... it is time to bake our own bread.
For the past 2 weeks, we decided not to go out. We bought enough essentials that could fit our storage and freezer. Bread was one of our breakfast options and we could only get 2 loaves to freeze.
As the situation gets scarier outside, we didn't want to risk going out. That was when we decided that we should try baking bread. I scrolled through video tutorials for "easy bread recipes" and found a couple of no-knead recipes.
I tried once many years ago and the result was quite bad. As easy as the tutorials looked with some even said it was failure proof, my first no-knead bread many years ago turned out to be a rock. I mean rock hard! I thought maybe it was just the outside skin that was hard but sadly, the inside too. After that, I have not tried baking bread again.
This time, I figured there is no better time than now to try again. I could try a normal knead version but I was afraid. And the other problem was that we do not have bread flour and so, I searched for a recipe that does not specify bread flour.
After half a day of browsing through the videos, I found one:
https://merryboosters.com/no-knead-bread/
The recipe looked simple enough, should be do-able I reckon?
First step was mixing 3 cups of flour with some salt, sugar and yeast.
After the dry ingredients were thoroughly mixed:
we add warm water and continue mixing until it becomes a sticky, wet dough:
First proofing was 2 hours, covered with a kitchen towel and I placed in an oven to simulate a warm environment:
After 2 hours, the dough was shaped into an oval shape and left for another 30 minutes for its second proofing:
Just before baking, we scored the bread and sprinkled white sesame seeds:
and placed the bread in a preheated oven with a hot water bath to create the steam for baking:
This was the step using a baking tray because we didn't have a dutch oven (well, not yet ;) The steam from the hot bath tray helped to create a crust outside and after baking, this was how it looked like:
The moment of truth as I sliced into the bread:
Yay! Fluffy in the inside! Not rock hard!! I was so worried.
Although the bread was quite dense, I loved the chewy inside and crusty outside. We just ate it with butter and it was yum!
I am definitely going to bake bread again, maybe try an actual kneading one :)
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Great bake! I have cross-posted your post into the BreadBakers Community
Oo thank you so much!
Yumzzzz
Yes, after my current stash.. I am going to start baking.
Managed to find bread flour... until this madness I didn't even know there was a special flour for bread...
You pics look so good, I am going to try it
Stay safe
Ooo try try. The recipe works (especially coming from me who baked a rock bread once using similar recipe). I think the bread flour would make it fluffier. Life has definitely changed for now. I am actually baking again haha.
Stay safe too dear. Best to just stay home.
Fine, we upvoted and reblogged to thousand followers.. Thank you very much to vote us as witness and curator.
Thank you!!
Great job marblely and welcome to @breadbakers #breadbakers! Needleworkers become bakers like @neumannsalva, you, me ... and more 😁
Hehe thank you @akipponn. I have been wanting to join in the fun since you started this and now I have! Yes yes and shanibeer too :D
I am happy that this worked out so fine! The bread looks delicious and the sesame seeds are a good idea (I love them, but currently I cannot buy them 😱 They are on high demand as yeast and flour.)
I am curious how you made the steam? I experimented with ice cubes I have thrown on the hot baking tray, but the steam was meagre...
Oo yes, the sesame seeds is a nice addition. I love them on bread. I am so happy this turned out fine too after my first disaster years ago. At least I am motivated to try some more. Thank you for your kind comment.
Oh the steam, I boiled water beforehand and just as I was going to bake, I poured the hot water into the tray at the bottom of the oven. As I poured (very carefully or the steam will burn), the steam started to fill the oven and while the bread baked, the water continued to kinda boil and steam. Did you try pouring hot water into the tray?