January days at home. . . . . . . .

I baked this loaf of 'no-knead bread' this week.

The recipe is known and enjoyed by many - so many versions of it are

 available on the Internet - I use Jenny Jones because she's so much fun to 

watch on her video. It turned out well and gave me that sense of enjoyment

 possible from a simple, basic, homey food made in one's own kitchen

 on a dreary day.

Yesterday I decided to also get going on my 'sourdough starter'

in hopes I can make a loaf of real sourdough bread soon.

The amaryllis tale continues here in the dining room.

The first four blooms on the initial stem are almost over, in fact two have been

nipped off, the remaining two now fading also. However, the second stem is now 

showing three new buds - a total of seven delightful flowers from one bulb.

Meanwhile the second bulb is in full bloom with four perfect flowers. . . . . . . I feel 

like I'm in a garden. 

Winter beauty.

It's been a long time. . . . . . .

. . . . . . since I baked bread!

I recall trying it back in the sixties, loaves and pizza dough, but didn't have

much success.  Being a young homemaker, taking care of the family took up a

 lot of time. Bread making was a lengthy process. Besides, bread was less

 expensive then, one of the more affordable items on the weekly shopping list

when the budget was tight. 

These days a really good loaf from an artisan bakery can cost several dollars.

Maybe it's time to get back to home baking.

Perhaps I'm late to the 'Faster No Knead Bread' Party!

My good friend Ruth in England recently sent me instructions for making this

 loaf in a Le Creuset Dutch oven. 

When looking online to determine whether anyone else knew about this easy
 sounding homemade bread, and to determine the temperature in Fahrenheit
 rather than Centigrade which Ruth sent, I was astonished to find everyone seems
 to be using this easy recipe!
For me the presentation and recipe from former talk-show host and comedian,
 Jenny Jones won me over.

 I particularly enjoyed watching Jenny's video which you can
 view HERE along with the Faster No Knead Bread recipe on her blog.
Jenny is so much fun to bake along with, go check!

 Here is the first loaf I baked following her recipe. 

 I was truly thrilled with the finished loaf and will be making it again, often.
 I will try some other types of bread using the same basic recipe, sometimes
changing the flour (I used King Arthur unbleached all-purpose white here)
 adding things such as nuts, raisins, cranberries, perhaps Parmesan cheese
 and rosemary etc., the breads I find to be very expensive at the bakery.

This white bread is just as good any I've bought from a bakery. The crust 
was crunchy, the crumb tender and flavorful. Right out of the oven it was
 delicious - 5 days later it was still being toasted for breakfast - and for me
 that's the test of good bread, crunchy toast which stays that way even with
 butter and marmalade! Knowing there are no preservatives and unhealthy
 additives in the bread is definitely another plus. 

Adorable hare and tulips plate, Anthropologie, a gift from granddaughter Jasmin.

Butter pat from my vintage collection. French linen towel with cheese design.

Black 'Scrumptious' cheese board, gift from my daughter Kim, HomeGoods. 

These gals seem to know just what I like!

I have to tell you that although I do have a lot of great Le Creuset baking dishes,

 I don't have one of their beautiful Dutch oven cast iron pots.

 (Santa - I've been good this year!)

I do however have 'knock off' versions of Dutch ovens - two sizes of bright red

 Martha Stewart, and a small cream IKEA one for soups.

For this bread I used the large MS, and because it doesn't have a metal handle 

on the lid, I did wrap my knob in aluminum foil to protect it from the high heat 

the bread needs for the initial baking. That worked out fine.

For the second bake, with lid removed, in my oven I found that 10 minutes, no

 longer, was ample time to get the beautiful rich golden crisp crust, so watch carefully.

Let me know if you have made this bread or, if like me, you're late to the 

party, will perhaps give it a go! 

 You won't be sorry. 

Slicing into your very own home baked crunchy loaf will make your day I can assure you.