No Knead Artisan Bread - 1/3 whole wheat and 2/3 white

When I was a little girl, I liked nothing better than walking home from school and smelling the aroma of freshly baked bread wafting from my home.  My mother baked our family's bread weekly and there was always a warm slice slathered with butter and honey waiting for us after school.  My mother baked fluffy white loaves in shiny aluminum loaf pans.  My bread baking tends to lean toward free-form crackly, dark brown crusted artisan style loaves that sound hollow when thumped on the bottom of the loaf.

Artisan loaves are very different than the fluffy white bread of my childhood.  The crumb should be moist and the holes big and custard-y with a slight shine, just like the air pockets in this loaf.  

This slice needs no adornment but I did slather a little butter and some jam on mine (for old times sake)!  In part, those wonderful childhood memories are why I love bread baking so much.  Especially this time of year when it's so cold outside.

When the girls lived at home I baked big loaves, usually on my pizza stone. An unglazed terra cotta ceramic tile that has been washed works fine if you don't have a pizza stone. Today I tried a different method; baking my bread in my Le Creuset cast iron oven.  It was not much different than the bread baked on the stone.  I did however learn something.  I had read that the ceramic knobs on the lids of Dutch ovens would not stand up to the 500 degrees F temperature that I preheat my oven.   The solution is a stainless steel knob sold by Le Creuset that replaces their standard ceramic knob. Six years ago, anticipating baking bread in my Dutch oven, I purchased a stainless steel knob but  never got around to replacing my original knob or baking bread in the Dutch oven. I had read that wrapping aluminum foil around the original knob would protect it from cracking in high heat so I gave the foil wrap a try first.  It didn't work.  You can see my that the ceramic knob cracked so I located and unwrapped the knob I purchased six years ago.

I'll replace the cracked knob as soon as I scrub off the baked-on brown bits that didn't show before baking in the 500 degree oven.  And I thought the casserole was clean!  I'm off to SCRUB!  And then I think I'll reward myself with another slice of bread. 

Let me know how you like this recipe if you should decide to give it a try.

No Knead Whole Wheat/White Artisan Bread

Makes four 1-pound loaves. The recipe is easily doubled or halved.

3 cups lukewarm water

2 tablespoons yeast (for high altitudes see * below)

1 rounded tablespoon kosher or other coarse salt

4-1/2 cups un-sifted, unbleached, all-purpose white flour, measured with the scoop-and-sweep method

2 cups whole wheat flour, measured the same as the white flour

Cornmeal for pizza peel or parchment paper for a baking vessel

*For high altitudes:  Decrease the yeast to 2 teaspoons.

Mixing and Storing the Dough:

In a stand mixer or a re-sealable lidded (not airtight) plastic food container add warm water (100 degrees), yeast, salt and flour.

Attach dough hook or use wooden spoon and incorporate all ingredients. Do not knead.

Option one:  Allow dough to sit on counter 2 hours, then refrigerate for 5 additional hours and use.  

Option two: refrigerate immediately and use dough the next day.

Store the dough in the refrigerator in your lidded (not airtight) container and use it over the next 7 days: You’ll find that even one day’s storage improves the flavor and texture of your bread. This maturation continues over the 7-day storage period. Refrigerate unused dough in a lidded storage container (again, not airtight).  Cut off and shape more loaves as you need them.  The dough can also be frozen in 1 pound portions in an airtight container and defrosted overnight in the refrigerator prior to baking day.

 On Baking Day:

Prepare the pizza peel by sprinkling it liberally with cornmeal. Cut a piece of parchment paper twice the size of the bottom of the baking vessel.

Sprinkle the surface of your refrigerated dough with flour.  Pull up the dough and cut off a 1- pound (grapefruit-size) piece of dough, using a serrated knife or kitchen shears. 

Shape the loaf, do not knead.  Gently stretch the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter–turn as you go.  Most of the dusting flour will fall off; it’s not intended to be incorporated into the dough.  This should take 30 to 60 seconds.  The bottom of the loaf will not be beautiful, but the top should be smooth. 

