out just as well.  I put in it a heavy pot with a lid and waited.  30 minutes later.....





It seriously looked like the bread in the pictures of the book, the bread in the windows in Paris.....holy shit, I made ridiculously good looking bread! Inside were little holes and the bread was chewy with a crunchy exterior. Dear sweet lord, thank you.

Maybe this was all a fluke.  Maybe things won't turn out this way next time.  Maybe the bread gods were smiling down, taking pity on me for my last attempt.  Orrrrrrrr maybe making bread is this simple.  I sure hope so and so do my future guests in Panama.  Next time...croissants and baguettes!