My Morning Chocolate

My crazy-shaped loaf of bread

I am now a homemade bread convert.

Now when I say that, I don’t mean homemade bread made in the bread maker (though I do still love my bread maker).  I mean the bread that is really made by hand, that takes nearly a full day to rise, and that bakes in the oven until the crust is crisp and the inside is soft and porous.

I made this homemade bread for the first time as part of the ChewsWise Snowpocalypse Bread Baking Challenge, which I posted about last week as one of my Snow Day Activities.  I used the no knead bread recipe on the ChewsWise blog, a simple one that requires only flour, salt, water, and a scant ¼ tsp yeast.

This bread took a long time to make – it rose for nearly a full day, then another couple of hours – but most of this was inactive time.  Other than mixing the ingredients and folding the bread into a round shape after the first rise, this bread required very little effort.  In other words, this is an unintimidating recipe for beginners.

I also have to say the finished loaf, with its dark brown crust and fresh, yeasty scent, was one of my most satisfying recent baking experiences.  Even though my loaf looked a little funky.  (See above.  Even Samuel Fromartz, the judge of the Challenge, said so, though in an encouraging and positive way!)  I have a feeling your first homemade loaf is one of those “first times” that stick with you.

Head on over to ChewsWise to get the no-knead bread recipe, and start making some bread.  You’ll see what I mean.