Rustic No-Knead Bread

Huge thank you to my brother for introducing me to this bread making method and where it has taken me. It yields a thick crusted bread with a firm open crumb. The options for add-ins such as rosemary-thyme are endless. Big thank you to Flavors of Spain in the Southwest for their Rustic Bread video which is invaluable for learning the techniques to make this bread. One last nod to Ken Forkish for his book on bread baking. I've linked to an Amazon list for equipment below.

The directions below are the best I could do to describe the process. The video is probably a better way to convey the steps. Here's the link to the video.
Also, here is a link to an Amazon List that contains items I use (roughly) when baking bread. For tons of easier and less equipment intensive no-knead recipes, I highly recommend Artisan Bread With Steve. His no nonsense approach is awesome.


Ingredients for two loaves
1 kg flour (King Arthur AP 11.7% gluten)
20 g salt (table not kosher/ 1.1 tablespoons)
1 g  (1/4 teaspoon) yeast
780 ml water at about 85°F (+/- 5° degrees)

1. Combine the dry ingredients in a large container (12 qt cambro) and add water. Mix by hand until all the flour is combined. Set timer for 20 minutes. Cover and set aside. 
2. Fold dough over four times at 20 minute intervals for a total of four foldings. 
3. Set the timer for 12 hours. 
4. After 12 hours, turn out dough onto a floured work surface. Divide in half and form each half into a ball as shown in the video. 
5. Place balls into floured proofing baskets or glass bowl with floured towel. Place baskets with dough into large plastic bags and twist opening to hold air and moisture. Start preheating oven with baking vessel(s) inside to 475°F. Set timer to 1 hour. 
6. Remove vessel from oven.  Turn out dough of one basket onto floured surface and transfer this to the baking vessel. Cover and return it to the oven. Set timer for 30 minutes. Place the 2nd proofing basked with dough into refrigerator to retard the proofing. If you have two vessels, put it in the 2nd one and bake alongside the first.
7. After 30 minutes, uncover the baking vessel(s) and bake for 10-15 more minutes. You can take loaf out of vessel(s) and place directly on oven rack if you want crisper crust and drier crumb. Loaf should make hollow sound when the bottom is "thumped".
8. Turn out baked loaf onto cooling rack. Cool for about 2 hours. 

Once you've made a basic white you can start adding other ingredients to enhance your loaves. Here are some I've done with success. 

Rosemary-Thyme: add one tablespoon Rosemary and about one teaspoon thyme to the just before adding the water to make the dough. 

Cheddar-jalapeño: 10 ounces of grated sharp cheddar and about 1/2 cup sliced jalapeños seeds and membranes removed. 

Savory Seeds: Add 1 teaspoon each caraway, fennel and anise seed. Toast in advance if you like. 

Olives: add a mix of coarsely sliced or chopped Kalamata and black olives. Include some rosemary if that suits your taste. 

Autumn in New England Cocktail

Great cocktail for fall when apple cider is available. Cider shows up here late October. Apple juice can be substituted. I tried adjusting the amounts and this is perfectly balanced. I think a little more bourbon helps it taste more like a real cocktail and less like something listed under Cocktails on a restaurant menu. Musical accompaniment while making and drinking: Moonlight in Vermont by Willie Nelson

Ingredients

3-4 fresh sage leaves, plus a small one for garnish

1/4 oz maple syrup

2 oz bourbon (maybe a splash more)

1 oz apple cider or apple juice

1/4 oz apple cider vinegar

Muddle the sage leaves with syrup in a shaker bottom.

Add the other ingredients and shake with ice. 

Double-strain into an old-fashioned glass with ice and garnish with small sage leaf. 

I also served this up in a Nick and Nora glass which looked great with a single sage leaf floating on top.