Mark Bittman Bread Food

NO-KNEAD BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 1/2 cups/345 grams water and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.
• Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.
• Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.
• At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is OK. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

SOCCA (FARINATA)

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 450. Put a well-seasoned or nonstick 12-inch pizza pan or cast-iron skillet in oven. (If you have a socca pan, obviously that will work well also.)
• Put the chickpea flour in a bowl; add the salt and pepper. Slowly add 1 cup lukewarm water, whisking to eliminate lumps. Stir in 2 tablespoons olive oil. Cover and let sit while the oven heats, or for as long as 12 hours. The batter should be about the consistency of heavy cream.
• Remove the pan, pour 2 tablespoons of the oil into it and swirl. Add the onions return the pan to the oven and cook, stirring once or twice, until they're well browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the rosemary. Stir the onions and rosemary into the batter, then immediately pour the batter into the pan. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the pancake is firm and the edges set.
• Heat the broiler and brush the top of the pancake with 1 or 2 tablespoons of oil if it looks dry. Set the pancake a few inches away from the broiler, and cook just long enough to brown it in spots. Cut it into wedges, and serve hot or warm.

APPLE-CARDAMOM BREAD PUDDING (MARK BITTMAN)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Add milk, sugar, salt, and butter to a small saucepan over low heat; warm just until the butter melts.
• Meanwhile, butter a 1 ½ quart or 8-inch square baking dish (glass is good) and cut or tear the bread into bite-sized pieces-not too small.
• Put the bread in the baking dish and pour the hot milk over it; let it sit for a few minutes, occasionally submerging any pieces of bread that rise to the top.
• Beat the eggs briefly and stir them into the bread mixture along with the apples and cardamom.
• Set the baking dish in a larger baking pan and pour enough hot water into the baking pan to come up about 1 inch from the top of the dish.
• Bake for 45-60 minutes, or until a thin-bladed knife inserted in the center comes out clean or nearly clean; the center should be just a little wobbly.
• Run under the broiler for about 30 seconds to brown the top, if you like.
• Serve hot or store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
• To reheat, cover with foil and heat in a 325° oven for about 15 minutes, remove foil and heat for another 5 minutes or so for a crisper crust.

MARK BITTMAN'S BANANA BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9″x5″ loaf pan.
• In a medium bowl, mix together the flours, salt, and baking powder; set aside.
• With an electric mixer, cream the butter with the sugar, then slowly beat in the eggs, bananas, and vanilla.
• Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat just until combined (do not mix it up too much), being sure to scrape down the edges of the bowl a few times. Gently fold in the chocolate chips (if using).
• Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for 45 to 60 minutes (mine takes about 55 minutes), until nicely browned.
• A toothpick inserted into the center of the bread will come out fairly clean when it is done, but because of the bananas this bread will remain moister than most.
• Cool on a rack for 15 minutes before removing from the pan.