Artisan Bread Recipe with NO KNEADING! - Really!

Artisan Italian Bread – No Kneading!

These breads have a crispy crust, yet have a soft and flavorful crumb.

 
I have always loved hot baked breads.   It is something I have been passionate about for just about my entire life.   Baking breads has been something I have studied for over two decades.  Bread baking for me has evolved from kneading by hand, to bread machine, to finally getting a Kitchen Aid mixer.   I still use my bread machine and mixer, although I hardly ever knead by hand anymore.
 
So, the other day, I was looking on researching on YouTube, and I saw several people mention no knead bread.   I thought to myself, this has got to be a joke.   Everyone knows you have to knead the bread to develop the gluten, in order to get an amazing crust.    I have invested a small fortune in bread baking books to learn how to make bread.   And I do make really wonderful breads and pizzas…   But, no kneading?  That is just crazy talk!   …. Or is it?
 
So, I looked at a few recipes and saw what many had in common, which was the dough is mixed with a spoon until it is evenly mixed, but not kneaded.   In addition, the dough is wetter than usual.   So, I decided to do a little experiment.   I didn’t want to waste a lot of ingredients, so I didn’t go with one of the recipes I saw that requires a lot of flour, but I borrowed some of the guidelines, and adapted one of my own doughs…
 
The result was one of the best breads I ever baked!   I went from “This couldn’t possibly work” to “This is amazing and going to change everything.” You don't need anything but a large container or bowl, and a spoon!  With next to no effort, you can bake an amazing crusty bread!
 
So I am now going to share with you exactly what I did to bake my no-knead bread recipe.

This is what I used:

Ingredients

•    3 ½ cups unbleached all purpose flour – I used King Arthur Organic Flour
•    1 ½ cups warm water
•    1 Tbsp organic sugar
•    1 Tbsp sea salt
•    1 packet of active dry yeast – I used SAF

That’s it!

So, what did I do? 
 
Directions

• Put water in bowl and dissolve sugar in water
• Add yeast to water and stir.
• Add salt to water and stir.
• Add flour and stir, until everything was evenly and thoroughly wet.   If flour wasn’t wet enough, I added a little water.
• Cover bowl with plastic wrap and wait for 2 hours.
• After 2 hours, put in refrigerator overnight.

Next day, I baked the bread.

• Dust top of wet dough with a little flour.
• Grab with hand and take out about a large orange size of dough.    If you want to make several loaves, you can make as many as you want.   If you want to make only one, re-cover the unused dough and return it to the refrigerator.
• Shape into a ball with as little handling as possible and place on a flour covered pan.
• Let rest and rise for 45 minutes.
• Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.  Arrange the oven racks with one on the bottom and one in the middle.   You will bake on the middle rack.   Place an empty non-glass pan ( I used a pizza pan ) on the bottom rack and preheat the empty pan!
• After the oven has pre-heated, slash the top of the bread a few times with a sharp knife.
• Place bread in oven on the center rack.    Immediately pour a cup or so of hot water on the empty pan on the bottom rack.   This will create a lot of steam, so be careful.    The idea here is that you want the extra steam when you bake the bread.  This will make the crispy outer crust.
• Close the oven door immediately to keep the steam from escaping the oven.
• Bake for about a half hour to 40 minutes.
• Remove the bread from the oven and allow it to cool.

That’s it!   From what I understand, you can use the dough in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.   The longer you let it age, the more it will develop character, and perhaps take on sour dough characteristic.
 
This is so easy an takes so little effort.   Imagine your friends and family’s amazement when they learn that you made your own bread!   And that it tastes this great!
 
No Knead Bread Recipes – This truly defies everything I ever learned in the past about bread baking.  Yet the results are fantastic.   From what I see, the folks on YouTube have referenced a book by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois.   After my experiment, I am definitely going to buy that book and see what else I can learn.    Just goes to show you, you can always learn something new.
 
So, please give this one a try!   I hear from so many people, “You just can’t get good crusty bread out side of NY!”   Really?   I am not so sure.   I don’t see why this wouldn’t work for anyone, anywhere.   People say it is the water where they live.   If you think your water is bad for baking, try this with spring water.
 
And please, let me know about your results.   Post your comments here.    I will continue to share my experiences with this new style of baking and hope to bake a ciabatta next time.    Until next time, I hope you enjoy my Italian recipes.

Filet Mignon ala Rosso

This recipe is one of my favorite ways to make Filet Mignon.  This cut of steak melts in your mouth, with its distinctive flavor.

Ingredients

• 4 Filet Mignon steaks, about 1 inch thick
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 3 minced shallots
• 5 tbsp butter, unsalted
• 1 1/2 cups dry red wine, such as Chianti 
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

Place the steaks in a large Ziploc bag with 1/2 cup of wine,  1/4 cup of Olive Oil and the minced garlic.   Marinate in your refrigerator at least 2 hours.  Over night is preferred.

