I don't bake my own bread as often as I should. To be honest, I hadn't found that one recipe that would satisfy my taste for artisan-style bread, while at the same time, be easy enough to make on a regular basis. That has now changed with Peter Reinhart's Pain a l' Ancienne recipe, which I tried for the first time this past weekend.
Initially, I was quite skeptical as the recipe is relatively straight forward (I'm used to 12 step recipes that call for a lot of feeding, kneading, resting, punching and repeating). For this bread, you knead the dough for 5 minutes, refrigerate it straight away, let it rise for 2-3 hours the next day and then bake.
The end result is absolutely phenomenal. I would describe it as a cross between a traditional french baguette and a ciabatta. This bread is nutty, crispy, chewy and bubbly - all of the things love in a rustic loaf of bread. It also freezes really well.
If you're interested in making this bread, you can find the recipe in Peter Reinhart's The Bread Baker's Apprentice. (It's online if you search hard enough.)
Your baked bread looks so yummy. Great that you find a simple recipe rather than a long list of what needed to make a bread.
ReplyDeleteOh my, that looks so amazing! I must try it!! I love making bread.
ReplyDeleteOh, what a timely review! Right now I have this very bread recipe open on my counter waiting for the moment when I am done preserving tomatoes and can actually bake. I am intrigued by the technique, since like you, I am used to way more complex bread recipes.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the photos and the post and I am glad that your bread was so successful.
That bread looks wonderful! It looks like it would taste great with the Caponata I just made. I wish you lived closer. I would trade you a jar for a loaf! We will have to try that recipe. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful, beautiful bread Thomas. I found the recipe online and will be baking it this weekend. Perfect timing because I had wanted to make some baquettes.
ReplyDeletethe chilly weather has sent me right into the baking mode, too. cranberry orange bread at my house! your baguettes are lovely!
ReplyDeleteHi Thomas,
ReplyDeleteLike you, I've been searching for the perfect every-day loaf. That looks delicious and oh so beautiful! I'm on my way to look up the recipe.
Thanks for the info!
Oh man I am so in on this! An easy bread recipe. Love it!
ReplyDeleteLooks great Thomas. :)
ReplyDeleteNow THAT makes me really miss hubby - he's the yummy artisan bread baker here, I really should learn. Thankfully only a couple more months of deployment and I'll be seeing bread again! Yours looks delicious!
ReplyDeleteI haven't baked bread in so long. I've made bread, but just not baked. I'll probably start as the weather cools more and I want the oven on.
ReplyDeleteIt looks phenomenal! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like my kind of loaf, I think I will be googling it in the coming months if I dare to invite the aroma of baking bread into the kitchen.
ReplyDeleteI haven't checked in for the last week or two. Bread looks amazing and I would gladely trade a loaf for helping rip down the tomatoes but alas, i am not nearby.
ReplyDeleteLooks like another great no fuss artisan style bread. I use a modification of the Sullivan Street Bakery No Knead bread and it consistently makes a gorgeous loaf of crusty beautiful bread with only a little messing on my part (very little in fact). I think that recipe has alot of the same qualities and appeal as the on you posted about here. The loaves look delicious!
ReplyDeleteLooks delicious, Thomas! Its so dreary and rainy here today that I think I will bake some bread to warm up the house and our stomachs.
ReplyDeleteI also usually make the no-knead bread, but I'm going to try this. Thanks for the post! Do you add the olive oil?
ReplyDeleteThose look fantastic! I put the book on hold at the library and will give it a go when the book comes in.
ReplyDeletethanks Thomas,
ReplyDeleteI have that book also and was just starting to make bread.
21 yrs ago, I started making my own bread on a regular basis. I had a new baby and was home enough to see it through. I never bought a slice of store-bought for 1 whole year. Then it kind of fell by the wayside. I have been dabbling again for the last year or 2.This year I lost my job in April and as therapy to my soul, I jumped back into bread making. My dad likes my wheat better than any store-bought bread and I have taken to making much of ours into rolls...grab them and go...I slice one in half and have toast in the morning. I think tomorrow a.m. is another bread day! I like my tried and true recipes for the main bread, but would like to expand a bit and try new ones, too. Thanks for the inspiration.
ReplyDeleteDid you use your bread stone to bake these on? They look great! How's the crumb? I've not done any of Reinhart's recipes yet- maybe will have to go try now.
ReplyDeleteYup, he is one good bread maker. The best recipes seem to be the easiest. Your loaves look perfect.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful. You inspired me to locate the recipe online and try it for myself. Doing my second batch tonight. This recipe is so easy that you can make it several times a week with very little advance planning. I make the dough the night before, have the kids pull it out of the fridge when they get home from school the next day so that it's at room temp when I get home from work. Then all I have to do is heat up the oven and bake.
ReplyDelete