NY Times bread recipe--what FUN

[elaine l]

i would like to try this but I don't think my pan would be enough. Is it possible to cut the recipe in half?

[xmascarol1]

Hey, why not. I would suggest you make a 2/3 recipe and see what happens. You won't be out much on supplies and it just might work great.

[jpmcgrew]

18 hours is definitely better than 12.I baked one off today but I put a litlle cornmeal and then a bunch of seeds flax,sesame,poppy,black caraway,sunflower and anise.Turned out great. Seeds stuck on pretty good but I think next time I will spray the top with some water or brush with eggwash then sprinkle seeds and bake so maybe they will stick even better.

[xmascarol1]

Okay, I don't like to eat just this artisan bread but enjoy other types including finer crumb bread. So I took my rye bread recipe, formed it into a round loaf, let it rise and then baking it in the same manner as the nyt bread--ie in the Dutch oven. Only this time, I also didn't want to heat up the whole big oven, so took my clay garlic baker which has a nice round dome, and looked like it would hold about 1# loaf, and just baked it in my countertop convection oven at 500 degrees. Turned out with a great crust and a wonderful moist crumb inside. I did use my instant read thermometer to check on the internal temp of 200. So this is really easy now and as there's just 2 of us, we have trouble often finishing bigger loaves and we like variety.

[Katie E]

Originally Posted by jpmcgrew

18 hours is definitely better than 12.I baked one off today but I put a litlle cornmeal and then a bunch of seeds flax,sesame,poppy,black caraway,sunflower and anise.Turned out great. Seeds stuck on pretty good but I think next time I will spray the top with some water or brush with eggwash then sprinkle seeds and bake so maybe they will stick even better.

Omigosh, jp. I've so abused this dough. I've even let it go 21 hours with no negative results.

[beginner_chef]

I have been reading most of the posts about this bread, and am ready to try to make it...But i have a few questions...

*I havn't baked with Yeast before, the yeast i just bought a couple weeks ago says 'Quick Rise Highly Active Yeast'.. will this work? Do i have to open it and put it in warm water, or whatever?

*I know there's been discussion about the recipe using too much water, so would you all recommend i use less than 1 5/8?

*And should i use the towel like it says, or is there a better way? I don't have parchment paper...

*I hope i have the right kind of pot to bake it in... I don't know what it's made of, but i have a pretty big pot that i use to make chilli, and other soups, and it has a glass lid (oven safe?) But i've heard some people use the ceramic insert in their crock pot, and set the loaf on a cookie sheet, and use the ceramic insert as a lid over it? The lid that goes to my crock pot has a plastic handel, so i can't use that..


I know this is an old thread, but i just saw it, and would LOVE to try this and take it to my inlaws house on Sunday and surprise them with a wonderful bread! I will start this as soon as i get some help with my questions....

Thank you all!

[xmascarol1]

Well, your yeast will work just fine. Just put in the amount it says in the recipe. Next, if you haven't made bread before, the mixture says "shaggy dough" which is like drop biscuit dough. It will probably take a few times of baking this for you to get the feel of how moisture you like in your bread.
You can use the towel method, but I advise you to buy some parchment paper as it works so good. (brown paper from a paper bag would work alright too. ) It's just so much less messy.
I don't know about the glass lid idea. But that idea of the crock pot insert on top of the cookie sheet sounds innovative.
Hey, it's just bread and it will be edible , however it comes out. Good luck.

[cookbookie]

This recipe always works. great bread.
Cook's magazine changed the recipe slighly and the result is even better than the original -
3 c flour1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons water at room temp
1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons mild flavored lager
1 tablspoon white vinegar
the rest of the instructions are about the same
makes a great loaf

[nancylee]

I have made this a few times trying different ways to keep it from sticking to the towel. I tried the beer method with parchment and what a great idea using the paper!! The beer not sure made much difference. But we love it anyway it comes out of the oven!
nancylee

[beginner_chef]

My bread is doing it's 2 hour resting right now..

So far i think it's okay. I let it rise for 18 hours, covered with seran wrap ontop of our stove. It was all bubbly looking when i got up this morning.

It was pretty sticky when i was moving it to the floured countertop, but i had lots of corn meal on the counter, and once i sprinkled more ontop it wasn't so sticky.

I floured my towel real well, and plopped it (seam side down) on the towel, then covered with another towel. I think someone said that if you put it in a smaller bowel during the 2 hours it might rise a little better than being on the counter? I just set it in the crock pot i'll be using to bake it in... We'll see!

I'm excited about this bread... I have never successfuly made bread before. Thanks so much for posting this recipe... I will let you all know how it turns out...