Sugar-Free, Quick, Easy Zucchini Bread & Stew

This zucchini bread rocks. It comes from one of my favorite naturally sweet recipe books, The All-Natural, Sugar-Free Dessert Cookbook.

I had a giant zucchini that I used half of for my Mish Mash Veggie Stew (see below). The remainder I shredded for bread which I've been craving--I haven't eaten zucchini bread in three years. The shame. It's one of my favorites, too.

Like always, I fudged with the recipe (my version below) but it turned out perfect. It would be easy to substitute applesauce for the eggs to make this vegan. I just love how (happy, non-caged) eggs add fluffiness.


Whole Wheat Zucchini Bread

1 and a half C white whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 C veg oil
1/2 C pineapple juice
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 and a half C shredded zucchini

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray regular-sized loaf pan with cooking spray.

In large bowl combine dry ingredients. In medium bowl combine wet. Pour liquid ingredients into dry and stir until just blended. Fold in zucchini. Pour into pan. (I like to drizzle a little leftover juice on top at this point. It makes the crust crispier.) Bake 45-55 minutes. Cool 10 minutes and then remove from pan. Enjoy!


Mish Mash Vegetable Stew

pot of water
1-2 tblsp dried onions
tblsp of dried vegetable broth or similar
whatever vegetables you have!
broccoli
potatoes
yams
purple onion
kale
cherry tomatoes
garlic
whatever beans or lentils you have!
orange lentils
white beans
mung beans

I boiled the broth, dried onion, lentils and beans (after soaking) for about 30-45 minutes before adding the veggies. Then I let simmer for about 15-20 minutes.




I found this great pretzel at my local grocery. They are so incredibly hard that I can only eat them by soaking them in soups. They are delicious and hearty but I fear they are capable of chipping a tooth if I don't soak first.

Dried Cranberries: Recipes and More

I love dried cranberries. I mean, I really LOVE dried cranberries. When I first gave up sugar in January 2008, it broke my heart that most brands of dried cranberries were covered in white sugar. I was ecstatic when I recently had the opportunity to review a package of dried cranberries, compliments of Eden Organic. Not only did they send cranberries, but I was "accidentally" sent dried cherries, too, as well as recipes, nutritional info, and their 2010/2011 catalog. I dove into each: cranberries, cherries (so tart, oh my!), and the catalog, which is full of a wide variety of items, including hard to find items like kuzu root, lotus root tea powder, and agar agar.

A bit about Eden Foods:

• "Eden foods is the oldest organic food company in the US and Canada.
• Eden foods means NO: Irradiation, Preservatives, Toxic additives, Food colorings, Refined sugars, or Modern genetic engineering.
• Eden relationships with organic growers and over 355 family farms."

I used an Eden Foods cookie recipe, but as always, I made changes here and there, based on what I had in my kitchen. The cookies turned out incredible. The dried cranberries add a sweet zest. Though not as dark in color as other cranberries, they are just as flavorful and sweet as the other naturally sweetened varieties I've tried, and, they are bigger in size and organic.

Here are two oatmeal cookie recipes. The first is my version, and the second is the original recipe that I used to come up with mine.

Oatmeal Cranberry Walnut Cookies
2 C. old-fashioned rolled oats
1 and a half C. white whole wheat flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 C. chopped walnuts
1/2 C. vegetable oil
1/2 C. organic apple juice
1/4 C. sorghum cane syrup
1/2 C. dried cranberries
1 tsp. pure vanilla
2 tablespoons maple syrup

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Oil baking sheet. Mix dry ingredients separately from wet. Combine wet ingredients and then mix with dry.


Drop on baking sheet, pressing down on each cookie and shaping into a circle. Bake for approximately 10 minutes.




Just a note about some of the ingredients I used. Apple juice is a fantastic liquid sweetener. It keeps the cookie moist while not taking over in flavor. I opted to use regular vegetable oil instead of olive oil because the times I've tried olive oil in cookie recipes, the cookie tastes too much like olive oil. I'm not sure how these would have turned out using olive oil.....

Note the sorghum I used for sweetener. I just got it from MOM's and they purchase it from a small family farm here in the US. Sorghum was recently brought to my attention because of its unusual flavor (sort of like a milder version of molasses) and its nutrients. Most liquid sweeteners don't have much to boast about nutrients. But sorghum has calcium, iron and potassium, to name a few. As far as the cookies go, I think the salt was in perfect proportion to the sweet sorghum (or whichever sweetener you use), making these cookies super yummy and highly recommended.

