Subaru Drive - Why Homemade Bread Is Your New Best Friend

Bread is back – not that it was ever gone. America just seemed to lose a bit of its baking mojo as prevailing diet philosophies shunned carbs in favor of protein and fat. But a new generation of health-conscious bakers has discovered bread doesn’t have to equate to empty calories (see Instagram feeds @danlarn and @bread_pete). Ancient grain, sourdough and almond flour breads pack plenty of health benefits alongside complex flavors that, frankly, can taste way better than old-school white. These whole grains deliver fiber, B vitamins, and minerals, such iron and magnesium, which help maintain healthy blood, muscles and bones. According to a 2018 Bon Appétit article, some people with gluten sensitivities have even found that fermented sourdough bread is easier on their digestive system, as the wild yeast and bacteria in the sourdough starter help break down a portion of the flour’s protein and carbs.

Hands kneading bread

These revelations couldn’t come soon enough for home cooks who love the yeasty smell of a loaf fresh from the oven. Mark Bittman’s No-Knead Bread, a classic first published in The New York Times, is the “gateway” recipe that enthusiastic bakers hand their curious friends. The technique, which requires no fancy equipment and only four ingredients, seems too simple to produce a stunning loaf, until you bake it for yourself. The recipe has since won thousands of bread-baking converts, producing loaves that are crusty, springy and visually striking. Make no-knead bread once, and you’re hooked for a lifetime.

Bread dough prep

From there, the bread-baking possibilities are limitless: buttery milk bread, crusty pretzels, braided challah, earthy rye. Sourdough is considered by fermented-food fans to be the pinnacle of the bread-making journey, a taming of wild microbes to produce bread with not just flavor but terroir. Beginning and maintaining a personal sourdough starter, also called a levain, can truly be a lifelong project. But if you’re just beginning your love affair with bread, there’s no need – and no knead – to jump into sourdough first. Start small, grow confident and enjoy the many warm loaves you’ll produce along the way.

No-Knead Bread

Prep Time: 24 hours (almost entirely unattended)
Makes: 1 large loaf (12 servings)

This is the recipe for doubters, skeptics and nervous bakers alike. It’s practically guaranteed to get you hooked on the magic of homemade bread.

Mark Bittman, journalist and author of the How to Cook Everything^® series, has this to say about the technique: “Since I first shared this innovation – the word ‘recipe’ does not do the technique justice – in The New York Times in 2006, thousands of people have made it. For many, it was their first foray into bread baking, the one that showed that the process isn’t scary, although the end result is so good that experienced bakers, too, have tried and fallen in love with it.

“It came from Jim Lahey, owner of Sullivan Street Bakery in New York City, who created a way to make a spectacular loaf at home, with a crackling crust, open-holed crumb, light texture and fantastic flavor – all with next to no hands-on time.”

You’ll Need

4 cups all-purpose or bread flour, plus more as needed
½ teaspoon instant yeast, scant
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons olive oil (optional)
Cornmeal, semolina or wheat bran (for dusting)
3- to 4-quart cast iron, enamel, Pyrex® or ceramic pot with cover
2 cotton kitchen towels (not terry cloth) or silicone baking mat
Plastic wrap
Cooling rack

Directions

Step 1

Combine flour, yeast and salt in large bowl. Add 2 cups water, which should be about 70 degrees F. Stir until blended. (You’ll have a shaggy, sticky dough; add a little more water if it seems dry.) Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest for about 18 hours at room temperature (a couple of hours less if your kitchen is warmer; a couple more if it’s cool). The dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles.

Step 2

Lightly flour a work surface, transfer dough to it, and fold it once or twice. (It will be soft but not terribly sticky once dusted with flour.) Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let rest for about 15 minutes.

Step 3

Using just enough additional flour to keep the dough from sticking, gently and quickly shape the dough into a ball.

Generously coat cotton kitchen towel or silicone baking mat with cornmeal, semolina or wheat bran. Put the dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel or plastic wrap. Let rise for about 2 hours. When dough is ready, it will be more than doubled in size and won’t spring back readily when poked with your finger.

Step 4

At least a half hour before the dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees F. Put the covered pot into the oven as it heats. When the dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven and turn the dough over into the pot, seam side up. (To do this, slide your hand under the towel and just turn the dough over into the pot; it’s messy and probably won’t fall in artfully, but it will straighten out as it bakes.) Cover with the lid, and bake for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove lid and bake for another 20 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. The bread’s internal temperature should be 200 degrees F or more – use any kitchen thermometer to test it. (If at any point the dough starts to smell scorched, lower the heat a bit.) Remove bread with spatula or tongs. Cool on a rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing.

Faster No-Knead Bread Reduce the initial rise to 8 hours. Skip the 15-minute resting period in Step 2 and then shape the dough in Step 3. Proceed immediately to Step 4.

Whole Wheat No-Knead Bread Substitute whole wheat flour for up to 2 cups of the all-purpose flour.

Nutrition Information

Per serving:  172 calories, 3 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 32 g carbohydrates, 0 g sugar, 4 g protein, 1 g fiber, 390 mg sodium

Almond Meal Bread

Courtesy of Bob’s Red Mill

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35-45 minutes
Makes: 12 servings

It may look like banana bread, but this reduced-carb bread – great for those reducing carbs on a paleo or keto diet – is a savory loaf suitable for sandwiches, spreads or just buttered for breakfast. It makes use of alternative flours, such as almond meal and coconut flour, both of which are available from Bob’s Red Mill^® brand.

You’ll Need

8 eggs
¾ cup coconut oil, melted at 10-second intervals in the microwave, then cooled
3 cups almond meal
⅓ cup coconut flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1½ teaspoon salt
Parchment paper
Pan spray
Stand mixer

Directions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line an 8-by-4-inch or 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper and spray lightly with pan spray.

Step 2

Whip eggs in a stand mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, sift together almond meal, coconut flour, baking powder and salt.

Step 3

While the eggs are still whipping, slowly stream in melted and cooled coconut oil. Fold in dry ingredients.

Step 4

Scoop batter into the prepared pan and smooth top. Bake until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35-45 minutes. Let cool completely before removing from baking pan.

Nutrition Information

Per serving:  343 calories, 31 g fat, 14 g saturated fat, 124 mg cholesterol, 8 g carbohydrates, 1 g sugar, 11 g protein, 4 g fiber, 477 mg sodium

Rise to the Next Level

After tackling a quick almond loaf or no-knead bread, you may find yourself bitten by the bread-baking bug. To step up to a 202-level bread project, equip yourself with a book, such as Ken Forkish’s Flour, Water, Salt, Yeast or Chad Robertson’s Tartine Bread. And don’t forget that pizza crust is a bread, too: Peter Reinhart’s new book, Perfect Pan Pizza, offers methods and tips for those who want to recreate Detroit-style pan pizzas or Sicilian-style pies.

Why Homemade Bread Is Your New Best Friend

Whole grains, simple recipes. Bread can be better for you – and easier to make at home – than you may think.

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