Kneadlessly Simple: Fabulous, Fuss-Free, No-Knead Breads

by Nancy Baggett

  I like to serve this loaf warm and sliced thick with soups and stews. Once cooled and cut thinner, it's good for toast and sandwiches.

  Yield: 1 medium loaf, 12 to 14 slices

  1¼ cups (6.25 ounces) whole wheat flour, plus more as needed

  1¼ cups (6.25 ounces) unbleached white bread flour

  ½ cup uncooked, unseasoned long-grain brown rice and wild rice blend (or just brown rice), ground fairly fine after measuring

  1 tablespoon granulated sugar

  Generous 1 teaspoon table salt

  ¾ teaspoon instant, fast-rising, or bread machine yeast

  1 tablespoon corn oil, canola oil, or other flavorless vegetable oil, plus more for coating dough top and pan

  1 1/3 cups ice water, plus more if needed

  First Rise In a large bowl, thoroughly stir together the whole wheat and bread flour, ground rice, sugar, salt, and yeast. In another bowl, whisk the oil into the water. Vigorously stir the mixture into the bowl with the flours, scraping down the sides and mixing until well blended and smooth. If the ingredients are too dry to mix together, gradually add in just enough more ice water to facilitate mixing; don't over-moisten, as the dough should be stiff. If necessary, add in more whole wheat flour to stiffen it. Brush or spray the top with oil. Tightly cover the bowl with plastic wrap. If desired, for best flavor or for convenience, refrigerate for 3 to 10 hours. Then let rise at cool room temperature for 18 to 24 hours.

  Second Rise Vigorously stir the dough, adding more whole wheat flour if needed to stiffen it, then carefully scrape down the sides. Using a well-oiled rubber spatula, fold the dough in towards the center, working all the way around the bowl. Invert the dough into a generously oiled 8½ x 4½-inch loaf pan. Brush or spray the dough top with oil. Smooth and press out the dough with well-oiled fingertips so it evenly fills the pan and is smooth on top. Using a well-oiled serrated knife, make 5 or 6 evenly spaced ¼-inch-deep crosswise slashes along the loaf top. Cover the pan with nonstick spray—coated plastic wrap.

  Let Rise Using Any of These Methods For a 2- to 3-hour regular rise, let stand at warm room temperature; for a 1½- to 2½-hour accelerated rise, let stand in a turned-off microwave along with 1 cup of boiling water; or for an extended rise, refrigerate for 4 to 24 hours, then set out at room temperature. Continue the rise until the dough nears the plastic, then remove it and let the dough rise until 1 inch above the pan rim.

  Baking Preliminaries 15 minutes before baking time, put a rack in the lower third of the oven; preheat to 400°F.

  Baking Bake on the lower rack for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the top is well browned. Continue baking for 15 to 20 minutes more, covering to prevent over-browning, until a skewer inserted in the thickest part comes out with just a few particles clinging to the bottom portion (or until the center registers 206° to 208°F on an instant-read thermometer). Then bake for 5 to 10 minutes more to be sure the center is done. Cool the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Then turn out the loaf onto the rack and cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.

  Serving and Storing

  The loaf slices best when cool, but the bread is good served warm or at room temperature. Cool completely before storing airtight in plastic or foil. Keeps at room temperature for 3 days, and may be frozen, airtight, for up to 2 months.

  Gluten-Free Light Sandwich Bread

  KS Quotient

  Fairly Easy: Easy once the gluten-free ingredients are assembled. No hand-shaping.

  Gluten, a rubbery protein abundant in wheat doughs, is normally the component that both holds yeast breads together and raises them by trapping the gas produced during fermentation. Which means that turning out yeasted baked goods without gluten is always challenging and that the results rarely stand up (so to speak) to breads made the usual wheat way.

  Still, for the legions of gluten allergy sufferers with a desperate, abiding craving for bread, ersatz loaves are an acceptable alternative to never eating a sandwich, or toast, or a simple buttered slice again. According to several of my gluten-free friends who have tried many of the available commercial gluten-free products, they are better than nothing, but, often, just barely. Fresh, homemade, gluten-free breads, on the other hand, occasionally taste enough like the real thing to get them highly excited.

