The Galveston County Daily News

Remember when bread-making machines promised to bring fresh-baked bread back into our lives by simplifying the baking process? Where, exactly, are those bread machines now?

True, the machines took away much of the mess of making bread, but they also removed even more of the taste and texture of good bread. Now, an award-winning cookbook writer has found a way to bring bread-making back to the kitchen without a machine, without making a mess and with fantastic results.

In “Kneadlessly Simple: Fabulous, Fuss-free, No-Knead Breads,” author Nancy Baggett has revived a long-forgotten method of baking yeasty loaves.

“I’m excited to say that my ‘Kneadlessly Simple’ recipes eliminate all the obstacles that used to deter folks from enjoying one of life’s ultimate pleasures, breathtakingly fresh, wholesome home-baked bread,” the aptly-named Baggett writes. “If you can measure, stir and read, you can make these breads!”

While her claim that “these may be the best breads you have ever eaten” may depend a bit on the reliability of ovens, equipment and the baker, they likely are to be the best breads an amateur can make. One of the biggest advantages of Baggett’s slow-rise method is that the rising time is extremely flexible, allowing the cook to start a batch at a convenient time and bake the next day, or even the following day.

The method requires no special equipment beyond a big bowl and, for most of the “Kneadlessly Simple” recipes, a heavy pot with a lid.

While a Dutch oven is ideal, Baggett suggests a large saucepan will work for many of the recipes, or a large cast iron lidded skillet.

Baggett points out her method isn’t new — the sourdough bread that prospectors ate during the California Gold Rush depended on a similar process, and baking in a Dutch oven was common in Colonial times, when few people had ovens — but explains the long rise encourages fuller gluten and flavor development.

Unlike many bread recipes, most of Baggett’s start with a cooling-off period. She uses ice water in mixing the dough to avoid activating the yeast, then recommends putting the dough in the refrigerator for a few hours.

This step keeps the yeast from “waking up” and gives enzymes in the flour a chance to break down starch into sugars, improving the taste, crust color and appearance of the finished loaf.

The long dough-rising lets the yeast do the work that kneading typically does. By eliminating the kneading, Baggett’s method also bypasses the need for a flour-dusted kitchen counter, sticky hands and most of the cleanup that traditional bread-making entails.

In fact, in most of the recipes the dough never leaves the original mixing bowl until it goes in the oven, keeping dishwashing to a minimum as well.

Perhaps the most difficult aspect of the “Kneadlessly Simple” method is deciding whether to start with a plain white loaf like the pale ale boule or a loaf full of special extras, like the rosemary-olive pot bread or the pimento cheese loaf.

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Crusty Rosemary And Olive Pot Bread

4 cups (20 ounces) unbleached all-purpose white flour or unbleached bread flour, plus more as needed 1 teaspoon granulated sugar 2 teaspoons table salt 3/4 teaspoon instant, fast-rising or bread machine yeast 2 cups ice water, plus more if needed 1 cup pitted, coarsely chopped, well-drained Kalamata olives 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary Corn oil, canola oil or other flavorless vegetable oil or oil spray for coating dough

First rise: In a large bowl, thoroughly stir together the flour, sugar, salt, olives, rosemary and yeast.

Vigorously stir the ice water into the bowl, scraping down the sides and mixing until the ingredients are thoroughly blended.

If the mixture is too dry to incorporate all the flour, stir in just enough more water to blend the ingredients; don’t over-moisten, as the dough should be very stiff. If necessary, stir in enough more flour to yield a hard-to-stir dough.

Brush or spray the top with oil.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. If desired, for best flavor or convenience, you can refrigerate the dough for three to 10 hours.

The let rise at cool room temperature for 18 to 24 hours. If convenient, vigorously stir the dough once about halfway through the rising time.

Using an oiled rubber spatula, gently lift and fold the dough in toward the center all the way around until mostly deflated; don’t stir.

Brush or spray the surface with oil. Re-cover with plastic wrap.

Let rise at room temperature for one to two hours, until doubled in size.

To bake: 20 minutes before baking time, put a 3 1/2-4 quart (or larger) heavy lidded pot on a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat oven to 450 degrees.

When pot is hot, remove, using heavy mitts. Loosen dough from the bowl with an oiled spatula and invert it into the pot.

Gently spritz or brush the top with water. Immediately top with the pot lid. Shake pot to center dough.

