Food for Health: Honey No-Knead Peasant Bread
Ok... so bread can be one of those somewhat controversial topics... I take a simple view... and that is "all things in moderation, including moderation." I make 2-4 loaves each weekend, and though that doesn't sound like moderation... well... Griff can eat a loaf in a day. He doesn't see bread moderation in the same light as I do.
As humans, we have literally been eating bread as a food staple for thousands of years. In fact, flatbreads have been around for about 12,000 years as water and flour were mixed together and baked in the sun. And there is some research showing that the Egyptians may have made a starter from wild yeast. Would you really surprised? I mean... we still haven't figured out the pyramids. But back to bread...
This recipe is my absolute favorite, I actually call this my "set it and forget it" bread. I literally mix this up, toss a clean towel over it, when I remember I knead it with forks a few times, toss it in different bowls, cover it, and then when I remember, I toss it in the oven. Yes seriously. I never even actually touch the dough. Wait... what? Yeah... it's true.
Does bread need sugar?
I admit I thought that yeast needed sugar as food, and while this is true, we don't have to actually add sugar. You can make bread without any added sugar, or honey. It just takes a bit longer as the yeast breaks down the starches and sugars in the flour. So sugar was added to speed up the process and yes, add a little sweetness to the bread.
But isn't bread bad for you?
There are definitely some pretty divided camps on this question. Of course, the more processed anything is, the more the nutrients are reduced and of course, we start to enter the realm of stabilizers. But we are talking delicious homemade bread with quality ingredients here? Factory-baked loaves may contain additional ingredients such as extra added sugars, oil, vinegar, preservatives, and flour treatment agents.
But wait... let's talk about honey!
I love honey in this recipe, to be honest, it is such a small amount that the nutritional benefits of adding the honey will be minimal. That being said, the fragrance of this bread will fill the house with happiness and the delicate honey taste is simple and pure perfection. Oh, and my Honey Sweetened Wild Black Raspberry Jam recipe is the absolute perfect compliment.
Wishing you much happy healthy cooking!
Honey Sweetened No-Knead Peasant Bread
We will bake this bread in oven-safe pyrex bowls. I find the perfect size to be the Pyrex 2.5-quart bowls. You will need two of them.
Ingredients:
4 cups Organic Flour
2 tsp SAF Instant Yeast
2 Tbsp Pure Organic Honey
1.5 cups cold water