My Bread by Jim Lahey Is A Winner
Jim Lahey is the founder of The Sullivan Street Bakery and is now the author of his first book entitled, My Bread. I first became a fan of Jim Lahey's No Knead Bread when Mark Bittman wrote an article in The New York Times in November 2006.
I still have that article carefully archived in my otherwise chaotic recipe files. After reading about Lahey's unique simple method, I launched into action. I soon started doubling the recipe and shortly therafter invested in an enormous cobalt blue Le Creuset Dutch oven just so I could crank out those larger loaves.
My three children adored the bread right off the bat. When I first served it to my bread baking English mother in law that Thanksgiving, she looked at it quizzically, examined the crust, and chomped. She chomped again and then had to ask where I got it. No Knead Bread has been a staple around my house ever since.
When I saw a copy of My Bread at a local Seattle bookstore last week, I just had to buy it. Being a loyal fan, how could I not? Of course, the original No Knead Bread recipe forms the backbone of the book, but Lahey also includes Specialty of the House recipes and Pizza and Focaccia recipes. I love the Art of the Sandwich section, but was really homesick when I read his recipe for Jones Beach Bread.
Like Lahey, I grew up on Long Island and have fond family memories of this historic protected beach on the Island's South Shore. In his recipe introduction, Lahey discussed how he gathered salt water from the ocean at Jones Beach State Park on a cold rainy day and carted it back to the bakery for use in his bread.
His reason for doing so was based on his fascination with ancient and prehistoric bakers. Lahey theorized that in the old days bakers used salt water for baking so as not to waste the precious fresh water. Lahey felt the resulting bread was a little saltier than his original No Knead Bread, obviously due to the saltiness of the water. Lahey wrote, "This struck me as the slightly saltier version. In other words, the salt level in the water at Jones Beach was just fine--as it probably is at a clean beach near you, although there will always be some variation from spot to spot."
This entry stirred memories and gave me some food for thought. Although I haven't made the bread yet, I suppose Lahey's recipe for Jones Beach Bread would be renamed Puget Sound Bread if I made it here in the Pacific Northwest being careful to use only clean local salt water. My accompaniment of choice? Locally grown and harvested mussels, clams, and oysters, of course.
--Melissa A. Trainer
Johannah B on December 11, 2009 at 06:20 AM
I love this type of bread. Just starting making it myself about a month ago. Everyone at our house loves it, and quite honestly my allergies are doing so well, now that there's no "preservatives" lurking in the bread. I've made bread for years (because of those same allergies) but this "artisan" type of bread is easy, fun and comes out spectacular. My family commented.. if I go back to making other breads they should all be "sweet" types or I should just do this one.