A Barbecue, and Bread
Made dinner for 20 in Glenmore Park today, on a barbecue about the size of a double bed that fluctuated between 700 degrees and 100 degrees, having been blown out by the wind. Beef tenderloin, and lamb kabobs, and a lot of extras. It was fun, but I’m tired. I wanted to tell you though that a) that my sister shaved her head (bald) this morning for Kids Cancer Care (and she had beautiful, long, wavy, thick hair), raising over $745 to send kids to camp, and b) what I decided to do with that $6 burning a hole in my pocket.
I do appreciate the resounding call to donate to the food bank. Yes $6 turns into $24 worth’ of food. I am doing something else for the food bank though, a project that will (I hope) earn much more than $24, and provide a more long-term income stream. Or trickle, anyway. If all goes well.
Also, it occurred to me that by adding the $6 to the CIFB pot the “pay it forward” aspect would be lost. The whole point is to do something nice – out of the blue – for someone, thus inspiring them to do the same and pass it on. And so on. I think a donation to the food bank, albeit a fantastic cause, would stop that chain.
So, although you guys came up with an amazing number of suggestions, I kind of got stuck on Carolyn’s bread idea. And yes, I could sell them for $6 apiece and raise more money for whatever cause (which is exactly what Aviv is doing – and charging $6, even!), but to be honest I think my time is better spent in other ways. I’ve been directly involved with 12 different fundraising efforts since January and though I love doing it, I can’t create another long-term project! We all know how well I do with new commitments.
What really made me consider the magnitude of passing out homemade bread was a (legless) man I passed on the street downtown last Sunday. Suffice to say he really looked like he could have used that $6, and I actually rifled around my bag for it, but came up with only about 32 cents. But as I walked away it occurred to me that $6 would buy a single loaf of that quality, and more likely go toward a $4 loaf of crappy Wonder Bread at 7-11 or a few cheeseburgers at McDonalds – quantity tends to reign over quality in these situations. And none of those foods would come homemade by someone who cared about the recipient. Being baked for is a wonderful thing, and some people rarely experience that. Something I have learned over the course of my lifetime (you could say one thing I know for sure) is that nothing compares to the feeling that you are worth the effort.
So I bought a 10 kg. bag of flour for (around) $6 (OK it was $8, but it was a much better deal than the smaller bag). (I’ll have to cheat and donate the yeast and salt myself – a minor detail.) Estimating a cup of flour at 4 oz., the bag should produce around 29 loaves of bread, with enough left over to flour the tea towels. Not bad, hey? And I can’t imagine anyone not feeling better for being on the receiving end of a freshly baked loaf. Not only those living on the street – a couple days ago I dropped off my first, to a friend with a new baby (her third) who has just gone back to work. I’ve also printed off some recipes, so that those who get them can make them themselves (with a nod to Jamie’s Pass it On movement) if they like – a good skill for anyone to have, but particularly those with little money. I’ve labeled the bag and will bake from it and deliver the loaves until the flour is gone. I’m a little curious how long it will take to bake 29 loaves. I’m not in a huge rush to power through it.
It near killed me to not have any of the bread I had spent so long smelling as it baked and then cooled, crackling, on the countertop. (W likes to reenact the scene from Ratatouille wherein the French girl describes how to identify a good loaf of bread – “not the look, not the taste, but the sound – only great bread sound this way.” – You must say this in your thickest French accent.)
I hope these photos will inspire any of you who have not yet tried the no-knead to give it a whirl, even though it’s getting to be too hot to have the oven on. There’s rain in the forecast all weekend – as good as excuse as any to bake bread, I think. Honestly – look at it! Is that not a gorgeous loaf of bread?
No-Knead Bread
Adapted from Jim Lahey at the Sullivan Street Bakery in Manhattan
3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, plus more for dusting (I sometimes use half whole wheat and half all-purpose with a shake of ground flax seed)
¼ tsp. instant or regular dry yeast
1 tsp. saltIn a large bowl stir together the flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 ½ cups water and stir until blended; the dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a plate and let it rest on the countertop for 18-24 hours (yes, at room temperature).
When you’re almost ready to bake (the dough is ready when it has doubled in size and the surface is dotted with bubbles) generously flour a tea towel – the smoothest you can find – the dough will stick to a terrycloth towel – and scrape the dough out of the bowl onto it. Sprinkle the top of the dough with some flour and fold it over on itself once or twice, roughly shaping it into a ball. Generously flour it on top an fold the tea towel over to cover it. Let it sit for another hour.