When you are ready to cook, remove steaks from refrigerator about a half hour prior to cooking.

• In a skillet, melt 2 tsp of butter and heat with the remaining oil.
• Place the steaks in the skillet.   Cook about 2 minutes per side, for rare.
• Place on plate and salt and pepper to taste.
• Pour most, but not all of the fat out of the pan. Add the shallots.
• After cooking for about a minute, add the rest of the wine. Remove the pan from the burner when doing this! Be careful when adding the wine, so that if it flames, you don't get burned.
• Cook, while the wine reduces and thickens a little. You can scrape the pan to get some of the flavor from the steak. 
• Melt in the remaining butter.
• Pour the sauce over the steaks and serve.

I usually serve this with some mashed or baked potato on the side and some broccoli saute with garlic.

I hope you enjoyed this recipe for Filet Mignon.  Please let me know how you like it. 

Grandma Pizza Recipe

Grandma Pizza Recipe – NY Style!

 

There is nothing quite like Grandma's Pizza

Ah, the smell of Grandma's Pizza baking!   There is nothing like it. Grandma pie is one of my very most favorite pizzas. A Grandma Style Pizza is kind of like a margarita pizza, on a crust that is similar to but not quite Sicilian pizza. 

The Sicilian pizza crust is thicker. The grandma pizza crust is not as thin as Sicilian pizza, but thicker than the standard Neapolitan pizza. This Grandma Pizza Recipe is topped with pieces of fresh Basil, so in a way it is a Basil Pizza, as well.

Many here in New York say that once you have a Grandma Pizza, you will not want the ordinary pizza again. That may actually be a true statement, but I haven’t met a pizza in NY that I don’t like. None the less, a New York Grandma Style Pizza is most probably my very most favorite.

The aroma of a Grandma Style Pizza cooking brings back memories of long ago, when my Grandmother used to make this pizza in our small oven, when I was a small child.  In this post, I am going to share with you my grandmother's pizza recipe as she taught it to me.  In fact, this grandma style pizza recipe was in my family as long as I could remember.   We just simply called it pizza. 

In order to make this Grandma Pizza Recipe, you would use a rectangular pan, similar to Sicilian Pizza. You can order one here.



Part of the secret of making Grandma Pizza is that the dough is oiled underneath, so that it kind of gets fried when it is baking. Also, fresh mozzarella is key here. Not the shredded, or block, but the ball that usually comes in water. If you can get buffalo milk fresh mozzarella for your Grandma Pizza, all the better.

In addition, in my opinion, lots of either fresh or roasted garlic and fresh basil is mandatory for traditional Grandma Pizza Recipes. Some places make this without garlic! Some without basil! That is entirely wrong, and those folks should be ashamed of themselves. Really!

A note on the basil: Dried basil and fresh basil taste entirely different. Be sure when you buy basil, do not refrigerate it, as it will turn black. Now, I grow my own basil using organic growing methods. It is easy to grow, and grows well next to tomatoes. They are kind of like friends. But, this is what you can do, so that that fresh basil taste is available to you all year. Pick off the leaves and wash well. Layer the basil in wax paper and freeze it. When making this Grandma Pizza, you can take out the frozen basil leaves and crumple them on top before cooking.

If you like,you can watch my..

How To Make Grandma Pizza Video

 

So, with that said, here is my...

Authentic Grandma Pizza Recipe

Ingredients

All of these ingredients are to taste, and dependent on the size of your Grandma pizza, use your best judgement.

• Pizza dough ( See my recipe )

• Fresh Mozzarella, sliced into medallions

• Plum tomatoes, skinned. Organic Tomatoes Make A HUGE Difference!

• Garlic, either fresh or roasted, chopped. The more the merrier!

• Dried oregano - Only a little bit

• Lots of Fresh Basil

• Olive Oil, the best you can find

• Sea Salt

Directions To Prepare This Grandma Pizza

Preheat your oven to 450 Degree.  If you have a pizza stone, which I recommend, place it in your oven.  If you want to buy one, you can get one here:


 

Place your tomatoes in a strainer and drain them for at least a half hour.  You want to remove as much of the moisture as you can from the tomatoes.   Moisture will make your Grandma Pizza soggy, which is what you don't want.  Be sure to strain as much of the Tomato Water off as you can.

Oil your pan with a quality olive oil. Press the pizza dough into the pan so that it is all the way to the edges and up the sides.  Traditionally, Grandma Pizza is made in a square or rectangle shape.   If all you have is a round pan, you can use that, but it may resemble a deep dish pizza, instead of a Grandma Pizza Pie.

Dough pressed out to the edges

Place your mozzarella on top evenly across the top of your Grandma Pizza. Your pizza pie should look like this now.

