If there’s any one thing that I love about cooking it’s to cook simply.

Roasted in cast iron, seasoned with salt and pepper (possibly fresh herbs), and served in a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Automatic excellent meal that’s simple, fresh, clean, and wonderful. Besides cooking things in a simple-type fashion, I adore cooking from scratch.

There’s just something honest and empowering about eating something entirely from your own hand, knowing the ingredients that go into your food, and knowing the process that it takes before it’s ready for munching. I quite enjoy the hands-on methods involved: literally. I love massaging the raw ingredients in meatball-making and squeezing it all between my fingers. I love the rolling of pasta dough on the countertop. I love the pulverizing of herbs to make pesto. I love my mortar and pestle. I love snacking tasting as I go. I love the kneading of dough. I love the flour as evidence of my endeavors across my lap, up my sleeves, and smeared across my cheek. I love the sensual experience and homeyness of the smell of blooming yeasty smells. It’s one of my guilty simple pleasures.

But in this instance, there was no kneading required.

I tell you, I felt kind of cheated with the lack of kneading and multiple proof times of this recipe! I have to admit though, it was nice to sort of forget about the dough and not have to plan your whole day around it…

Before I got this dough a-rollin’, all I kneaded (HA!) was one key ingredient: yeast. And so, after the quickest trip to my friendly neighborhood Safeway, I came home with a whole entire jar of yeast.

Let the bread baking begin!

I wanted to kick off this bread-bonanza right, so I used a tried and true recipe from my friend over here. I swear we’re the only two college students on the face of the planet who own juicers, finish dishes with a sprinkle of hemp seeds, make homemade cheese and nut milk, pesto, and crusty bread from scratch. So here’s her swooned and sworn-by crusty bread recipe.

The only thing that would make it better would be more work – more touching of the bread. I mean, it’s like all the magic happened without my help! The bread making process is my favorite but this recipe sort of takes it away. All you have to do is mix together the ingredients, let them mingle and ferment overnight, heat up a nice cast iron dutch oven {WHICH I JUST PURCHASED THIS EVENING FOR THIS RECIPE BUT I CAN’T WAIT TO USE IT MORE OH MY GOSH IT’S GREAT IT’S THE MOST AWESOMEST MOST BEAUTIFULLEST POT IN MY WHOLE HOUSE}, plop dough into hot pot, bake, and cool. Don’t forget that last step. Promise me you won’t forget it. Proomise meee? {that was said in my stern mothering voice}

There is no excuse for lack of fresh bread any more.

No-knead whole wheat bread
recipe given to me from Grace over @ Eat Gracefully
recipe yield: 1 2-lb loaf

3 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup unbleached white flour
2 1/4 cups water
2 teaspoons sea salt
1/2 + 1/8 teaspoon active dry yeast

Mix these ingredients together in a large bowl and stir with a spoon until just thoroughly mixed. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for 12-18 hours.

After the first rising, use a spatula to move the dough onto a lightly floured countertop. Fold the dough over itself two times.

Place the dough on a well floured tea towel, cover, and let rise for 1.5-3 hours.

Allow the dough to continue rising while the oven preheats. Turn the oven temperature to 475F and put a 5-qt dutch oven into the oven. Allow it to heat up for 30 minutes. Drop the bread in the hot dutch oven, cover the pot, and bake for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the lid from the pot, and place the pot, uncovered, back into the oven for another 12 minutes.

Use a wooden spatula to remove the bread from the pot and let it cool on a wire rack for 15-20 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve with alongside a shallow bowl of herbaceous olive oil or yogurt (or both).