While the bread is resting, preheat the oven to 450°F with a 6-8 quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) inside as it heats. When it’s hot, carefully remove the pot from the oven, slide your hand under the towel and flip the dough over into the pot; it will probably look like a mess, but that’s OK. Cover and bake for 30 minutes, then remove the lid and bake another 10-15 minutes, until it’s nice and golden. Eat up!
One Year Ago: Black Bean Quesadillas
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June 04 2009 09:16 pm | bread
Mairi on 04 Jun 2009 at 10:17 pm #
What a perfect ending to the “pay it forward” riddle. It is a gorgeous loaf of bread. Although you blogged that you didn’t want to get involved with another long term project the fact that you don’t think of baking 29 loaves of bread as “long term” is truly inspirational.
I may adopt your line “that nothing compares to the feeling that you are worth the effort” as my new mantra.
nina on 05 Jun 2009 at 1:18 am #
Giving a freshly baked bread is like giving a bit of yourself..and that is precious!!! You did great with $6!!
Jessica on 05 Jun 2009 at 4:53 am #
Just as I was scrolling down and finished reading, “Is that not a gorgeous loaf of bread?”, instead of rolling the disk thingy, I accidentally clicked the mouse, and the photo was suddenly magnified about 1000 times in front of me, to which I had to answer, “YES! YES – that IS a GORGEOUS loaf of bread!!”
)
You are inspirational, and so is your sister.
Nancy on 05 Jun 2009 at 5:10 am #
That is so great! I am (somewhat horribly) picture homeless people all over begging for butter now though…
My mom’s group disbanded for the summer, but to keep us connect I am trying to think of a similar $6 challenge for all the moms and kids (school age) to do! Love the idea, and the seed you planted.
Christina on 05 Jun 2009 at 5:14 am #
Awesome!!! Love your idea and would LOVE to see the look on the faces of those receiving the beautiful homemade bread!
I have to admit, I have not yet tried the No Knead Bread. Truthfully I’m a little intimidated by it, but with a mix of rain and SNOW in the forecast tomorrow I think it’s a sign that my time has come to face my fear!!! A nice homemade, soup, stew or chili is in order for tomorrow’s super and what better to go with it than that gorgeous loaf of bread!
Would love to hear about the others receiving the loaves of bread! As a mother of 3 who has just started to work a bit myself I can appreciate how your friend must have felt receiving that loaf a few days ago! Very thoughtful!
angie on 05 Jun 2009 at 5:57 am #
The loaf is pretty spectacular Jules but so are you and your sister.
I have made the recipe several times, it’s easy and so rewarding.
Great post.
Angie
Muneeba on 05 Jun 2009 at 6:39 am #
Gave you a lovely award, and it’s waiting for you on my blog. Go grab it!
Barb on 05 Jun 2009 at 6:42 am #
Julie, I have only tried the No Knead Bread once and I wasn’t really pleased with how it turned out. I determined that the best pot I had for baking it was a slow cooker pot. I used tin foil as the lid. Was that correct?
Barb in Red Deer on 05 Jun 2009 at 8:29 am #
Julie, this is my new favorite thing to share with anyone who will listen. I love no knead bread. I was recently in Phoenix and had the pleasure of tasting a chilie rye bread at the WildFlower bistro in Tempe – I was in love! I found a no knead Rye recipe online and threw in some ground new mexico chili, some caraway and yummy…best toast ever!
Rose in Red Deer on 05 Jun 2009 at 10:06 am #
Julie, could you please tell me what pot you use for your no knead bread? I will probably go out and buy one just so I can make this fabulous looking loaf. I can’t decide on one that I have at home that would be suitable. Thanks.
Roxanne on 05 Jun 2009 at 10:10 am #
I’m with Barb on the pot dilemma, good for you for trying the slow cooker pot, I wouldn’t have thought of that. No lovely Le Creuset for me I’m afraid- will my French White casserole dish suffice?
Aviv on 05 Jun 2009 at 10:44 am #
Julie, your bread looks fantastic and I love your idea. There is nothing better than getting a fresh loaf of bread as a gift.
I also wanted to add that unlike most bread recipes/formulas the No Kneed Bread recipe is very versatile and can be used as a base for lots of different breads. I used it with onions, herbs, chocolate chips (not together with the onions) etc.