Enjoy!

You can find the original recipe (Eden Organic: Oatmeal Cherry Pecan Cookies ) by clicking here.

Next on my list to try: Dried Cherry Tart with Oatmeal Crust....

Fun Ideas For Dried Cranberries

1. Toast: Spread whatever kind of butter you use, then spread a thin layer of honey, then sprinkle generously with cranberries. It's more delicious than jam.
2. Oatmeal: Sprinkle on top or for a softer version, add to the oatmeal as it's cooking.
3. Cereal: Sprinkle on top to make the most boring cereal exciting.
4. Trail Mix For Your Purse: Find yourself out and about and hungry? I always throw a little bag of trail mix in my purse if I'm going to be out long. A simple mixture of dried cranberries, almonds, macadamia nuts, pistachios, peanuts, raisins, etc.
   
5. Trail Mix For Your Car: Who doesn't get hungry on long drives? I always keep a bag of trail mix in my glove box and it hits the spot especially if I get stuck in traffic between meals and my stomach is growling.
6. Trail Mix For Your Desk: If you work in an office, keep a jar/bowl/bag of trail mix somewhere you can easily access it for when you get hungry or just get the munchies but want to avoid the vending machine. Add a glass of ice water and there, you've avoided the junk food vending machine and the soda vending machine. Start a healthy trend around the office.
7. Trail Mix For Travel: Whether you travel by plane, train or automobile, having this snack with you will keep you satisfied. The peanuts in flight are usually honey-roasted and covered in sugar.
   
8. Homemade Biscotti
   
9. Oatmeal Cookies: If you like raisins in oatmeal cookies, you'll love cranberries.
10. Salad: An excellent addition to a green salad. Sprinkle sunflower seeds and dried cranberries for added sweetness and burst of flavor.
    

Super Easy & Terrific Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

My mouth is saturated with the aftertaste of cinnamon, honey and molasses. I am still savoring little bits of sticky cranberries and raisins in my molars. The cookie I just baked is amazing. It is so simple and perfect. Thanks to Jamison Studio for this delicious oatmeal cookie recipe.

Rule #58 in Michael Pollan's book, Food Rules says, "Do all your eating at a table." I am breaking that rule right now as I type this post with a plate of hot cookies to my left. I pray I have the willpower to stop at two.

I am so happy with these cookies because a) I experimented by using brown rice flour b) they are so easy to make it's ridiculous c) I used less sweetener than is called for in the original recipe and they are still incredibly sweet. Not only are they sweet, they have a perfect texture. I worry a little about using applesauce in cookie recipes because sometimes the cookie ends up dense and rubbery. Not these. These little gems are perfect. If you would like to see the original recipe, click on the blog above. Otherwise, what I provide below is the exact recipe I used, with all my fudging arounds. As with any recipe, substitute to your liking. Try different flours, dried fruit, spices, sweeteners, etc. The following is what I consider the perfect oatmeal cookie.

Super Easy & Terrific Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

1/2 C. white whole wheat flour
1/2 C. brown rice flour
1 C. whole oats
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 C. raisins
1 handful dried, apple juice-sweetened cranberries
1/4 C. raw honey*
1/4 C. oil**
1/4 C. applesauce
1 Tbsp. molasses
1 egg***
1 tsp. vanilla





Preheat oven to 335 degrees F. Combine dry ingredients and wet ingredients in a separate bowl and then combine. Add in nuts, dried fruits, etc. Drop spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden colored.

*I found a jar of raw Wee Bee Honey at TJ Max, of all places. It is an east coast, raw honey all completely pesticide free. I tasted it before adding it to my recipe and it is the sweetest honey I have ever tasted. Fragrant, too. I recommend this stuff.

**You can use 1/2 C. applesauce instead of any oil, but I wanted to try using both this time.

***Jamison used 1/2 a banana instead of an egg and she said it turned out great.

Enjoy!

Now that I'm done writing this, I realized I stopped at 3 cookies. I was hoping for only two but at least I didn't get into that over-indulging state of mind that would have beckoned me to happily have more than 3.

Super Easy, Healthy Snacks

If you don't have time to make the hummus yourself, buy it pre-made. I would rather have this high-protein snack on hand than not at all.



Cashews, raisins and prunes. The idea here is a naturally sweet snack loaded with plant protein. I usually have a variety of nuts.



Sliced apples and almond nut butter make a refreshing, filling snack every time.



