No-Knead Parmesan Bread

Oh goodness, I love baking bread. The whole apartment smells amazing and fresh, and it improves any dish you serve it with. I even love the way the dough looks as it's rising! When it's cooled enough to cut into and taste, the crust crunches perfectly and is better than anything store bought.
All that aside, homemade breads I don't have to knead are good by me, and that's why I love this recipe so much. Not only does the Parmesan cheese melt into the bread, leaving little cheesy holes of tastiness, but there's a bit of spice due to the ground pepper that's mixed in. In addition, this dough is left to rise on its own for a good 12-18 hours, making it the most effortless bread recipe I've ever seen! Although it does require a good deal of patience (there are over 14 hours of rest time for the dough), it's great if you want to put minimal effort into homemade goods. Just start the dough before you go to sleep on a Friday night, check on it before you run your errands on Saturday, and bake it later that afternoon.

Parmesan No Knead Bread (from Williams-Sonoma)
3 c. all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. active dry yeast
1 3/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese cubes (1/4 inch chunks)
Cornmeal as needed

1. In a large bowl, combine flour, yeast, salt, pepper, and both cheeses. Add 1 1/2 c. plus 2 Tbsp. warm water and stir until blended (you can use your hands; I know I did); the dough should be shaggy and thick. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature until the surface is dotted with bubbles, 12-18 hours.
2. Place dough on a lightly floured work surface. Sprinkle dough with a bit of flour and fold dough onto itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest for 15 minutes.
3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth, just cheesecloth or plain cotton), with cornmeal. Put dough on towel and dust with a bit more cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise until dough is doubled in size, about 2 hours.
4. Preheat oven to 450 degrees, and place 3 quart cast iron pot in oven for 30 minutes.
5. Carefully remove pot from oven. Place dough into pot and shake once or twice to evenly distribute dough. Cover with lid and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue baking until loaf is browned, 15-30 minutes longer.
6. Transfer pot to wire rack and cool for 10 minutes. Using oven mitts, turn pot on side and turn bread onto rack. Let cool until you can't wait any longer then slice and eat up!

Cheddar Cheese Drop Biscuits

Maybe it has something to do with so many meals spent in southern Georgia, but there is a huge portion of my soul that can only be fulfilled with biscuits. Buttery, rich, and perfect with soups, salads, jams...they're really all-purpose. Not that I need any justification to bake homemade biscuits.

Which is exactly what I've done twice in the past week. This recipe is quickly becoming the go-to comfort food pick, mostly because it is full of butter AND cheese. It only requires one bowl. Mix with your hands, no biscuit cutters needed. Can it possibly get any better? According to John Paul, it really can't. If presented with a choice between these cheddar cheese and scallion biscuits and finding out how LOST ends, the finale would lose. And he REALLY wants to know how it ends already.

Cheddar Cheese Scallion Drop Biscuits* (From Smitten Kitchen, here)
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 tsp. salt
6 Tbsp. (3/4 stick or 3 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 cups crumbled cheddar cheese (you can add another 1/2 cup for a super-cheesy biscuit)
4 scallions, finely chopped
1 cup well-shaken buttermilk
Preheat oven to 450°F. Whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a bowl, then blend in butter with your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in cheddar cheese and scallions. Add buttermilk and stir until just combined.
Drop dough in 12 equal mounds about 2 inches apart onto a buttered large baking sheet, or one lined with parchment paper. Bake in middle of oven until golden, 16 to 20 minutes.




*If I may make a suggestion for day-after biscuits: cut them in half, toast, put a poached egg on each half, and top with paprika. If you have a bad day, you certainly can't blame it on this breakfast.