  I am pleased to say that the following all-purpose yeasted sandwich bread recipe is one that did. Upon taking her first bite, a gluten-free friend declared this the best bread she'd eaten since forsaking gluten three years ago—so good, she said, it almost made her cry! She then carefully wrapped up her gift, took it home, and froze it so she could stretch out the pleasure over the next several weeks. She also insisted that I share this recipe with her immediately.

  Admittedly, this bread isn't as springy and the taste isn't as wheaty as the usual wheat-based loaf, but a combination of carefully-chosen gluten-free flours and meals creates a light tan bread with a mild, pleasant multigrain taste and enough cohesiveness that this loaf works just fine for sandwiches. It is good for toast and eating as is, too. (For heartier, darker, seeded bread, see the variation at the end of the recipe.)

  Yeast might not seem to serve a purpose in gluten-free doughs, but it does: First, it contributes the same sweet, earthy flavors and aromas that have always made people love yeast bread. Plus, there are a number of gluten substitutes (found in the gluten-free baking sections of health food stores) like tapioca starch, flax seed meal, and xanthan gum that help make the dough cohesive enough to trap at least some of the gas produced during fermentation. Baking powder provides the rest of the leavening.

  Yield: 1 large loaf, 13 to 14 slices

  1 2/3 cups white rice flour, divided, plus more as needed

  2/3 cup old-fashioned or quick-cooking (not instant) gluten-free rolled oats

  ½ cup cornstarch

  1/3 cup tapioca flour

  1/3 cup flax seed meal or golden flax seed meal

  Generous 1¼ teaspoons table salt

  1 teaspoon instant, fast-rising, or bread machine yeast

  1 1/3 cups ice water, plus more if needed

  1/3 cup corn oil or canola oil, plus more for coating pan

  3 tablespoons clover honey or other mild honey

  1 large egg, at room temperature

  ¼ cup plain low-fat or regular yogurt, drained of excess liquid

  2½ teaspoons baking powder

  First Rise In a large bowl, thoroughly stir together 1 1/3 cups of the rice flour, the oats, cornstarch, tapioca flour, flax seed meal, salt, and yeast. In another bowl or measuring cup, thoroughly whisk together the water, oil, and honey, then stir them into the bowl with the flour and oats, scraping down the bowl sides and mixing until well blended. If the mixture is too stiff to blend together, stir in enough more water to facilitate mixing and yield a barely firm dough. (It will stiffen as it stands.) Tightly cover the bowl with plastic wrap. If desired, for best flavor or for convenience, refrigerate for 3 to 10 hours. Then let stand at cool room temperature for 12 to 18 hours. It's all right if the dough doesn't rise a lot.

  Second Rise Whisk the egg, then set aside 1 tablespoon to brush on the loaf top. Stir the yogurt, baking powder, and 1/3 cup of the rice flour into the remaining egg. Vigorously stir the mixture into the dough until well blended. If it is soft, stir in enough more white rice flour to yield a fairly stiff dough. Turn it out into a very well-greased 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Evenly brush the top with oil. Smooth the surface with an oiled rubber spatula or fingertips. Brush the reserved egg over the surface. Using a well-oiled serrated knife or kitchen shears, make a ½-inch-deep cut lengthwise down the loaf. Cover the pan with nonstick spray—coated plastic wrap.

  Let Rise Using Either of These Methods For a 2½- to 4-hour regular rise, let stand at warm room temperature; for a 1½- to 3-hour accelerated rise, let stand in a turned-off microwave along with 1 cup of boiling-hot water. When the dough nears the plastic wrap, remove it and continue the rise until the dough extends 1/8 inch above the pan rim.

  Baking Prel
iminaries 15 minutes before baking time, place a rack in the lower third of the oven; preheat to 375°F.

  Baking Bake on the lower rack for 55 to 60 minutes, until the top is nicely browned; if necessary, cover with foil to prevent over-browning. Continue baking for 10 to 15 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the thickest part comes out with only a few crumbs clinging to the bottom (or until the center registers 206° to 208°F on an instant-read thermometer). Then bake for another 5 to 10 minutes to ensure that the center is done. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove the loaf to the rack; cool thoroughly.