Four ingredients: sprouted organic whole wheat kernels, filtered water, organic dates, organic cinnamon. Absolutely delicious toasted and high in iron and protein. I can only find this bread at Whole Foods in the freezer section. Ask your local health food store or co-op to bring in this line of bread. The other flavors are just as amazing.



Wash and slice ahead of time and choose a healthy dressing for dip. This is the difference between whether or not I eat fresh veggies. I like shitake sesame dressing. Check ingredients!



These super healthy snack bars fit perfectly in my smallest purse. I never leave home without one because I don't ever want to be so hungry and desperate that I justify junk food. Example of ingredients for Chocolate Mint bar: organic dates, organic almonds, organic cocoa mass, organic cocoa powder, organic vanilla flavor, organic peppermint flavor. Can be found at many grocery stores in the protein bar section, and some flavors available at TJ's.



Check the ingredients of salsa or make your own. Add extra crunch and nutrition by adding fresh peppers, beans or corn.



High in iron, five ingredients: whole kernel rye, water, whole rye flour, salt, yeast. Delicious when toasted with Earth Balance margarine and sprinkled with nutritional yeast or a few drops of honey. Similarly packaged breads available at: TJ's, Whole Foods, World Market, and most grocery stores in the bread aisle.



Although I enjoy the crunch and saltiness of pretzels, they put me right to sleep (white refined flour) which makes this a yummy-yet-sinful late night snack. It's mostly just a delivery system for mustard, which I love.



Edamame, sea salt and cashews make a tasty, high protein snack that will help tie you over until your next meal.

The difference between a healthy snack and a packaged-not-so-healthy snack is whether a healthy version has been prepared ahead of time. When I take a fruit or vegetable out to cut, I try and take as many fruits and vegetables as possible and line them up behind my cutting board. This way when I need a snack, I can count on having something healthy instead of forging through my pantry trying to justify something else.

Your suggestions and tips are more than welcome!

Pineapple Upside Down Cake Heaven

The other day I was cruising around looking for a dessert recipe that called out my name. Apparently I was craving cake because when I found this recipe I jumped up, grabbed my apron, and got to baking.

The cake turned out beautiful. So many of my baked goods are whipped up so fast that I neglect the aesthetic appeal and tending to the appearance. This recipe would be difficult to make anything but pretty, by how it is made. I was able to make it in about 15 minutes or less and then a half hour after baking, I was chewing a very luxurious, moist cake. The top of the finished product is wonderfully sticky sweet and reminds me of my mom's monkey bread made with brown sugar and butter. I added pecans to this recipe and it added a nice, flavorful crunch to an otherwise soft, perfectly moist cake. Although it was perfectly moist, it did not burst with flavor. I would add spices next time or more vanilla, and I even thought of adding macadamia nuts instead of pecans and putting shredded coconut in the batter. As it is, I halved the recipe since my cast iron skillet is much smaller than the one used in the original recipe.

*Note: This recipe can be altered in so many ways. You can easily substitute gluten-free flours, or take the dairy products and eggs out and use substitutes, although I have not tried it yet.

By the way, since I've been talking about coconut milk lately, I've been putting two or three spoonfuls of it in my coffee every morning and it is sinfully perfect. It almost seems too good to be true. I do not want my coffee tasting like coconut and it doesn't. It's just thick, creamy, rich and slightly sweet. It has now replaced the tablespoon of heavy whipping cream that I was using every morning.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

For the top:
sliced pineapple
4 Tbsp butter
1/2 C. honey
*optional: pecans

For the cake:
1 C whole wheat flour
1 C white whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 C butter or coconut oil
1/2 C honey
2 eggs
1 C buttermilk
1 and a half tsp vanilla

Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Melt the 4 Tbsp butter in a 10 inch cast iron skillet (I halved the recipe and used my smaller skillet). Once melted, add in the honey and stir until combined. Cook a couple minutes until the mixture is nice and bubbly.



Place pineapple slices in pan.



Continue to cook another couple minutes, turn the slices over, and turn off heat. (If using, place the pecans in pan after you turn off heat.)

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium mixing bowl and set aside. Next, cream together the 1/2 C butter, and the 1/2 C honey until light and fluffy. Add the eggs in one at a time and then stir in vanilla. Alternating between flour mixture and buttermilk, add them into creamed mixture, stirring just until combined.

Pour over the pineapple slices.



Bake for about 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.



