A Revelation, and Two Ways to Eat It

I have a confession.

I am addicted to bread.

Not in an “oh yes, mother, I’d love a second slice of the wonderbread” kind of way, but the kind of addiction where if you sit me in front of a warm, crackly, really top-quality loaf, bad things will happen.  Like consuming the whole thing.

Which is almost what happened yesterday when I made Jim Lahey’s revolutionary No-Knead Bread.  The New York Times featured his recipe back in 2006, and I happily copied it into my recipe database.  I can’t believe I let it sit without making it for so long.

Anton and I started baking bread when we moved out to Montana, with some success (the challah especially turned out really well, and made great French toast).  But this is easily the best bread I have made, and I spent less time working on it than on any other loaf.  And I was skeptical.  I managed to use the wrong kind of yeast, too much salt, didn’t have the recommended baking vessel, and if you think our kitchen is ever going to get to the requisite 70 degrees, I should inform you that in our house “room temperature” is considerably below room temperature.

After mixing up the dough and letting it sit for 18 (!) hours, it looked like something you throw in the garbage.  But it made the house smell incredible, and the loaf (which I baked in a 9×9 pyrex dish with a tin foil “lid”), was perfect.  Artisan bakery-perfect.  Thin, crispy, crackly crust; moist, open, tender crumb; and the most incredible chew.  We ate half the loaf before it had cooled all the way, totally by itself.  Seriously, go make this bread now.  It requires a bowl and  a wooden spoon and a lot of patience.  You can not go wrong.

The entire point of making bread, was to use it as a base for Roasted Cod on Large Garlic Croutons, which I found on the RSS I follow that sends me healthy recipes from Epicurious.  Frequently I change a recipe a little, or wish I had when I see the finished results, but this is a winner.  Rub some brand-new toasted bread with a garlic clove; top with some lightly-cooked tomatoes, anchovies, and red onion; layer with fresh basil leaves; and top with a perfect piece of cod?  Sounds like heaven on a plate to me!

I would have discovered more ways to eat this, but we had some toast in the morning and nibbled throughout the day, and now there’s only two slices left, which we’re saving for breakfast tomorrow.  I’ll make it again, though, I promise!

(I’ve just discovered that Lahey has a book out!)