JulieVR on 05 Jun 2009 at 11:14 am #
I don’t have a lovely Le Creuset either – I have a knock-off – an off-white enamel covered cast iron pot – oval – that I got from Winners for $20. Does every bit as well!
mmac on 05 Jun 2009 at 12:34 pm #
Julie — I know you said you substituted some of the sourdough starter in this recipe. Can you remind us how much or point to the post where you did it? Seems like this is the weekend to finally make this bread AND use some more of the starter. It’s amazing how much I bake these days. And I made pancakes for maybe the third time in my life, thanks to the starter.
Cathryn on 05 Jun 2009 at 12:42 pm #
I’m going to bake this loaf of comfort to share with my neighbour when she returns home from being with her mum who has just been diagnosed with cancer. You’re right, Julie. “. . . nothing compares to the feeling that you are worth the effort.” I love this, and you live it! You are a gift that keeps on giving. Thank you.
JulieVR on 05 Jun 2009 at 2:24 pm #
Mmac – I didn’t substitute it so much as just add it straight to the recipe! I wanted the flavour, but was chicken about relying on it, so I kept that 1/4 tsp. of yeast in there. If I recall correctly, I used a cup of starter and removed a cup of flour and 1/2 cup of water, and it worked pretty well!
michaela on 05 Jun 2009 at 3:21 pm #
i like the no-knead recipe and use it frequently.
Christina on 05 Jun 2009 at 6:16 pm #
Hey Julie,
I’ve got my dough made and it’s on the counter, in the bowl, covered by plastic wrap. Now I’ve got a super embarrassing question. When you say to cook it in a 6-8 quart pot, does that mean it’s got to be big enough to hold 6-8 quarts of water? I’ve got an enamel pot from my grandma but it’s very old and it doesn’t say the size and I don’t know if it will be big enough.
If it’s not big enough can I cut the dough in 2 before letting it rest for the hour before baking it at back 2 smaller loafs?
Sorry for the questions, I’ve been googling trying to find the answers but having no luck.
Penny on 05 Jun 2009 at 6:28 pm #
You have touched my heart. Thank you so much for sharing your sister’s e-mail, Julie, tears flowed freely down my cheeks upon reading it.
Your generosity of self, time, talent, and willingness to project your thoughts into action is inspirational. You have deeply affected another woman’s life today. You personify a saying my Mom used to make: if you want something done, ask the busiest person you know.
Thank you for being the wonderful “you” that you are, Julie. We all benefit by your thoughtful, fun, sensitive, honest blogs and our families benefit also when we incorporate your ideas in our kitchens.
Elizabeth L. on 05 Jun 2009 at 6:56 pm #
To all you future bread makers–if you have questions, breadtopia.com is a great resource. The man is more obsessed with no-knead bread than most, and he sells a really cool whisk that is designed specifically for bread dough.
Julie–best idea for the $6!!
Donna on 05 Jun 2009 at 7:29 pm #
Ok I can not resist any longer. I am making no kneed bread tonight.
Great idea for the $6
Aimee on 06 Jun 2009 at 6:15 am #
It’s truly gorgeous. I have yet to try this recipe. I rather like the kneading part in bread making,so until now, haven’t had much incentive to make it.
Natalie (Michigan) on 06 Jun 2009 at 10:42 am #
Great idea Julie.
Question…. when I use whole grain. white and bean flour can I use more yeast to get rid of some of the heaviness of should I just increase the white flour? I was thinking of 1.5 white, .5 wheat and 1 c. bean and maybe 1/2 tsp yeast??
Thanks!!
By the way, I have a stock pot that goes up to 450 degrees and it works great.. just in case others are wondering. I couldn’t figure out what pot to use at first either.
Christina on 06 Jun 2009 at 5:04 pm #
Bread tuned out BEAUTIFUL!!! I ended up baking it in my dutch oven (I believe it’s stainless steal) and it was great! Thinking of making up another batch of dough tonight … this could be dangerous!! lol
Cheryl on 06 Jun 2009 at 6:16 pm #
Very nice… Now I have a better idea for all the extra cookies The Monster and I make.
Indeed, I have some sourdough proofing on the counter. Thanks for the starter!
Barb on 08 Jun 2009 at 6:11 am #
I gave it another go…. It turned out hmmmm what’s the word? Great. I bought new yeast so maybe that was the problem last time.