Sat 1 Dec 2007
I tried the Simple Crusty Bread recipe a 2nd time and it came out much better. All I did was bake it inside a cast iron pot–like the Sullivan St. Bakery recipe–and that made all the difference.
Baking inside a lidded pot keeps the moisture from evaporating, and that gives it it’s characteristic crustiness. It beats spraying with a water bottle or putting a pan of water on the bottom rack.
WIth that minor modification, I’d say it’s a can’t miss recipe for a nice small loaf.
December 28th, 2007 at 8:38 pm
Jordan:
I’m Jeff Hertzberg, one of the authors of “Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day.” Thanks for hanging in there with our recipe. It’s true, our approach works quite well when baked inside a covered cast iron pan (or our original approach, on the baking stone with a broiler tray of hot water). We have nearly 100 variations on the basic approach, including pizza, flatbreads, focaccia, and sweet dessert breads.
Jeff Hertzberg
www.artisanbreadinfive.com
December 28th, 2007 at 10:57 pm
Jeff:
Thanks for writing. I’ve obviously come around to this recipe. I literally just finished starting a new batch when I sat down and read your comment. I used 1/3 wheat flour and a little extra water this time.
Since I don’t have the baking stone, I find that the cast iron pan works well–better than the loaf pan.
Everyone should bake bread and your recipe is a great place to start.
Good luck with your book,
Jordan