LCP: take THIS bread

in an attempt to make up for the fact that about 50% of my 2007 reading list* consisted of young adult fiction, i'm trying to add a little diversity** to this year's picks. my current strategy is to check out library books with abandon in the hopes that, eventually, their overwhelming presence will inspire me to actually read one. failing that, there's still the chance that i'll accidentally pick something like this when i'm reaching for the amber spyglass (again).

now it's only february, but the results of this experiment in non-fiction reading are not encouraging. save for mounting late fees and a few new recipes (since i've decided cookbooks count as non-fiction), i would say the data points to an overall decline in reading. before i draw any hasty conclusions about the general unreadability of popular science writing, memoirs, and self-help books, i have to entertain the possibility that the fault lies in my selections.
take this book for example. i had high hopes for this book--a spot on npr, mention from z, set in san francisco, an amusing, if overdone, cover. it promised to be a short and sweet (and, fingers crossed, enlightening) read. but my progress, slow from the outset, has effectively stopped. the problem is that by page 30 ms. miles has already realized half a dozen of my dreams. she's studying in mexico, working as a chef, traveling, writing and working in nicaragua...oh, and all this by twenty-something as far as i can tell. rather than inspire, this frenzied activity only makes me want to throw in the towel--on this book, on this decade. since i'm obviously waay behind schedule on this whole life thing, i think i will just gracefully withdraw. maybe i'll give it another go when i'm thirty.



it's fitting then that when i make bread, i opt for a recipe that requires the minimum effort. at laura's request, the recipe for the mythical no-knead bread follows. since i can't even be bothered to knead a ball of dough for more than 15 seconds, one can hardly expect that i'll type out the instructions word for word.

Almost No-Knead Bread (from Cook's Illustrated)

3 C all purpose flour (or 2 C APF and 1 C WW flour)
1/4 tsp instant yeast
1 1/2 tsp table salt
3/4 C plus 2 T water, at room temp
1/4 C plus 2 T mild-flavored beer
1 T vinegar
(2 T honey if opting for the whole wheat version)

mix all those ingredients together in a bowl until a shaggy dough forms. cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 8-18 hours.

finish the beer you had to open to make the bread. maybe have another. the bread likes attention and rises faster if you check it every half hour so.

transfer dough to a floured work surface and knead 10-15 times. transfer dough to a parchment-lined skillet. oil surface of bread and cover loosely with plastic wrap. let rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours.

30 minutes before baking, preheat cast-iron dutch oven in an 500 degree oven. lightly flour top of dough, make a slit across the top, and, using the parchment paper, lower the dough into the dutch oven. replace lid. reduce temperature to 425 and bake covered for 30 min. remove lid and continue to bake for 20-30 min longer. remove bread from pot, transfer to wire rack and cool to room temp., about 2 hours.






*presently, 2008's list is 100% young adult fiction
** see how much i love diversity?