Rest the loaf on the pizza peel or parchment paper and let it rise for 40 minutes.  You may not see a significant amount of change in the loaf but the loaf will continue to grow in the oven. If using a vessel, the parchment paper facilitates ease in lifting the dough into the vessel after the rise.

Twenty minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F, with a baking stone placed on the middle rack.  Place an empty broiler tray below on another rack. If using a vessel, put it into the oven and heat to 500 degrees F.

Dust the top of the loaf liberally with flour (this allows the knife to cut more easily through the dough), and using a serrated bread knife, slash a 1/4-inch deep cross, scallop or tic-tac-toe pattern into the top.  The loaf will crack if you don't slash it to let the steam out while baking.

If baking on a stone, fill a measuring cup with a cup of hot water and set it by the oven.  Place the loaf in the oven by sliding it off the pizza peel onto the preheated baking stone.  Quickly, but carefully, pour the hot water into the broiler tray and close the door.  Set timer for 25 to 30 minutes. You are cooking with steam for at least the first 10 to 15 minutes of the baking process.  This will help to form the hard, crackling crust of artisan bread that we’re familiar with.  Remove loaf with pizza peel and let cool on a wire rack before cutting.

If baking in a vessel, pick up the edges of the parchment paper and set it into the vessel with the dough on top of the paper.  Put the lid on the vessel and bake for 40 minutes.  Turn the oven temperature down to 450 degrees F, slide the parchment out from under the loaf so the bottom can crisp up and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes without the lid. Remove the loaf to a wire rack to cool before cutting.

An instant read thermometer should read 195 to 200 degrees F when stuck into the middle of the loaf.

Tip:  To achieve a sour dough-like taste, hold over some of the dough from batch to batch and mix it with your new recipe of dough.  

Easy Oven Brisket.

 Mmmmmm.  Oven brisket with no fuss.  Pop it in a slow oven the day before you need it.  Slice it and store it in it's own juices in the refrigerator and rewarm before serving.  Instant main course.  Don't skimp on the brisket weight.  It will shrink A LOT during roasting.
Brisket make great leftovers.  I love hot sandwiches with grilled mushrooms, onions, and bell peppers on a warm ciabatta roll.  A little ooey- gooey provolone cheese doesn't hurt either.  It's a nice alternative to a holiday ham.

Beef Brisket

10 lbs. of beef brisket, all fat trimmed and removed
1 pkg. Lipton dried soup mix
      or one onion, chopped
1cup of beef broth
4 Tab. butter
1 pound of mushrooms, sliced (optional)
Chopped fresh chives, for garnish

Preheat oven to 275˚F.
Rub soup mix evenly over brisket or salt and pepper generously. Let set for 20 minutes.  Lay into a large Pyrex pan and pour broth  around the meat (not over it).  Cover with Cling Wrap.  Cover the pan with foil, covering the Cling wrap completely.  Alternatively, lay the brisket into a Dutch oven and cover tightly with aluminum foil and then the lid of the oven.

Roast for 5 to 6 hours.

Remove brisket and strain and reserve the juices in the pan. De-glaze the drippings with a little water if fond remains in the pan. Strain these and reserve.  Slice brisket across the grain into ½ inch slices with an electric knife. Lay slices in a 9” x 13” pan, overlapping if necessary. Pour juices over the meat (add a little more water if needed to cover) and cover tightly with plastic wrap and then with foil. Refrigerate 1 day ahead of time.

Before serving, preheat oven to 275˚ F. Put pan in oven, with both coverings on. Make sure that the foil totally covers the plastic wrap. YES, you can put plastic wrap in the oven as long as it is covered with the foil. Re-heat for 1 ½ hours.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan. Sauté the mushrooms in the butter until the mushrooms are tender. Set aside. Remove the meat from the pan. Arrange on a warm serving platter. Cover and keep warm.

Ladle broth from the pan and add to the mushrooms. Season with cracked pepper to taste. Thicken with cornstarch if desired. Pour some sauce over meat on the platter. Garnish with the chives.

Put the remaining sauce in a gravy boat to pass at the table.

