No-Knead Multi-Grain Peasant Bread.

I am not a good bread maker. I know the more I practice, the better I'll get... but let's face it... with a Mom that can make bread as good as mine can, sometimes it's just not worth it to go through that sort of self destruction each time a new loaf comes out...

[Look at that texture!]

So, when I found this bread - peasant bread - totally different from my Mom's whole wheat homemade bread... I thought I'd give it a whirl. I made it months and months ago and it didn't rise as high as it did in the picture, but it still tasted yummy. Probably because I never use as much white flour as it calls for. But, I figured it's time for me to try it again. When I wanted this soup for dinner, and knew how yummy it'd be if I had a good crusty dipping bread - I went for it.

I ended up not having all of the right flours and all the right proportions of the ones I did have... but I went for it anyway. It still didn't rise as high as it did in the picture {blasted picture!} but it was yum, and perfect for dipping in our soup.

And when it came out of the oven I rubbed a clove of garlic all over the top... so good... no butter needed.

It's such a good base... and it really couldn't be easier. Like 10 minutes of active handling time - that's it. I so want to play around with it more... I'll add some herbs (rosemary) next time.... and then cranberries and walnuts the next (trying to imitate my favorite bread from Central Market). I love so many possibilities.

No-Knead Multi-Grain Peasant Bread  

1 cup rye flour

3 1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup cracked wheat, uncooked steel cut oats, sunflower seeds, or other textured grain, seeds, or nuts

1 cups white all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon yeast

3 1/4 cups (26 ounces) room temperature water
2 tablespoons dried rosemary

In a large bowl, mix together all the flours, salt, yeast and rosemary. Stir in the water to form a thick, gloppy batter. (If your yeast needs to dissolve in water before being added, do this in a separate bowl before combining with the flours.)

Cover the bowl and let it sit at room temperature for 8 hours or overnight. If necessary, you can refrigerate the dough after this fermentation period for up to a week***. Refrigerating for a few hours also helps make the dough easier to work with and improves the flavor.

When ready to shape and bake the loaves, sprinkle your work surface with a little flour. Turn the cold dough out onto the counter and divide it in two equal pieces. Sprinkle the dough with a little more flour and shape them into round loaves or sandwich loaves, as desired. Cover and let the loaves rise for about 1.5 - 2 hours at room temperature, until nearly doubled in bulk.

A half hour before baking, preheat the oven to 450°. Put a pan in the bottom of the oven to preheat as well. If you're baking round loaves, set a baking stone on the middle rack while the oven is heating.

When the loaves have risen, quickly cut 1/2-inch slashes in the top with a serrated knife and set them in the oven. Pour a half cup of water into the pan at the bottom of the oven and close the oven door.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the loaves are dark brown, sound hollow when tapped on the bottom, and the interior registers 190° on an instant-read thermometer. {This is when I rub a clove of garlic on the top... sooooo good!} Allow to cool fully on a rack before slicing and eating.

***I love this because I'll make it once, cook one loaf one night and then cook the other refrigerated loaf a few nights later.

***Be sure to use a pan and not a glass dish when baking it... when you pour the water in the hot pan it'll break. Learned that the hard way!!

I adapted it from thekitchn who originally adapted it from the Master Recipe from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes

Makes 2 loaves