Cool in pan for 5 minutes. Then run a knife around the edge to loosen the cake from the sides and quickly tip over onto a flat plate or cutting board.

Enjoy with a hot mug of coffee & coconut milk!

Amazing Coconut Milk Hot Chocolate

I found a deliciously improved recipe for hot chocolate. Thanks to the nourishing gourmet, I now have a hot chocolate recipe that is rich, creamy, frothy and still perfectly sweet. I tinkered with the orignial recipe and mine is as follows:

Coconut Milk Hot Chocolate

1/3 part coconut milk
2/3 part boiling water
2 heaping spoons of pure cocoa
1 small spoonfull honey (or more for sweeter)
dash of vanilla

To my french press I added the coconut milk then stirred in cocoa and vanilla. After pouring in the boiling water, I stirred in the honey and then pumped my French press to mix and make it frothy.



I'm drinking this wonderfully warm, happy beverage right now. I lift my mug to you and say, "Cheers! Isn't it wonderful to be so happy without white refined sugar?!!"

ENJOY!

Easy Tabouli Recipe

Tabouli....Mmmmmm. Crunchy, fresh, raw, tart salad that fills. Eat parsley--it's wonderful for your health. Since I quit eating sugar, I coincidentally began making tabouli--lots of it. I'm excited for you to try this easy, delicious, super-healthy recipe.


Easy Tabouli

1 bunch of parsley chopped finely (if I had a food processor, I'd use it)
2 tomatoes cut into small pieces
1 bunch green onions, chopped
juice of 2 fresh-squeezed lemons
olive oil (I don't measure! Just coat the ingredients....1/4-1/2 C., maybe?)
1 cup bulgar
1/4-1/2 tsp. sumac
pinch sea salt
(You can add finely chopped cucumbers, and most recipes call for chopped fresh mint. I don't care for the taste of mint in my tabouli, which is why it is not listed. Experiment!)

Soak one cup bulgar in one cup water for approximately 30-60 minutes. Transfer to bigger bowl and mix in parsley, tomatoes, onions, olive oil, lemon juice and sprinkle with sumac and salt.

Combine well so the olive oil and lemon juice coat all the ingredients.

Enjoy!

One reason I love this recipe so much is that my meat-eating, sugar-consuming, fruit-and-vegetable-negligent-husband happens to love it and devour it. We eat it several times a week.

I learned from a Lebanese friend that you can use sumac in this Middle Eastern salad, although typically sumac is used in recipes like spinach pie... You can find this wonderfully tart ingredient at international grocery stores.

Bulgar is a whole grain packed with protein and iron. It's delicious in all sorts of recipes after soaking in water. Try using it in place of white rice or pasta, or add it to salads of all types.

Parsley is an amazing herb. When I worked at a health food grocery store 10 years ago, I learned a lot about this plant. Though I worked in the vitamin and mineral section of the store, and customers came in looking for a magic pill for all types of maladies, I constantly brought the sick and weary over to the produce and explained the benefits of parsley. One bunch of parsley is so much cheaper, fresher and more natural than a bottle of this or that. Fighting fatigue? Eat parsley. Gassy? Halitosis? High blood pressure? Parsley is indicated for these and many other problems.

According to Prescription for Nutritional Healing, by James and Phyllis Balch (excellent comprehensive guide to drug-free remedies) the actions and uses of parsley are as follows:

"Contains a substance that prevents the multiplication of tumor cells. Expels worms, relieves gas, stimulates normal activity of the digestive system, and freshens breath. Helps bladder, kidney, liver, lung, stomach, and thyroid function. Good for bed-wetting, fluid retention, gas, halitosis, high blood pressure, indigestion, kidney disease, obesity, and prostrate disorders. Contains more vitamin C than oranges, by weight."

I don't love the flavor of parsley, in fact it's a little bitter for me, but in Tabouli I could eat bunches and bunches...

White Whole Wheat Agave Sweetened Sugar Cookies

I tampered with Nourishing Apron's sugar cookie recipe. I was out of white flour and I tried agave instead of honey.

I also substituted vanilla extract for almond extract. Basically, I completely changed the sugar cookie recipe and used different ingredients except butter. I didn't measure, which I realized I should have so I could share those amounts with you, however, they were fairly close to the amounts used in Nourishing Apron's recipe.