Reduce heat to 425 and bake on the lower rack for 55 minutes.

Remove the lid and bake for 15 to 20 minutes longer, or until the top is well-browned and a skewer inserted in the thickest part comes out with just a few crumbs on the tip.

When it seems done, bake for 5 minutes more.

Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes.

Remove the loaf to the rack and cool thoroughly.

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Crusty Seeded Pale Ale Pot Boule

4 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose wheat flour or unbleached white bread flour, plus more as needed 3 tablespoons granulated sugar Scant 2 teaspoons table salt 3/4 teaspoon instant, fast-rising or bread machine yeast 1 bottle (12 ounces) well-chilled pale ale or beer 2/3 cup ice water, plus more if needed Vegetable oil or oil spray for coating dough top 3 tablespoons sesame seeds or 1 tablespoon each sesame, poppy and flax seeds

First rise: In a large bowl, thoroughly stir together the flour, salt, sugar, and yeast.

Vigorously stir in the ale and ice water, scraping down the bowl sides completely and mixing until the bubbling subsides and the dough is thoroughly blended.

If it is too dry to mix together, gradually stir in just enough more ice water to blend the ingredients; don’t over-moisten, as dough should be stiff. If necessary, stir in enough flour to yield a hard-to-stir dough.

Brush or spray top with oil. Tightly cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

If desired, for best flavor or for convenience, refrigerate the dough for three to 10 hours.

The let rise at cool room temperature for 12 to 18 hours; if convenient, stir once during the rise.

Second rise: Using a well-oiled rubber spatula, lift and fold the dough toward the center of the bowl until it is mostly deflated.

Brush or spray the dough surface with oil. Re-cover the bowl and let rise at room temperature for 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours, until doubled.

To bake: Twenty minutes before baking time, place a 3 1/2 to 4 quart heavy metal pot or Dutch oven on a rack in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 450 degrees.

When hot, remove pot carefully.

Loosen dough from the bowl and invert gently into the pot. Very generously spritz or brush toe dough with water, then sprinkle seeds over top of loaf and cover pot with lid.

Reduce heat to 425. Bake on lower rack for 55 minutes.

Remove the lid. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes longer, or until top is well-browned and a skewer inserted in the thickest part comes out with just a few crumbs on the tip. Then bake for 5 minutes longer.

Cool in the pot on a wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes.

Remove the loaf to the rack and cool thoroughly.

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Pimento Cheese Bread

3 1/2 cups unbleached white bread flour 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons table salt 1 teaspoon instant, fast-rising or bread machine yeast 2 tablespoons corn oil, canola oil or other flavorless vegetable oil, plus extra for coating dough top and baking pan 1 2/3 cups ice water, plus more if needed 8 ounces (3 lightly packed cups) coarsely grated cheddar cheese 1/2 cup well-drained and patted-dry chopped pimentos

First rise: In a large bowl, thoroughly stir the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast. In another bowl or measuring cup, whisk the oil in the water.

Thoroughly stir the mixture into the bowl with the flour, scraping down the sides until the ingredients are well blended.

If the mixture is too dry to incorporate all the flour, stir in just enough more ice water to blend the ingredients; don’t over-moisten, as the dough should be stiff. If necessary, stir in enough more flour to stiffen it.

Brush or spray the top with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

If desired, for best flavor or convenience, you dan refrigerate the dough for three to 10 hours.

The let rise at room temperature for 15 to 20 hours. If convenient, stir the dough once partway through the rise.

Second rise: Vigorously stir the dough, gradually incorporating the cheese and pimentos.

Fold them in very thoroughly to ensure they are evenly distributed. If necessary, stir in more flour to yield a very stiff dough.

Using a well-oiled rubber spatula, fold the dough into a well-grease 9-by—inch loaf pan.

Evenly brush or spray the dough top with oil.

Using well-oiled kitchen shears or a serrated knife, make a 1/4-inch deep slash lengthwise sown the center of the loaf.

Cover the pan with nonstick-coated plastic wrap. Let rise for 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours at room temperature, removing plastic when dough nears the pan rim.

To bake: Fifteen minutes before baking, place oven rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 425 degrees.

Once oven is heated, place dough in oven and reduce heat to 425. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes.

If top browns too quickly, cover with foil and continue baking, another 20 to 30 minutes if necessary.

Bake an additional 5 minutes to ensure center is done.

Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes; then turn loaf out of pan and cool thoroughly.