Quick Bread - making a simple, no-knead, herbed loaf

Few acts of cooking are more satisfying than removing a perfect loaf of golden brown, yeasty hot bread from the oven.

Bread has come a long way. Having been in the human diet since the dawn of civilization, with the yeast that creates its leavening power carefully cultivated and passed down through families, all the way to today - where scientists isolate and improve yeast strains for mass commercial production, and bread aficionados possess machines that knead and bake the perfect loaf.

USING YEAST - THE EASY WAY OUT

As a slow food enthusiast, I am currently deep in study of traditional bread making, and am currently nurturing a sourdough starter in a tucked-away corner of my kitchen. But this week was Thanksgiving, and my starter was not yet ready (cold weather rendering its evolution a bit on the slow side). Rather than buy bread, I really wanted to make some. Equipped with a little jar of yeast from the bulk foods store, I perused my recipe collection for a process that would seamlessly fit into my already busy cooking schedule. I stumbled upon an amazingly simple recipe - so easy I felt a bit guilty as though I were cheating. Yet, my guilt was mixed with the pride that comes from making your own staples.

LAST CHANCE FOR HOME-GROWN HERBS

Even though it’s frequently freezing in SE Michigan this time of year, I still have some hearty herbs hanging on in my kitchen garden. They likely won’t last long, so I wanted to make use of them for the holiday meal - perhaps the last meal they will flavor before Spring gives them new life.

Armed with fresh rosemary, thyme, and sage, I set about adapting the recipe for No-Knead Whole Wheat Herb Bread from Vegan Vittles, a popular recipe book for vegan standards. Except that I used real milk, having procured an excellent local source of high-quality, grass-fed milk, which I suppose make this recipe a bit blasphemous. I am sure it works fantastically with rice or soy milk, for those who are inclined.

MY ADAPTED RECIPE

1 1/2 cups milk (regular or soy for vegan version)
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup atta, white, or chick pea flour
1/2 small white or yellow onion, minced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs or 2 tablespoons dried herbs (of your choice)

Heat the milk on med-high, to just before boiling (little bubbles will begin to appear on the edge). Turn off the heat and dissolve the sugar and salt in the milk, and add the oil. allow it to cool to luke warm.

In a big bowl, dissolve the active yeast in the warm water. Add your milk mixture and mix in your flour, onions, and herbs. Mix well with a wooden spoon until well incorporated. This dough will be much “softer” than the dough you are used to kneading. More like a batter, really.

Cover the bowl with a clean, damp tea towel or cheese cloth and allow it to rise in a warm place for about an hour (I have a shelf high above my stove where I place my dough; it’s pretty toasty up there).

The dough will have almost doubled in size when you come back. Right about now you’ll want to turn on the oven to 350 to preheat. Stir up the dough again for ten minutes or so. Then turn the dough into a bread pan that you have coated or misted with olive oil. Let the dough rest for about 15 minutes. Bake the loaf for about an hour, until it’s a lovely golden brown color.

DAY-OLD BREAD

Of course bread is best fresh from the oven. But with this bread, it’s especially good the next day, re-heated, as the herbs have infused the bread even more. I recommend enjoying with a pat of butter. If you happen to have any left after day two (unlikely), this bread makes excellent croutons for soup or salad - simply cube and crisp in the oven with a spritz of oil and dash of salt or Parmesan.

It’s important to remember that, unless you have a convection oven, your bread is going to be a little heavier and moister than what you buy commercially. But much more delicious!