Jim Lahey's No Knead Bread: I'm sorry I ever doubted you

I have put off trying Jim Lahey's no-knead bread for a long time, even though Mark Bittman's feature of his recipe that was published in the NYT back in 2006 can be rightfully credited for starting the food-blogger no-knead revolution these past few years. And even though I received Jim Lahey's baking cookbook, My Bread, as a birthday gift!

Two main reasons for this delay: 1) I loved the flexibility of the Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day refrigeration method so I tried recipes from that book first, and 2) I pored over the introduction and recipes in Jim Lahey's book when I first received it...and to be honest, his writing voice rubbed me the wrong way. The tone of writing came across as arrogant and full of himself.  Something about his writing style, the way he presented his philosophy and life story--I can't identify the exact things that made me feel this way, but it made me procrastinate in trying the recipe out.

Several weekends ago on a Saturday afternoon, I decided to throw together the basic recipe from the book on a whim. And the rest is history.

On Sunday, I baked up the most fabulous homemade loaf yet. CHEWY crust like you'd never believe. Moist, spongy, substantial center bread. I hurried some over to my friend and fellow bread baker down the road, and our subsequent online chat pretty much sum it up:

Her: O. M. G. The bread is soooo good. David [her husband] says it's the best bread he's ever eaten. I need to make some tonight!

Me: I know, we're running out already, I think I need to make more too.

Go make some today! It's ridiculously easy, even small children can do it.

 

My notes: I used lots and lots of oat bran to keep my dough from sticking to the cloth. I find bran to be a more pleasing flavor in the finished product than cornmeal. Also, since my enamel pot glaze turns color at 475 degrees, I bake mine at 450 instead--no difference in finished product. Any lidded pot as small as 2.75 quarts is big enough for one recipe of the dough. Anything bigger, and you get a pretty flat loaf.