Uncle Steves Crusty Bread Food

UNCLE STEVE'S CRUSTY BREAD

Steps:

• 1. Whisk flour, yeast, and salt in a large bowl. Add water, beer, and vinegar. Using a rubber spatula, fold the mixture, scraping up dry flour from the bottom of the bowl until a rough ball forms. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 8 to 18 hours.
• 2. Lay 12- by 18-inch sheet of parchment paper inside a 10-inch skillet and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface and knead 10 to 15 times. Shape dough into a ball by pulling edges into middle. Transfer dough, seam-side down, to parchment lined skillet and spray surface of dough with nonstick cooking spray. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until dough has doubled in size and does not readily spring back when poked with finger, about 2 hours.
• 3. About 30 minutes prior to baking, place 6- to 8-quart heavy bottomed Dutch oven (with lid) on rack (in lowest position), and heat oven to 500 degrees. Lightly flour top of dough and, using a very sharp knife, make one 6-inch long, 1/2-inch deep slit along top of dough. Carefully remove pot from oven and remove lid. Pick up dough by lifting parchment overhang and lower into pot (let any excess parchment hang over the edge of pot). Cover pot and place into oven. Reduce oven temperature to 425 degrees and bake, covered, for 30 minutes. Remove lid and continue to bake until loaf is deep brown and instant-read thermometer registers 210 degrees from the center of the loaf, 20 to 30 minutes more. Carefully remove bread from pot; transfer to wire rack and cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.
• 4. The bread is best eaten the day it is baked, but can be wrapped in aluminum foil and stored in a cool, dry place for up to 2 days.
• 5. OLIVES, ROSEMARY AND PARMESAN BREAD: add 4 ounces finely grated Parmesan cheese (2 cups) and 1 tablespoon minced, fresh rosemary leaves to the flour mixture in step 1. Add 1/2 cup pitted, chopped, green olives with the water in step 1.
• 6. SEEDED RYE BREAD: replace 1 3/8 cups all-purpose flour with 1 1/8 cup rye flour. Add 2 tablespoons caraway seeds to flour mixture in step 1.
• 7. WHOLE WHEAT BREAD: replace 1 cup all-purpose flour with 1 cup whole wheat flour. Stir 2 tablespoons honey into water before adding it to the dry ingredients in step 1.
• 8. CRANBERRY-PECAN BREAD: add 1/2 cup dried cranberries and 1/2 cup toasted pecan halves to flour mixture in step 1.

CHEF JOHN'S NO-KNEAD CIABATTA

Steps:

• Place white and wheat flour in a large bowl. Add salt, yeast, and water. Mix until a wet sticky dough comes together, about 5 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl. Cover with foil. Allow dough to rise for 18 hours at room temperature. It should not be too warm.
• Punch dough down with a spatula and fold it over a few times.
• Lightly grease a heavy-rimmed baking sheet with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with cornmeal.
• Lightly spray a work surface with water. Place a long sheet of plastic wrap on the damp surface to hold it in place. Sprinkle plastic wrap with flour. Scrape the dough onto the floured surface. Sprinkle flour on top of the dough. Gently stretch and pull dough into a long, flat rectangular shape, 12 to 15 inches long. Bring plastic sheet to edge of prepared pan and flip the dough into the prepared pan. Reshape the dough, if necessary. Dust with flour. Cover with a light dry towel. Let rise about 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Bake dough in preheated oven until loaf is nicely browned, 35 to 45 minutes.

EASY NO KNEAD DUTCH OVEN CRUSTY BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add the flour and salt, stirring until blended.
• The dough will be shaggy and sticky.
• Cover bowl with plastic wrap.
• Let the dough rest at least 8 hours, preferably 12 to 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.
• The 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 it rest for about 15 minutes.
• Using just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to the work surface or to your fingers, gently shape it into a ball. Generously coat a clean dish towel with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal.
• Put the seam side of the dough down on the towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal.
• Cover with another towel and let rise for about 1 to 2 hours.
• When it's ready, the dough will have doubled in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.
• At least 20 minutes before the dough is ready, heat oven to 475 degrees.
• Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in the oven as it heats.
• When the dough is ready, carefully remove the pot from the oven and lift off the lid. Slide your hand under the towel and turn the dough over into the pot, seam side up.
• The dough will lose its shape a bit in the process, but that's OK. Give the pan a firm shake or two to help distribute the dough evenly, but don't worry if it's not perfect; it will straighten out as it bakes.
• Cover and bake for 30 minutes.
• Remove the lid and bake another 15 to 20 minutes, until the loaf is beautifully browned.
• Remove the bread from the Dutch oven and let it cool on a rack for at least 1 hour before slicing.