Artisan Bread

Lately, I've taken to trying my hand at baking artisan bread. I've had some real luck ... and some real flubs - the worst probably being going to bed and then remembering I had dough that was supposed to get baked that night. OOPS!

I've taken to the Jim Lahey no-knead method and am definitely figuring out how to make it work for us. One aspect of the learning curve was based on the fact we have a gas oven, which has a different temperament than an electric oven. (Hence, the first loaf I made got somewhat charred on the bottom.) I've also decided it works better to do the final rise on a piece of parchment paper that I use to lower the dough into and the baked bread out of the Dutch oven. Jim Lahey's method doesn't call for lining the Dutch oven, which made getting my first loaf out of the pan quite a workout.

It just amazes me that this....


Can become this with such little work!