Here is an estimate of what I used:
One and a half cups white whole wheat flour
3/4 cup cold, salted, organic butter
1+ tsp vanilla extract (I rarely measure--I just pour)
1/4 cup agave

I combined the butter and flour first, then slowly added the agave and vanilla. It is a pretty hard dough after you refrigerate it, which makes it nice and easy to roll out later.

I don't have a food processor, which probably would have made combining the cold butter and flour much easier. I used a hand held mixer at first but ultimately a fork to combine the butter and flour, much like you would do for pie crust. Slowly adding the agave helped combine the last remaining stubborn pieces of butter with the flour for a nice, thick dough.

After a few hours of refrigeration (or days in my case) roll out and use a cookie cutter. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 6-8 minutes at 300 degrees F.

If you try these and use different amounts or ingredients, let me know!

IMPORTANT NOTE: There is a problem with this cookie dough. It is out of this world delicious. It is so sweet and chewy and moist with just the right amount of vanilla.....It is the ultimate comfort food. Not hard to believe when you think about it: butter and sweetly aromatic, with flour for fill, for that intoxicating fragrance and heavenly sensory experience.

Cookie dough has always been my favorite sweet snack. With the little dough I had leftover after days of snacking, I was able to make a small tray of cookies. They were delicious, too, but didn't even make it beyond the day they came out of the oven. I have to admit that even though I used a white sugar substitute, (agave) my problem with eating too much of something good still exists. I have to work on my moderation skills before I dare make these again.

Enjoy!

One of my readers, Shanti, baked Nourishing Apron's cookies and they look beautiful. She sent me this picture:

(Shanti says no, the sprinkles are not sugar-free! Dang!)

Cut Out Sugar With These Cut-Out Sugar Cookies!

I love cookies, don't you? Just saying the word cookie makes me happy.

Buttery, rich and chewy describe these insanely delectable cut-outs. I find them fascinating because they are truly sweet and have an excellent texture but only four ingredients.

I posted a similar recipe a long time ago, but now seems like the perfect time of year to share this recipe again. Krista uses a little almond extract in this recipe, and it's also delicious with a dollop of jam on top or a few sliced almonds. Feel free to experiment with different flavored extracts: vanilla, lemon, cinnamon, etc.

It's simple: flour, butter, extract and honey.

I will be trying it with my new favorite flour, white whole wheat flour, and we'll see how it turns out. It seems like the only modification you need when using this flour as a substitute to white flour, is to increase liquids by a little bit. For me, this means honey of course.

Visit Nourishing Apron's blog for more mouth-watering, no refined sugar recipes.

(I "borrowed" the sugar cookie picture until I have one of my own. This one contains sugar but looks similar to the sugar-free cookie.)

The Best Date Cinnamon Rolls - Whole Wheat and Sugar-Free

**These cinnamon rolls are my favorite of all the sugarless baked goodies I've been making over the past almost 2 years. They are incredibly sweet and perfect.**

As I write this, a sweet fragrance lingers in my kitchen and has visited me in my living room work space. It is the smell of pineapple juice, which my dates have been cooked in and soaking in for the past few hours. Today is a perfect day to make cinnamon rolls. It is rainy and foggy--my usual view of the Capitol is covered in layers of beautiful fog. The leaves are the only colorful thing I see out my window--reds, oranges, yellow and still a lot of green.

I was given this recipe for date cinnamon rolls a while back but have waited for that perfect chunk of time to dawdle in my kitchen, listen to music and leisurely play with yeast dough. As usual, I have tampered with the recipe quite a bit, to try and make my existing ingredients work instead of having to go out to buy new. The original recipe also called for refined sugar and larger amounts of ingredients than I needed to use. I substituted pineapple juice for apple juice and the smell is amazing. As I was taking the pits out of my dates, I looked at the nutritional value and thought it was interesting:

Date Nutrition Information:
Serving Size: 5-6 dates
Calories 120
Potassium 240 mg
Total Carb. 31 g (10% daily recommended value)
Fiber 3 g (14% daily recommended value)
Sugars 29 g
Protein 1 g
Calcium 2% daily recommended value
Iron 2% daily recommended value


Here is my recipe:

Date Walnut Cinnamon Rolls

Dough:
1/2 C. pineapple juice
2 packets active dry yeast
2 tablespoons honey
2 eggs, beaten
3 C. white whole wheat flour
1/2 C. butter, melted
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tsps. cinnamon

Filling:
1 C. pitted dates
2 C. pineapple juice
1 C. raisins
2/3 C. chopped walnuts/pecans

Icing:
1/2 C. sour cream
2 tablespoons honey
1 tsp. vanilla

Step 1: Warm pineapple juice in a small pan. Transfer to large mixing bowl and add one packet of yeast and honey. Stir and set aside for 5 minutes. Add eggs and enough flour to form a thin batter (about 1 cup). Beat until smooth. Clean down sides of bowl, cover with a damp cloth and let dough rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 30 minutes. In another bowl, add yeast packet, 1 tablespoon flour and about 1/8 C. tepid water. Cover and let rise about 30 minutes.