  Serving and Storing

  The loaf slices best when cool, but the bread is good served warm or at room temperature. Cool completely before storing airtight in plastic or foil. The bread will keep at room temperature for 3 days, and may be frozen, airtight, for up to 2 months.

  Variation

  Hearty Seeded Gluten-Free Bread

  Proceed exactly as for Gluten-Free Light Sandwich Bread except: Substitute ¼ cup molasses for the honey. Substitute ½ cup cornmeal or ½ cup brown rice flour for the rolled oats. Stir together 1 tablespoon each millet, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, and flax seeds. Stir all but 1 tablespoon of the mixture into the dough before the first rise. Sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon over the loaf after brushing the loaf top with the egg before starting the second rise.

  Gluten-Free Faux Rye Bread

  KS Quotient

  Fairly Easy: Surprisingly well-textured, moist, and flavorful. No hand-shaping.

  To put it kindly, some gluten-free breads have an "unusual" flavor and consistency. But this moist, springy loaf seems so normal and appealing that many tasters won't even realize it's gluten-free. It goes well with cheeses and smoked meats and is excellent for both sandwiches and toast. Though completely "ryeless," it has a pleasant sour rye taste, owing to the caraway seeds, molasses, and yogurt. The yeast also lends flavor and some lift. Baking powder leavens some, too.

  This loaf is fairly simple to make once the various gluten-free ingredients are on hand. All are readily obtainable in the gluten-free sections of health food stores as well as in some large supermarkets.

  Yield: 1 large loaf, 12 to 14 slices

  1 2/3 cups white rice flour, divided, plus more as needed

  ¾ cup brown rice flour

  1/3 cup cornstarch

  1/3 cup tapioca flour

  1/3 cup flax seed meal or golden flax seed meal

  2 tablespoons caraway seeds, divided

  2 teaspoons xanthan gum

  1¼ teaspoons table salt

  1 teaspoon instant, fast-rising, or bread machine yeast

  1½ cups ice water

  1/3 cup corn oil or canola oil, plus more for coating pan

  1/3 cup molasses

  1 large egg, at room temperature

  1/3 cup plain low-fat or regular yogurt, drained of excess liquid

  2½ teaspoons baking powder

  First Rise In a large bowl, thoroughly stir together 1 cup of the rice flour, the brown rice flour, cornstarch, tapioca flour, flax seed meal, 1½ tablespoons of the caraway seeds, the xanthan gum, salt, and yeast. In another bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the water, oil, and molasses, then vigorously stir into the bowl with the flours, scraping down the bowl sides and mixing until well blended. If the dough is too stiff to blend together, stir in just enough water to facilitate mixing, but don't over-moisten, as it should be fairly firm. If necessary, add more rice flour to firm it. Tightly cover the bowl with plastic wrap. If desired, for best flavor or for convenience, refrigerate for 3 to 10 hours. Then let stand at cool room temperature for 12 to 18 hours. It's all right if this dough doesn't rise much.

  Second Rise In a small deep bowl, whisk the egg until smooth. Set aside 1 tablespoon for glazing the dough top. Stir the yogurt, baking powder, and 2/3 cup of white rice flour into the remaining egg. Vigorously stir the mixture into the dough until very well blended. If it is soft, stir in enough more white rice flour to yield a fairly stiff dough, scraping down the bowl. Turn the dough out into a well-greased 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Brush the top with oil, then smooth out the surface with an oiled rubber spatula. Evenly brush on the reserved egg. Sprinkle with the remaining caraway seeds. Using well-oiled kitchen shears, make a ½-inch-deep slash lengthwise down the loaf. Cover the pan with nonstick spray—coated plastic wrap.

  Let Rise Using Either of These Methods For a 2½- to 4-hour regular rise, let stand at warm room temperature; for a 1½- to 3-hour accelerated rise, let stand in a turned-off microwave along with 1 cup of boiling-hot water. When the dough nears the plastic wrap, remove it and continue until the dough reaches the pan rim.

