Thank you guys so much for all the support over at Venus. It's so exciting just to be nominated with such wonderful company alongside me!
My whole apartment (bedroom, studio, etc.) is messy right now, so I'm being the slightly-bored straightening-and-cleaning-fairy. You know how all of a sudden...after a few house-guests...some willful ignoring...your home is suddenly not in the least tidy. It has exploded with clutter. And then it's a few days to set it to rights.
This weekend was nice and quiet and was mostly the aforementioned slow cleaning and being a bit of a hobbit. And I finally read the September Vogue that weighs at least as much as Miette.
Also, on Sunday afternoon I thought that the smell of fresh bread a-baking would give a nice homey-ness back to the place, so I rustled up the really good recipe that began as Alicia's and is now a little different (due to my experimental cooking nature). It is so easy and really, really addictive when it is finished.
Really Tasty Rosemary and Olive Oil Bread
(The foundation of which is Anne's No-Knead Bread, courtesy of Ms. Alicia Paulson)
Combine and set aside:
2 C King Arthur White Whole Wheat flour (or similar...this particular pale whole wheat is really tasty, has just a tiny bit of nuttyness and is a little more nutritious than its white counterpart)
1 Tablespoon Sugar
1 Tablespoon + 1 pinch Salt
2 packages of dry yeast (1/4 oz packets)
2 Tablespoons fresh Rosemary (or dried, if it's what you have access to)
Warm lightly on the stove:
1 C Water
1 C Milk
1/4 C Olive Oil
Have on hand:
1 Egg
2 C. White Whole Wheat flour
Greased loaf pan (6"x9" or 5"x8")
1-2 Tablespoons butter
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove liquids from heat, and add egg. Stir this mixture into the dry ingredients. Blend slowly (with your mixer, or your wooden spoon) and then a bit more vigorously for 3 minutes. Stir in the other 2 cups of flour with your good ol' trusty spoon. Cover with a cloth and let rise about 50 minutes (it should be about doubled). Stir down and then spoon into greased loaf pan.
Bake for about 35 minutes, and then test with a knife or skewer for done-ness. It may take another 5-10 minutes if you're using a 5"x8" loaf pan. Take care to not overcook, it should be lovely and golden all around. Brush/spread top with a dollop or two of softened butter, and you should have a crust resembling this:
Let it cool for at least 30 minutes (but preferably a bit more) before turning it out. Let cool a bit more, whilst cutting slivers absent-mindedly for yourself to snack on. After it's mostly cooled, unless you have enough people to devour the whole loaf right away, cut off some slices for yourself and those deserving, and wrap it in foil (It's very moist and soft and wonderful, but seems to get a hardness/staleness creeping in very quickly).
If you're feeling peckish, you can make yourself some tasty (but crumbly) chicken and/or tomato sandwiches for lunch the next day:
Happy Monday, Applets!
