You can shoot me if you don’t agree this is the easiest and best bread recipe you’ve ever tried. If, indeed, you have ever tried any.
I have planned to so this post forEVER. Well, at least since last April — which seems like forever. I did the Ciabatta Recipe, and the Crackerbread Recipe…
Oh my gosh! I just realized that I never actually did a blog post for the crackerbread. It only exists on youtube! How funny.
Anyway, I started this whole bread thing as videos, and then quickly realized that videos are a pain in the ass! Editing takes forever, upload takes forever. When I realize I forgot to film something, or I run out of batteries (always) it’s such a pain to reshoot it, re-edit it… you get the picture. So, for most everything else, I’ve moved to still-picture storytelling. For bread though, I think it’s worth it to show video. And that’s why it took me so long to do. The video still isn’t perfect, but I’ve come to the conclusion that it never will be. Not while I’m living this life. So please try not to be too critical of the fact that I never actually show the bread going into and coming out of the oven, there are three finished loaves instead of four, Etc. Etc.
This is the very first successful bread I ever made. I bought The Best Bread Ever, by Charles Van Over when I got my new Cuisinart food processor about 6 years ago. I had tried and tried to make rustic loaves prior to the discovery of this book and I have to tell you: it was an utter failure. No matter how I tried (and I tried, and tried, and tried), my loaves were pathetic, dense, ugly beasts. Oh sure, they tasted OK, but I tend to think of myself as invincible. Please note that I am not a perfectionist. That’s something else entirely. No. What I mean to say is that I have an inflated ego. So when I come up against something that I fail at, it makes me really, really mad. I can’t say I totally gave up on making bread, but I shelved it for a while.
Until I bought the Cuisinart.
When I opened the box, it came with the standard instruction manual with some recipes in it. (I confess: I am a manual reader.) When I was reading it, I saw this totally bizarre bread recipe. Having made countless loaves the traditional way — proof the yeast in warm/tepid/not hot/not cold/not below 110/not above 120/GiveMeABreak water — I thought the Cuisinart recipe must be a mistake. It listed the recipe source as having come from, The Best Bread Ever. So, I googled it to see what I could find out. Turns out, the book was out of print, but I found a used copy. This guy has researched the food processor technique ad nauseam. He has so much information and such detailed directions, it would make your head spin. And no, the recipe was not in error. Genius: you don’t have to proof the yeast!
But what I love about it: the recipes work every single time. Even when I forget about the dough and it bursts out of it’s container. Even when I put it in the refrigerator for 2 days. Every single time. It is so fast and easy. Seriously. You’ve got to try it. Hands on, it takes about 15 minutes to make dough and shape loaves, a couple hours of rise time and 10-15 minutes to bake. I very rarely have to even look at it anymore. But I still covet it. Thank you, Charles Van Over. You made a bread-maker out of me.
So get off the damn computer and go try it.
Watch the video:
And, here’s the recipe with written instructions to print:
Megan says
You are brilliant in every single way
you truly are a gem of an aunt
Brook Parsons says
Great job, you make it uncomplicated. Your blog is nice too. I’ll give you 5 stars.Looks like you need a new stone, these are the best I’ve found, I am not affiliated with them http://www.bakingstone.com/
Buy bigger than you need and then have a tile guy or mason cut 1 inch smaller than your oven.
admin says
But I’m too cheap to buy a new stone! And a mason cutter? Aren’t they extinct?
Brook Parsons says
“It’s good to suffer, it lets you know how some people live every day” quote by my father after I had a bad 3rd degree burn experience. However, to suffer with inefficient appliances is a crime against common since. I’ll bet you could work a deal with fiberstone (food blog? hint hint), and a local tile contractor (feed him some of your awesome food in trade for 13 minutes of his cutting time). Trust me, if contractors are not busy in California, they are not busy out east. Put off buying the “deep fat frier” and get a nice stone. Carbs are better than fat. Remember the 20lbs you are trying to rid?
admin says
TWENTY POUNDS?! And,
How can you say “Carbs are better than fat”? Carbs and fat were created to be enjoyed together. You should never, ever separate them. Ever.
scott says
Hi there! I made these baguettes today and while they came out great but I was unable to get the crust to brown like yours. Any ideas?
admin says
How hot can you get your oven? Mine is at 500 and I have to watch carefully or they will over-brown. Also: are you adding the salt? I understand that the absence of salt will often result in lighter loaves. I’m guessing, though, that it is the temperature…
scott says
I am baking at 500 degrees and bake on the bottom shelf (I have a gas oven). I added the salt at the same time your video shows. Could I be handling them too much?
admin says
I doubt that would be the problem. What does the bottom of your loaves look like? Do you have an oven thermometer to verify that the oven is, in fact, that hot? My upper oven is cooler than expected and I have to turn to almost 550 to get the temp to 500. My freakish lower oven is WAY hot. When the dial is at 300, the internal temp is 525! It took one burnt turkey for me to stop using that oven for anything but bread! I have an electric oven but I do notice that the tops brown more when they are in the middle to the upper part of the oven. In my case, though, they brow too much, so I alway bake in the center. It would be worth a try to move them up higher. Let me know on the thermometer thing.
scott says
I have a thermometer and its at 500 degrees. The bottoms are actually brown – the tops won’t 🙂
I will bake in the middle of the oven next time. Oh and I use steam when I first put the bread in the oven.
admin says
How long are you baking? Have you tried leaving it in longer? Are you backing on a sheet pan or directly on a stone? If they are on a sheet pan, I have found that browning is delayed if the loaves are crowded at all, although it tends to be on the sides, rather than the tops. If the bottoms aren’t burning, it is suspicious because 500 is HOT.
Check out this link:
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/12693/my-bread-isn039t-browning
Apparently, there can be too MUCH steam, which retards browning. Alternatively, this link gives some other ideas, like turning on the broiler for the last few minutes. Or brushing top with sugar water (?!). I might try putting an instant read, or other thermometer, in with the oven one and getting a reading, just to see. My oven therms. don’t last much longer than a couple years, due to the high heat they are constantly exposed to…
admin says
man lots of typos in the last comment, sorry! …how long are you baking THEM. Are you BAKING on a sheet pan…
scott says
I baked them in a baguette tray and backed these for 16 minutes. The bottom are just barely burnt.
admin says
Hmm. Did you read that link I posted? I try moving them up and then turning the broiler on for a minute or two at the end. It just doesn’t make sense… I wish I could be more help!
scott says
Yes, I read the article but I don’t want to have to do anything special to get the color. 🙂
I will try making them with new flour and yeast.. maybe that will help.
admin says
I hear you. Let me know if you get it figured out. I feel bad that I don’t have the magic pill for you…
Jami says
(Hey, I know you have a life, so no worries at all if it takes months to respond, and in many cases no response is needed!)
I reread this blog and absorbed your Charles Van Over reference… and then found his sourdough recipe on line! http://www.nytimes.com/1998/01/14/dining/the-care-and-feeding-of-a-wild-yeast.html?pagewanted=3
Yes, it’s more fussy, but I’ll give it a shot.
I made some flatbread today and after 12 hours the sourdough flavor is coming thru!
I’m drying some starter to send to my friends so I can infect them with this craziness. Why not?
Hey, have you tried making salami? We’re looking into it now. I love this kind of crazy! It’s fun! My ferments, cures, and casings arrive Thursday and I can’t wait! It’ll be around 4-6 weeks before we can taste them. I’ll let you know if it’s worth the effort.