  Baking Preliminaries 15 minutes before baking time, place a rack in the lower third of the oven; preheat to 375°F.

  Baking Bake on the lower rack for 55 to 60 minutes, or until the top is nicely browned; cover with foil if needed to prevent over-browning. Continue baking for 15 to 20 minutes longer or until a skewer inserted in the thickest part comes out with only a few crumbs clinging to the bottom (or until the center registers 206° to 208°F on an instant-read thermometer). Then bake for 5 to 10 minutes longer to ensure the center is baked through. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Turn the loaf out onto the rack; cool thoroughly.

  Serving and Storing

  The loaf slices best when cool, but the bread is good served warm or at room temperature. Cool completely before storing airtight in plastic or foil. The bread will keep at room temperature for 3 days, and may be frozen, airtight, for up to 2 months.

  Variations

  Swedish-Style Gluten-Free Faux Rye Bread

  Proceed exactly as directed for Gluten-Free Faux Rye Bread, except reduce the caraway seeds added to the dough to 1 teaspoon and add in 1 teaspoon anise seeds and 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest. Garnish the loaf top with ½ teaspoon each caraway seeds and anise seeds.

  Gluten-Free Faux Dark Rye Bread with Raisins

  Proceed exactly as directed for Gluten-Free Faux Rye Bread, except add 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder (sifted after measuring) to the flour mixture. Add 1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar and 1 cup dark, seedless raisins (rinsed and well drained) with the water-molasses mixture.

  Chapter 7: Sweet Breads and Gift Breads

  When most people think of yeast breads, peasant rounds and sandwich loaves come to mind first, but enticing coffeecakes and festive sweet breads can be made with yeast, too. In fact, some of the most traditional holiday cakes—panettone and Mardi Gras King's cake—are actually rich yeasted breads.

  Besides being aerated with yeast, the cakes and coffeecakes here differ from chemically leavened cakes in that the doughs tend to be less sweet. Yeast organisms don't grow well in the presence of a lot of sugar because as the sugar dissolves, it draws up water the yeast organisms need. More than about 2 tablespoons of sugar per cup of flour can cause yeast dehydration, even though the dough may still look very moist. So, don't be tempted to just toss in extra sugar, and follow the directions for incorporating it carefully.

  It is possible to increase the level of sweetness by adding honey to a dough, or by tucking a sweet filling inside it. Another easy approach is to top the finished bread or cake with a sweet icing or glaze.

  In addition to a nice selection of coffeecakes and yeasted cakes, check out the gift bread recipes at the end of the chapter. These feature easy, ready-to-use bread mixes that are attractively layered in clear jars. The recipients of these gift kits simply add water and oil and stir to create a delectable loaf of homemade bread.

  Mardi Gras King's Cake

  KS Quotient

  Fairly Easy: Two-stage mixing. Some hand-shaping required.

  Shaped like a large, oval doughnut and gaudily decorated with alternating sections of Carnival colors (purple, green, and yellow), the yeast bread known as King's Cake is one of New Orleans' many popular Mardi Gras traditions. The "cake" is an indulgence traditionally enjoyed on the Twelfth Night (the eve of Epiphany, which b
egins the twelfth day after Christmas) and up until Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. The name references the custom of tucking a coin, miniature china doll, nut meat, or other small tidbit in the cake before baking and declaring whoever happens upon it the king of the next Mardi Gras ball. The King's Cake, sometimes also called Twelfth Night cake, actually dates to the Carnival celebrations of medieval Europe, where the notion of serendipitously becoming nobility was even more entertaining than it is today.

  Both home and commercial bakers now prepare the Gateau du Roi, and many are shipped around the country for those wishing to participate in Mardi Gras from afar. Good-quality versions feature a light, not too sweet brioche, often flavored with citrus zest and spice. Some bakers go all out with the toppings, adding not only the traditional bands of icing or colored sugars, but bits of candied cherries or bright nonpareils for a jewel-studded look. (My grandchildren are always in favor of the heavy décor.) Since this is a Carnival-time treat, it's really impossible to be too fanciful or go too far over the top! Incidentally, both the loaf shaping and decorating are much easier than you might think.