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Recipe Sun Mar 04 2007
Even Faster than No-Knead? No Yeast!
When Mark Bittman published a recipe for "No Knead Bread" in The New York Times dining section several months ago, all hell broke loose. Some proclaimed it a miracle, some argued that it didn't work, and some wondered if kneading was really all that difficult in the first place.
Several Chicagoans gave the recipe a try, but I was not among them. I have what you might call a difficult relationship with yeast, and so, even without the kneading, I was not convinced that this recipe would yield good results for me. So when I discovered Bittman's newest bread recipe, published in last week's New York Times, I was elated. This recipe was for quick bread, as in no yeast whatsoever.
His quick whole wheat molasses bread is extremely easy to make, and while it's not fancy, the whole wheat flour, cornmeal and molasses make for a satisfying, hearty loaf. In his column, Bittman details how to create a stand-in for buttermilk by adding vinegar to regular milk that has been heated slightly. He also stresses that very little mixing should be done once the wet and dry ingredients have been combined. Following this advice is essential; achieving that ideal fluffy-yet-chewy texture depends on it.
Quick Whole Wheat Molasses Bread
from Mark Bittman in The New York Times
Oil or butter for greasing pan
1 2/3 cups buttermilk or plain yogurt, or 11/2 cups milk and 2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup molasses.
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a loaf pan (or a shallow baking dish, like the one I used.)
2. If using buttermilk or yogurt, ignore this step. Make soured milk: warm milk in the microwave for one minute and add vinegar. Set aside. (If it gets chunky and looks like it's spoiled, it's perfect.)
3. Mix together dry ingredients. Stir molasses into buttermilk, yogurt or soured milk. Stir liquid into dry ingredients (just enough to combine) then pour into loaf pan. Bake until firm and a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Cool on a rack for 15 minutes before removing from pan.
