The Knife For Life Blog

Over time you will get to know how I operate. I get a little obsessive if I really like something. For example, after I received my Le Creuset French Oven for my birthday, I started to look for recipes that would incorporate such oven. I knew there were tons of casseroles recipes, etc. I could make using it but, I also knew you could make really delectable breads with it as well. As I was doing research online to find the perfect recipe, I found this one on Mother Earth News. No kneading? Just let it rise for 12-18 hours? Ok, I’m in!!! It’s soooo easy, that a child could make it! This recipe will make any beginner baker look like a master. They won’t believe that you barely touched the bread.

I got so crazy for this bread, I made it two days in a row. (no joke!)

No-Knead Dutch Oven Bread

Tools needed:

- 8 inch Scalloped Offset Knife

Ingredients:

- 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 1/2 cups warm water
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting. You may use white, whole wheat or a combination of the two.
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- Cornmeal or wheat bran for dusting

1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add the flour and salt, stirring until blended. The dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest at least 8 hours, preferably 12 to 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

2. The 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 it rest for about 15 minutes.

3. Using just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to the work surface or to your fingers, gently shape it into a ball. Generously coat a clean dish towel with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal. Put the seam side of the dough down on the towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another towel and let rise for about 1 to 2 hours. When it’s ready, the dough will have doubled in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

4. At least 20 minutes before the dough is ready, heat oven to 475 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in the oven as it heats. When the dough is ready, carefully remove the pot from the oven and lift off the lid. Slide your hand under the towel and turn the dough over into the pot, seam side up. The dough will lose its shape a bit in the process, but that’s OK. Give the pan a firm shake or two to help distribute the dough evenly, but don’t worry if it’s not perfect; it will straighten out as it bakes.

5. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake another 15 to 20 minutes, until the loaf is beautifully browned. Remove the bread from the Dutch oven and let it cool on a rack for at least 1 hour before slicing with your Messermeister scalloped knife.

Bruschetta is a simple appetizer that would go great with almost any pasta dish or almost any Italian dish for that matter. Most of you will think of the tomato basil topping when you think of bruschetta but there are other variations. Bruschetta is actually just grilled bread rubbed with garlic, drizzled with olive oil and a dash of salt and pepper. Other variations you might know are topped with olives, peppers, beans and cheeses. This version has proscuitto and arugula. A wonderful salt and peppery blend.

Proscuitto Bruschetta with Arugula
Serves 4-6

Tools needed:

- 8 inch scalloped offset knife

Ingredients:

- 8 slices of any type of Italian bread sliced into 1/2 inch slices.*

- proscuitto (about 1/3 lb or roughly 2 packages)

- 4 cloves of peeled garlic

- good olive oil ( In my opinion this makes or breaks your bruschetta, splurge when you buy your olive oil. )

- 1/2 cup arugula

- fresh ground pepper

- fresh parmesan cheese (optional)

Preparation:

1. Toast the bread in the toaster or pan fry on the stove until brown.

2. Remove the bread immediately and rub with garlic over the entire surface.

3. Drizzle a generous amount of olive oil over the top of each slice of bread.

4. Top sliced bread with a slice of proscuitto and arugula.

5. Sprinkle some cracked pepper and parmesan on top of the arugula. Serve immediately.

6. Enjoy.

*You can use almost any type of bread. I like getting my bread from Vons. They have a pretty decent bakery. Nothing incredible but pretty good for a big box grocery store. Their Artisan Como and Pulgliese bread is to die for!