I'll admit, this drawing of hers makes a compelling argument in support of her position.

I'm pasting a more recent email from Mark here with his useful tips on getting more out of your baking days and keeping it simple. Thanks Mark!

The Bittman video and Breadtopia have made lasting changes in my bread making. We now make bread twice a week. The process is so simple and not at all sensitive. I never use a scale and am not super careful with measuring/weighing flour. Just need to add a bit more or less water to compensate. I have made a bit of a change though. I figured as long as I've got the oven up to 500, why not cook two at once and up the weight of each loaf. Therefore, I've gone to 4 cups of flour and boosted all the other ingredients accordingly by 30%. As long as the dough is always real sticky, it works out great.

Here are todays loaves. White on the left, caramelized onion on the right (still my favorite). It just doesn't get any better!

Thanks for turning us on this.

BTW, on the diet side…..this is not too good for the waistline. Its interesting, my wife worked in a bakery in the 80's that sold "Malsovit" bread. It was packed full of fiber and sold as a diet bread. I think he was selling 2500 loaves a week. I think there's something similar mentioned in Crust and Crumb, I'm going to explore that.

(If Mark is able to track down the Malsovit bread recipe, he'll pass it along to us. It sounds great.)

The bread pictured here happens to be the Cook's Illustrated Almost No Knead recipe. Wow! If all the bread Mike bakes looks even half that good, I have to think his family and friends are especially fortunate to have Mike around and appreciative of his talents.

Mike highly recommends road slush stout for the almost no knead bread. Pick some up at your local grocer ;).

This recipe is unique in both its formulation and wonderful flavor. And like the New York Times version, it’s simple and easy. It’s one of Denyce’s favorite breads and judging from feedback and inquiries from others, it looks like it has found its way into the hearts and mouths of many.

This recipe also converts well to a sandwich loaf. So in addition to the two part video on their white and whole wheat recipes, you’ll find a third video covering this sometimes useful variation.

I’m excited about more videos in the works and always welcome suggestions for new content or site improvements from you. 

Visit: www.breadtopia.com/cooks-illustrated-almost-no-knead

The photo below shows a masterpiece rendition of this recipe by Mike McGibbon.

Thanks Nate!

Baking your own bread and specifically creating sourdough bread provides consumers with innumerable health benefits that they can’t get from mass produced commercial breads.

First, bread made commercially has to be created quickly. It’s all about volume, stacking the shelves and selling product. Bread made in massive amounts uses commercial yeast, resulting in a leavening process that takes only 90 minutes. Sourdough does not use commercial yeast. That means that the sourdough leavening process is much longer than that of commercially made breads—anywhere from six to 36 hours. Why is that important?

The longer leavening process is one of natural fermentation, which includes organic yeasts and enzyme enhancing bacteria. These combine in a process that results in a bread that is easier to digest and contains nutritional advantages.

Sourdough bread rates a 68 on the glycaemic index as opposed to the rating of 100 by other breads. Foods that have low ratings on the glycaemic index are prominent in societies that tend to have lower incidence of diseases and unhealthy conditions that run rampant in our culture such as diabetes.

Researchers in Sweden at Lund University have noted that the fermentation process that’s involved in the creation of sourdough utilizes carbohydrates, lowering the carbohydrate level in the dough as it’s transformed to lactic acid. The result of this process means that sourdough bread can aid in ensuring that your blood glucose level remains in line, helping to guard against various diseases such as diabetes.

Additionally, sourdough made from unprocessed flour has complex carbohydrates. The complex carbs in sourdough aren’t transformed into fat; they are turned into energy. Additionally, sourdough that contains whole grains provide necessary minerals and trace elements, including iron, zinc, copper, manganese, calcium and phosphorous. Once again, it’s the sourdough fermentation process that makes these minerals readily available.

There are various helpful and healthful bacteria that are created during sourdough fermentation. Lactobacillus, which is the most important of the bacteria found in sourdough, produces lactic, formic and acetic acids. These serve to help prevent harmful organisms, including E. coli, from taking root. 

B-Complex vitamins, such as biotin, are contained in sourdough. Biotin is an important element in cell growth, the metabolizing of fats and amino acids and the production of fatty acids.

Of course, along with all of the positive health benefits, homemade sourdough also has a wonderful texture and great taste. If you’re looking to live a little healthier, have some fun in the kitchen and garner a sense of accomplishment, homemade sourdough is the recipe for you.

Hi Eric,

I enjoy your site and your products very much. I have been baking bread
with great success. I do healing work with people who suffer a wide range of
problems.  Cancer patients, people in the hospital, people who have been
injured or sick, and people stuck at home.

I bake bread and take it with me when I go to see my special people. I call
it care bread. Most times I know when I will go to work with them so I time
the baking process so I can take the bread out of the oven and go right out
the door. There is something therapeutic about a hot loaf of fresh bread. It
says, "I care about you" to those who are hurting.

I love the reactions I get from people who are suffering with the worst of
life's afflictions.

I strongly recommend that if you have a friend or loved one who is sick or
just having a hard time, bake a loaf of hot bread and take it by. Spread the
love. You'll be glad you did.

John
Cumming GA

He posted his comments on our "About" page, but I'm copying it here so hopefully more will see it and enjoy his well written account. Perhaps this may serve as needed inspiration for someone else.

***now you can download videos with super high speed***

By Tom's account, his initial no-knead bread trial didn't go so well. As he put it, "the bread had a great crust, looked awesome, but as reported elsewhere in Breadtopia, the inside was a nasty, cake-like, doughy mess". So his success the second time around was all the sweeter. Again, from Tom, "I cannot describe the elation I felt opening the dutch oven and seeing the loaf; could barely wait the 15 mins of coverless cooking."

And this from a $14 Dutch oven…

See also Oct. 13 update below

Oct.13 Update:

I greatly appreciate Tom's baking fanaticism, I mean passion. This just in…

From Tom:

"Some pictures from this week's bread adventures…

The garlic clove bread LOOKED great but was a bit too dense and not as flavorful as i'd hoped. I'd guess the moisture from the garlic caused the density; next time I'll back off on water.

But last night's wheat/white was a stunner, the perfect recipe. I am also using sea salt.

For the garlic clove, if anyone wants to tweak it, i added chopped cloves of garlic at the fold-into-loaf before 15 min rest stage. Sprinkled a bit on each fold.

More video at youtube later today, cutting the wheat/white. I accidentally left the video on and recorded how foolishly i cut the bread, and almost my fingers!!"

Tom

Garlic Clove No Knead

Garlic Clove Crust

White / Whole Wheat

White / Whole Wheat Cut