No Knead Bread

I love making my own bread, whether it's a simple white sandwich loaf or grain and fibre packed artisan rolls, I just love it.  Years ago I used to make it completely by hand, from mixing the ingredients to kneading it until my arms felt like wet noodles, but now, unless I want that upper body workout (which trust me, is never!), I use either the bread machine or stand mixer to do all the hard work.  I have to admit I don't like to bake it in the bread machine very often - my machine produces a fairly uniform 'cube' loaf which gives you big slices, whereas I like the smaller slices that a loaf tin will give you - so I usually mix it in the bread machine and give it that first 'resting' in there and then I'll punch it down and transfer it to a loaf tin to rise and bake in the oven.

When I came across this recipe from Michael Smith (I was actually watching an episode of Chef at Home), I loved the idea of how easy it all seemed to be, with nothing more than the simplest of ingredients, the least amount of effort and a LOT of time.  It may seem a long time to have to wait for that scrumptious loaf of bread that you're craving but take my word for it, it's well worth the wait.

No Knead Bread
makes 1 loaf

4 cups bread flour (I like to do half white, half wholewheat, but use whatever you have)
1/2 tsp dry yeast
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 1/4 cups warm water
splash of vegetable oil

• in a large bowl mix together the flour, yeast and salt.
• add the warm water and mix, using a wooden spoon, until all the flour mixture is incorporated:  1 to 2 minutes.
• cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest in a warm place for 18 hours;  the dough will double in size and bubbles will form under the surface.  If you pull the surface slightly using your finger you'll be able to see the long gluten strands that have formed naturally from the long resting period.
• 'punch' the dough down and toss it, in the bowl, with the splash of vegetable oil to coat it.
• transfer it to a 9" x 5" loaf tin, leave uncovered, and let it rest in a warm place for another 2-3 hours to double in size again.
• preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• bake for 45 minutes until golden brown.
• (from the photos below you'll see that I didn't use a normal loaf pan this time.  I used a pan that I think is called a 'milk' loaf pan - correct me if I'm wrong.  I brought it back from England on one of my last visits, and it works great for this recipe).

 No Knead Bread ingredients.

put all the dry ingredients into a large bowl and mix together.

pour in the warm water...

...and mix to incorporate all the dry ingredients - it will be very moist.

after 18 hours of being covered in a warm place it will have doubled in size and you'll see bubbles under the surface.

after all that resting time the dough will have created the long gluten strands needed for wonderful bread.

punch the dough down, toss with a splash of vegetable oil and transfer to a loaf pan.

this is my 'milk' loaf pan - when bread is baked the ridges make it really easy to slice.

comes out golden bread and yummy.

airy, light, slightly chewy.....delicious!!!

Sugar Cookies

Probably one of the most baked cookies during the holiday season is undoubtedly the sugar cookie.  Now I don't claim that this recipe is in any way my own - I haven't added some obscure ingredient that will set mine apart from the hundreds of other variations out there.  In fact, this is probably the most used variation if my quick search on the internet is anything to go by, but it just wouldn't be Christmas without these - it's one of the few times that I venture forth into the 'piping' world, which I apologies to you in advance.  That is without doubt, one skill that I have NOT perfected. 

Sugar Cookies
makes 40-60 depending on cutter size

2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
5 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

• in a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
• in the bowl of a stand mixer cream together the sugar and butter until fluffy.
• add the eggs, incorporating one at a time; then the vanilla.
• gradually stir in the flour mixture to form a moist dough.
• divide the dough and flatten into discs approximately 1 inch in thickness; wrap in plastic cling and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• when ready, roll out the dough, either on a lightly floured surface or as I find easier (and not as messy), between two pieces of wax paper to 1/4 inch thickness.
• cut out into all sorts of fun shapes and sizes and place onto ungreased cookie sheets about an inch apart.
• place the cookie sheets back into the fridge for 10-15 minutes to harden the dough back up slightly (this will stop the cookies from spreading too much and losing their shapes).
• meanwhile preheat the oven to 400 F.
• when the cookies have firmed back up bake for 6-8 minutes; leave to cool on the sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
• once the cookies are completely cool you can pipe them if you feel so inclined; combine 2 cups of confectioners sugar, 1 egg white and 1 tsp of lemon juice to form the royal icing.  Place into a piping bag with a small thin nozzle (or because I don't have one of those, I just used a small ziploc bag with a tiny piece of a corner cut away!), and let your imagination go :)   I also decorated some of the smaller cookies by melting chocolate in the microwave and placing the tines of a fork that had been dipped in the chocolate across the top of each cookie (see last photo).

 Sugar Cookie ingredients.

just before I add the flour mixture.

make into 3 discs, wrap in plastic film and refrigerate.

meanwhile decide what shape cookies you're going to make - I've managed to accumulate quite the collection.

I went with these - small star, tree, gingerbread man and snowman, and large gingerbread man, snowman and 'quirky' house :)

work with one disc at a time - I find it easier to roll the dough between two pieces of wax paper (it's a lot cleaner too :)

roll to about 1/4 inch thickness.

the gingerbread men and snowmen are out to play!

cool them completely before decorating.

if you have fresh lemons use them, but I don't always have them on hand, so the bottle kind works fine in the royal icing.

as I mentioned, piping ISN'T my forte.

(the 'SHAW' in the middle is because these were made for my hubby to take to work, and that's who he works for :)

 some of the smaller cookies got a decoration of a fork dipped into melted chocolate across the top - this little guy tried to get away from his friends, but the punishment is severe in our house for desertion!! :)