Peach Cobbler

The peach season is just about over in our area, but we were able to buy a 1/2 bushel of O Henrys last week.  And although we've done a pretty good job of eating them out of hand and even sharing a lot of them, there are still a quite a few left.

My sister made a wonderful cobbler a month or so ago and I begged for the recipe.  It seems it originally came from Southern Living magazine and I've decided that it's definitely the butter that makes it so good.  The peaches go on top of the batter but then they sink down into the crunchy, buttery batter.

It was dark when I finally pulled the cobbler out of the oven and the photo didn't do it justice.  It was beyond delicious.

Mom and Dad came by to drop off the last of the ark animals and helped us eat the cobbler.  It was sweet and crunchy good even without ice cream; we didn't bother to wait until we could rustle some up.  If peaches are already out of season in your area, apples or any stone fruit would be a fabulous substitution.

Fresh Peach Cobbler

Recipe adapted from Southern Living, June 1997

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups sugar, divided into 3/4 cup each

1 tbsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

1 cup milk

4 cups (about 4 large) fresh yellow peaches, cut into slices

1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1/4 tsp. lemon zest

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Melt butter in a large baking dish or dutch oven.

Combine flour, 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder and kosher salt in a medium bowl. Add milk and stir just until dry ingredients are incorporated. Without stirring, pour batter over melted butter.

Heat remaining 3/4 cup sugar, fresh peach slices, lemon juice, lemon zest, cinnamon and nutmeg over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Cook until sugar has melted and all ingredients are fully mixed. Without stirring, pour the peach mixture over the batter. Don’t worry: the crust will form over the peaches during baking. Sprinkle cobbler crust with additional cinnamon or nutmeg, if desired.

Bake cobbler for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown. Serve cobbler with Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream, if desired.

Moroccan Chicken

I am a fan of Mediteranean cuisine.  And while there is a wonderful restaurant down the street from us, the prices are steep and getting a table is just about impossible on a weekend.

I love America's Test Kitchen, mostly for the great explanations of how food science works.  This is one the their current recipes and it is a winner.  Not only is it much more economical than eating out, but most of the ingredients are already in my pantry, including the spices.  They've adapted a tagine recipe to make it user friendly.   Except for adding an extra carrot, I followed the recipe exactly.

This was a big hit at dinner and it was even better after a day in the refrigerator.
Next month it's our turn to host the extended family dinner for about 35 people.  This will be the main course.

Moroccan Chicken with Olives and Lemon (Chicken Tagine)


America's Test Kitchen
From the episode: A Moroccan Feast

Serves 4

Bone-in chicken parts can be substituted for the whole chicken. For best results, use four chicken thighs and two chicken breasts, each breast split in half; the dark meat contributes valuable flavor to the broth and should not be omitted. Use a vegetable peeler to remove wide strips of zest from the lemon before juicing it. Make sure to trim any white pith from the zest, as it can impart bitter flavor. If the olives are particularly salty, give them a rinse. Serve with couscous (see related recipe).

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/4teaspoons sweet paprika
• 1/2teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3strips lemon zest (each about 2 inches by 3/4 inch)
• 3tablespoons fresh lemon juice , from 1 to 2 lemons
• 5medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 5 teaspoons)
• 1 whole chicken (3 1/2 to 4 pounds), cut into 8 pieces (4 breast pieces, 2 thighs, 2 drumsticks; wings reserved for another use) and trimmed of excess fat
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 1tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion , halved and cut into 1/4-inch slices (about 3 cups)
• 1 3/4cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1tablespoon honey
• 2 medium carrots , peeled and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick coins, very large pieces cut into half-moons (about 2 cups)
• 1cup Greek cracked green olives , pitted and halved
• 2tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

INSTRUCTIONS

• 1. Combine spices in small bowl and set aside. Mince 1 strip lemon zest; combine with 1 teaspoon minced garlic and mince together until reduced to fine paste; set aside.

• 2. Season both sides of chicken pieces liberally with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large heavy--bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high heat until beginning to smoke. Brown chicken pieces skin side down in single layer until deep golden, about 5 minutes; using tongs, turn chicken pieces and brown on second side, about 4 minutes more. Transfer chicken to large plate; when cool enough to handle, peel off skin and discard. Pour off and discard all but 1 tablespoon fat from pot.