Step 2: While dough is rising, make filling. Place dates in small pan and cover with pineapple juice. Heat to a simmer, cover and cook until liquid is absorbed, about 20-30 minutes. Let cool. Puree in blender and set aside.


Step 3: Place raisins in a bowl and cover with hot water. Soaking them will plump them.

Step 4: Return to dough. Add small bowl of dough to large. Beat in butter, salt, vanilla and cinnamon. Begin adding flour to yeast mixture. When it is too hard to stir, place on a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Clean and oil bowl. Place dough in it, cover with plastic wrap, then a towel, and let dough rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll out half the dough into a rectangle. Spread half the date puree, strained raisins and nuts on the dough. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Roll up from the side like a jelly roll. Cut into 1-inch slices and place cut-side-up on an oiled cookie sheet or in muffin tins. Repeat with other half of the ingredients. Bake for 15 minutes.






While rolls are baking, place all ingredients for icing in small bowl and whisk together well. When rolls have baked 15 minutes, spoon some of the icing on top of each roll and bake another 10-15 minutes.

ENJOY!

Funny, I forgot to puree the dates, but it didn't really seem to matter at all. I don't think it's necessary now that I've forgotten, especially since this would save one messy step. I also forgot to sprinkle cinnamon on the dough before rolling them up, but it didn't thwart things at all. I didn't realize I missed this step until I began to type out the recipe.

I froze half the batch, so I'll see how those turn out when I have guests over or I can't wait any longer for more for myself. I've had three for lunch today with lots of added icing. They are absolutely heavenly. I can't wait to try them out with my morning mug of joe tomorrow.


-Original recipe courtesy of: www.feedingfamily.com

Artisan No-Knead Bread

'Tis the cool, yet snuggly time of year to be baking and experimenting.

I found an incredible bread recipe that I had torn out of an old newspaper.....months ago? Years ago? I can't remember, but as I looked over the recipe and the pictures, I decided to try it out. Although I really enjoy kneading dough, I was curious what it would be like to make a yeast bread that required no kneading. Would it be less intimidating?

One of the main things that caught my eye with this recipe is that it calls for yeast but does not call for sugar. The only reason, I believe, that sugar was ever added to bread recipes is that it causes bread to rise faster. Anyway, although yeast digests sugars until they are transformed into carbon dioxide and ethanol, and I will eat yeast breads and drink beer, I still can't use sugar in my own baking.

Although this recipe calls for white flour, I tried it with half white flour and half white whole wheat flour. It turned out amazing. Since then, I've made it entirely with white whole wheat. It was dense but still incredibly chewy inside with a perfectly hard crust. I've learned the secret to chewy inside-crusty outside is baking in a cast iron or ceramic pot with the lid on and then with the lid off for the last 15 minutes or so.

Although to make this bread you will have to plan about 24 hours ahead of time, it's worth the time logistics. It sits by itself for the first 18 hours, anyway.


Artisan No-Knead Bread

3 cups all-purpose flour OR one and 1/2 C. all-purpose flour and one and 1/2 C. white whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp. instant yeast (use RapidRise yeast)
2 1/2 tsp. salt (less if you use sea salt)
One and a half cups plus 2 tablespoons tepid water
*cornmeal or wheat bran as needed





In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add the water and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and very sticky.



Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18 hours, at warm room temperature. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles.



Turn dough out on a lightly floured work surface; sprinkle dough with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously dust a cotton (not terry cloth) kitchen towel with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal.





Cover with another kitchen towel and let rise for 2 to 3 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

At least 30 minutes before dough is ready, preheat oven to 450 degrees. Put a heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, or ceramic; anywhere from 3 and a half quarts to 6 or 8 quarts) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that's OK. shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is nicely browned. Cool on rack.




Enjoy! Great with many different fixings: butter, hummus, fig jam, as bruschetta, toast, honey etc., or by itself.
(-Courtesy of The Oregonian printing the Sullivan Street Bakery recipe, New York City)