Cheese placed on top of dough

Sprinkle a generous amount of garlic and a small amount of dried oregano over top of pizza.   I prefer just a little oregano on a grandma pizza.   While you can use as much as you want, it is my opinion that some restaurants use entirely too much.

After you have put the garlic, cheese and oregano on your grandma pizza, it is time to top the pizza with tomatoes.  In many standard pizzas, the tomato sauce is under the cheese.  In a grandma pizza, the cheese is put on the pizza first.

Squeeze the tomatoes by hand to crush them, and squeeze out additional water. Place the crushed tomatoes on top of the grandma pizza.

Sprinkle sea salt to taste.   I think it is important to determine how salty your cheese is.  Hopefully you tasted it.   Who can resist?   Sprinkle what you think is right on your grandma pizza, remembering that less is more.  You can always add more later.

Add the fresh or frozen basil on top of the pizza.  Alternatively, you may opt to add the basil to the top of the Grandma Pizza immediately after it comes out of the oven OR add a little going into the oven and more when it comes out.  I would recommend that if you are using frozen basil to make your grandma pie, put it on prior to putting it in the oven.

Drizzle some olive oil on the top of the grandma pizza and under the edges of the dough.

Place pizza in oven, on top of the stone if you are using one, and bake for about 20 minutes, until golden brown.   The thing that makes this grandma pizza recipe special is that the pizza dough is fried in the olive oil when the pizza is baking in a hot oven.   The bread stone distributes a even heat along the entire bottom of the pizza pan.

Enjoy the aroma while this delicious grandma pizza is cooking.   This is what I refer to as Italian Aroma Therapy!  

When your Grandma Pizza is finished baking, remove it from the oven and  top it with lots of fresh basil leaves. Allow it to cool for about 5 minutes.  Then, cut your grandma pizza into rectangles, using a standard pizza cutter.




Although a stone is not a complete necessity, it will assist in all of your bread and pizza making.  I love my bread stone.   You can get great results without one, but having one will put it over the top. 

For Variations on this Grandma Pizza recipe, or to kick it up a little, check out my other forum post here: Grandma Pizza Variations On A Classic

I hope you enjoy this Italian masterpiece, called Grandma Pizza. This Grandma pie is out of this world.  Please feel free to modify this grandma pizza recipe to suit your tastes.    I presented what I was taught to me from my Grandmother, here, but you can certainly adapt it to your liking.

Tiramisu - Yum!

Tiramisu is a very popular Italian desert.   It consists of ladyfingers that are soaked in coffee and liquors that are layered with a Mascarpone cheese and egg mixture.   Cocoa is often added to enhance its flavor.

My friend suggested that I share this recipe next on my blog, so that he can give it a try.  He also suggested that I post up some more of my Italian desserts, as this time of year; we need something to cheer us up.   The winter has a way of making us want comfort food!

And so, here is my Tiramisu recipe:

Ingredients

·         Ladyfingers or Sponge Cake

·         2 cups strong Espresso Coffee

·         5 eggs *

·         5 tablespoons sugar

·         1 lb Mascarpone Cheese

·         2 tbsp Marsala wine

·         2 tbsp Triple sec

·         2 tbsp Italian Brandy

·         2 tsp Vanilla Extract

·         8 oz Bittersweet Chocolate, shaved or finely chopped

Directions for the Tiramisu Recipe

Make the espresso and allow two cups to cool

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place the ladyfingers the oven for about 15 minutes.  If using Sponge Cake, cut the sponge cake into pieces that resemble lady fingers and use them in the same way.

Remove the ladyfingers from the oven.

Pour the cooled espresso into a casserole pan. Place the ladyfingers in a casserole pan making a single layer and allow them to soak in the espresso.

While the ladyfingers are soaking:

Separate the eggs.

Beat the egg yolks with the sugar until well blended. Then, add the mascarpone cheese, the assorted liquors, and the extract, and stir until evenly incorporated.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with a wire whisk or hand mixer until they are stiff.

Fold the egg whites into the egg and mascarpone mixture.

Remove half of the soaked ladyfingers and place them in a square or rectangular glass baking dish in one layer.

Use half of the mascarpone mixture to make a layer on top of the ladyfingers. Try to spread it evenly.

Sprinkle with half of the chocolate.

Make another layer using the remaining ladyfingers, on top of the first layer.

Add the mascarpone mixture and chocolate on top of the second layer.

Cover with foil and refrigerate for a few hours, so that the flavors intermingle before serving.

* Raw Egg Warning

I suggest using caution in consuming raw and lightly cooked eggs due to the slight risk of salmonella or other food-borne illness. To reduce this risk, I recommend you use only fresh, properly refrigerated, clean grade A or AA eggs with intact shells, and avoid contact between the yolks or whites and the shell.  For safety, I wash the eggs prior to using them.   Use your best judgment.

I hope you have enjoyed this Italian Dessert Recipe!   I will be posting more in the next few weeks, so enjoy!  Before that diet kicks in.