• 3. Add onion and 2 remaining lemon zest strips to pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions have browned at edges but still retain shape, 5 to 7 minutes (add 1 tablespoon water if pan gets too dark). Add remaining 4 teaspoons garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add spices and cook, stirring constantly, until darkened and very fragrant, 45 seconds to 1 minute. Stir in broth and honey, scraping bottom of pot with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits. Add thighs and drumsticks, reduce heat to medium, and simmer for 5 minutes.

• 4. Add carrots and breast pieces (with any accumulated juices) to pot, arranging breast pieces in single layer on top of carrots. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast registers 160 degrees, 10 to 15 minutes.

• 5. Transfer chicken to plate or bowl and tent with foil. Add olives to pot; increase heat to medium-high and simmer until liquid has thickened slightly and carrots are tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Return chicken to pot and add garlic-zest mixture, cilantro, and lemon juice; stir to combine and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

• TO MAKE AHEAD: The recipe can be prepared through step 4, cooled, and refrigerated for up to 2 days. To serve, gently warm until the chicken is heated through, then proceed with the recipe from step 5.

TECHNIQUE

• RAISING THE BRAISE

When braising chicken parts, it can be hard to keep the white meat from turning dry and stringy. We solved this problem by layering the dark meat, the carrots, then the white meat. The propped-up white meat sits above the braising liquid and cooks at a gentler pace.

Fall Harvest Beef Soup

I should be making something "Halloween-ish".  But I didn't.  I made this instead.
Just a few weeks ago the landscape looked like this...

Last weekend it looked like this...

And

today it is raining and the high daytime temperature is 48 degrees F. 

So I made soup.

Not just any soup but Harvest Soup.  It's full of root vegetables, beef, tomatoes, squash, and the secret ingredient...wait for it...an apple.  You heard me right; an apple.  Don't be tempted to leave it out because it lends just a bit of tartness.  You can't see it or isolate the flavor in the soup but it's so good.

You can use leftover beef or use one of the preparations for it below.  This sou[ is even better the next day, which is a good thing for us because the forecast is for even colder weather tomorrow.

Fall Harvest Beef Soup

3 medium potatoes, cubed

3 carrots, sliced

1 sweet pepper, cubed

1 medium yellow, onion cubed

2 stalks of celery, sliced

1 small sweet potato, cubed

¼ lb. of brown mushrooms (porcini), sliced

1 zucchini, sliced

¼ head of green cabbage, sliced

1 small apple, cubed

1 ½ cups of green peas (or 1-14 oz. can, drained)

1 ½ cups of corn kernels (or 1-14 oz. can, drained)

64 oz. of tomato juice or vegetable juice

4 cups of water or 4 cups of beef broth (in addition to the meat drippings)

1 ½ lbs. of chuck roast, cut into 2 inch cubes with fat removed (*May use leftover roast beef as well.     Just increase the beef broth in the soup by 1 cup.)

1 Tablespoon of dried basil

1 teaspoon of dried oregano

2 teaspoons of freshly ground black pepper

1 Tablespoon of kosher salt (may add more of less to taste)

Cook roast with the onion and 1 cup of beef broth either in the oven for a few hours or in a pressure cooker. If using a pressure cooker, follow instructions on the cooker. For roast, braise at 350º F. for 2 hours. Save broth from either method to add to the soup. Remove any fat still on the meat after cooking and discard. Set the beef aside.

Put all ingredients except the beef and drippings into a stock pot and simmer for 1 hour. Add the beef/drippings and simmer for 30 minutes more. Adjust the seasoning.

Serves 14-16 people.

*You may add any vegetables that you have in your garden or refrigerator. This is a great recipe for odds and ends. You may add fresh tomatoes in with the tomato juice.

Linked to Turning the Table Thursday

Dutch Oven Dinner

We had friends down for the weekend holiday.  We spruced up the Granary/guest house, did a little yard work, and had day of outdoor Dutch Oven cooking.  Anything you make in your indoor oven can be made in Dutch Ovens.  I like Lodge brand cast iron cookware best.

