Sullivan Street Bakery French Bread Recipes

SULLIVAN STREET BAKERY NO KNEAD BREAD

Steps:

• EQUIPMENT: Two medium mixing bowls, 6 to 8 quart pot with lid, (Pyrex glass, Le Creuset cast iron, or ceramic), Wooden Spoon or spatula (optional), Plastic wrap, Two or three cotton dish towels (not terrycloth).
• PROCESS: Mix all of the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Add water and incorporate by hand or with a wooden spoon or spatula for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Lightly coat the inside of a second medium bowl with olive oil and place the dough in the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest 12 hours at room temperature (approx. 65-72°F).
• Remove the dough from the bowl and fold once or twice. Let the dough rest 15 minutes in the bowl or on the work surface. next, shape the dough into ball. Generously coat a cotton towel with flour, wheat bran, or cornmeal; place the dough seam side down on the towel and dust with flour. Cover the dough with a cotton towel and let rise 1-2 hours at room temperature, until more than doubled in size.
• Preheat oven to 450-500°F Place the pot in the oven at least 30 minutes prior to baking to preheat. Once the dough has more than doubled in volume, remove the pot from the oven and place the dough in the pot seam side up. Cover with the lid and bake 30 minutes Then remove the lid and bake 15-30 minutes uncovered, until the loaf is nicely browned.

NO-KNEAD BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 1/2 cups/345 grams water and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.
• Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.
• Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.
• At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is OK. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

SULLIVAN ST. BAKERY BREAD

Steps:

• Mix the first 3 dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Add water and incorporate by hand or with a wooden spoon or spatula for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Dough will look shaggy and sticky.
• Lightly coat the inside of a second medium bowl with olive oil and place the dough in the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest at least 12 hours at room temperature (approx. 65-72°F) or overnight.
• Remove the dough from the bowl and fold once or twice (my dough was very soft so I just folded it over in the bowl with a spatula). Let the dough rest 15 minutes in the bowl or on the work surface. Next, shape the dough into ball. (This is difficult due to its wetness, but it's not wise to add too much flour to the dough. The point is to scrape it out onto a generously floured surface and coat the dough with enough flour to keep it from 'mostly' spreading.) Generously coat a cotton towel with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal (about 1/4 cup); place the dough seam side down on the towel and dust with flour, being gentle so as preserve the air bubbles. (Note: Instead of placing on a towel, place the dough on a flour-dusted piece of parchment paper. It will be easier to transfer.) Cover the dough with a cotton towel and let rise 1-2 hours at room temperature, until more than doubled in size. Don't rush, it's a slow rising dough.
• Preheat oven to 450-500°F Place the pot (see in description above) in the oven at least 30 minutes prior to baking to preheat. Once the dough has more than doubled in volume, remove the pot from the oven and place the dough (if using parchment paper, lift then place with paper) in the pot seam side up. Shake pot to evenly distribute dough, if necessary, but it should straighten out during the cooking process. Cover with the lid and bake 30 minutes Then remove the lid and bake 15-30 minutes uncovered, until the loaf is nicely browned. Cool on wire rack.
• Variations: In Step 1, add either 1/4 cup chopped fresh rosemary; 1/2 cup roughly chopped pitted kalamata or other olives; 1/3 cup grated Parmesan and 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper; 1 head of roasted garlic cloves (each chopped in half) or 1/4 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained well and finely chopped.
• You can also make a rustic version of this bread by replacing one of the cups of bread flour with whole-wheat flour and adding 1/4 cup each of wheat bran and flaxseeds.