We made Lemon chicken with mushrooms (not to be confused with the version that you find in Chinese restaurants).  This is a recipe that I make often at home in my indoor oven and it turned out well in the Dutch oven too.  It's a great do-ahead dinner party recipe as it can be very elegant.  We also made crispy potatoes, and the kids whipped up a chocolate raspberry cake.  Unfortunately, by the time we cut it and topped it with a dollop of fresh whipped cream, I forgot to take a photo.  We also made simple sauteed fresh green beans and soft dinner rolls with butter brushed over the tops.

The food styling is a little lacking but it was an outdoor picnic served on plastic plates so no one seemed to mind.  It tasted great.

Here are some of the clean up crew.  They look well-fed and happy, don't they?   

Even the un-invited guest  (the owl in the tree) seemed content, and a good time was had by all.

Here's the chicken recipe.  You can also make this in your kitchen oven and set the temperature to 350 degrees if you don't have a Dutch oven.  You'll get the same delicious results.  The slight change in instructions for an indoor oven are listed at the bottom of the recipe.  This chicken is sooo delicious that you'll want to cook it somewhere...indoors or out! 

Lemon Chicken with Mushrooms

Chicken pieces for 6 to 8 people (I used skinless boneless breasts and skinless legs)

¼ cup of oil and butter (I used equal portions of each)

2 cups of chopped onion

½ lb of button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

¼ cup of flour

1 tsp. of dry mustard

1 tsp. of dried basil

1 tsp. of kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper to taste

1 cup of light cream

1 ½ cup of chicken broth

1/3 cup of fresh lemon juice

Zest of 2 lemons

½ cup of sour cream (optional)

In the Dutch oven, brown chicken in fat. Remove chicken and set aside.  Add onions and mushrooms to remaining fat and cook until onions are translucent.

Stir in flour and seasonings and cook them without browning them for a few minutes. Combine cream and broth and add; cook until thickened. Stir in lemon juice and rind, and put the chicken back in the oven and spoon the sauce over the chicken.  This can be made 8 hours in advance and refrigerated in another bowl to marinate.  It actually has better flavor if you do make this a day in advance of cooking, which makes this a great entertaining recipe. 

Put the lid on the oven.  Arrange your briquettes (if you don't know the technique see the tutorial below).  Cook the chicken for 1 hour and stir the sour cream into the sauce before serving. 

This serves about 6 to 8 people.

To cook in a Dutch Oven,  prepare your ingredients according to the recipe of your choice. 
Light your charcoal briquettes.  We use a chimney starter, which is inexpensive.  You can find one at any store that sells camping equipment.  Make sure that your coals are almost white before placing them on and under the ovens.  
The Rule Of Threes is used to figure out the number of coals needed to cook at 350 degrees F.
If your oven is 14-inches in diameter you will need 17 charcoal briquettes on the top and 11 briquettes on the bottom (28 total). This is 3 more coals than the 14 (diameter of the oven you are using) on the top and 3 less coals than the 14 under the oven.  See...The Rule Of Threes.  This will give you an approximate temperature of 350 degrees F. If you need to adjust the temperature for any recipe just add / subtract 2 coals from the top and 2 coals from the bottom for every 25 degrees difference from 350 degree formula.  For example,  if you are using a 10-inch oven and you want to cook at a temperature of 350 degrees F., you would put 13 briquettes on the top and 7 briquettes under the oven to achieve the target 350 degrees F.  If you want the cooking temperature to be 375 degrees for a 10-inch oven, you will need 15 briquettes on the top and 9 briquettes under the oven (2 more and 2 less than the rule of threes for the 350 F. target)

See how easy that is?  You really can cook anything in a Dutch oven that you can cook in your kitchen oven.  No need to stick only with specific recipes written for Dutch ovens.  Be adventurous!



To make this inside, just arrange the chicken and sauce in a 9-inch by 13-inch pan.  Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees F. for one hour.

This is one of our favorite chicken recipes.  I hope you try it....in a Dutch oven or not!  I've submitted this to Two For Tuesdays.  Check out A Moderate Life blog to see what the others in the group posted about real food this week.