No-Knead Deli Rye Bread

Yield: 4 small loaves (This recipe can easily be doubled or halved.)

Recipe from The New Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, Jeff Hertzberg, M.D. and Zoe Francois (Thomas Dunne Books, 2013)

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

This is just the easiest bread to make and the recipe makes four small loaves! You will LOVE the results. The outside crackles as you cut into the loaf, but the inside is chewy and tender.  Make this bread to enjoy with soups or stews.  It can also be sliced and used for sandwiches. . (Check out the No-Knead website BreadIn5.com)

3 cups lukewarm water (100°F)

1½ Tablespoons yeast (2 packets)

1½ Tablespoons Kosher salt

1½ Tablespoons caraway seeds, plus more for sprinkling on the top

1 cup rye flour

5 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour

Cornmeal for pizza peel

*Cornstarch Wash:  Using a fork, blend ½ teaspoon cornstarch with a small amount of water to form a paste.  Add ½ cup water and whisk with the fork.  Microwave (or boil) until mixture appears glassy (about 30 to 60 seconds on high.)  It will keep in the fridge for two weeks.  Discard if it has an off smell.

1.     Mixing and storing the dough:  Mix the yeast, salt, and caraway seeds with the water in a 5-quart bowl, or lidded (not airtight) food container.   (I use a Rubbermaid 8 quart plastic container with a lid. To make it not airtight, my husband drilled four holes in the plastic lid.) 

Here's a photo of the container I use.  My husband drilled four holes into
the lid so that it is not airtight.  Perfect for all my No-Knead Recipes!!!

2.     Add the rye flour and the all-purpose flour to the bowl.  Using a clean wet hand, incorporate the flours in so that no dry flour remains.

3.     Cover (not airtight) and allow to rest at room temperature for two hours. 

4.     Place the container of dough in the refrigerator.  (The dough is much easier to work with when it’s cold.)  The dough may be kept in the fridge for up to 14 days!!

5.     On baking day: dust the surface of the chilled dough with flour and cut off a grapefruit sized piece (about 1 lb.)  Dust the piece with more flour and quickly shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go.  Elongate the ball into an oval-shaped loaf.  Allow to rest and rise on a cornmeal-covered pizza peel for 40 minutes.  (The dough loaf will be small, but will get bigger as it rises and then as it bakes.)

6.     Twenty minutes before baking time, preheat the oven to 450°F, with a baking stone placed on the middle rack.  Place an empty broiler tray on the lowest shelf of the oven.

7.     Using a pastry brush, paint the top crust with the cornstarch wash and then sprinkle with additional caraway seeds. Slash the loaf with deep parallel cuts across the loaf, using a sharp knife or clean razor blade.

8.     Slide the loaf directly onto the hot stone.  Pour 1 cup of hot tap water into the broiler tray, and quickly close the oven door.  Bake for about 30 minutes or until deeply browned and firm.  Smaller or larger loaves will require adjustments in baking time.

9.     Allow the bread  to cool before slicing or eating.

No-Knead Cinnamon Raisin Buttermilk Bread

Yield = Three small loaves or Two large loaves

Recipe from The New Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, Jeff Hertzberg, M.D. and Zoe Francois (Thomas Dunne Books, 2013)

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Making this bread is a cinch.  The best part is that it is no-knead.  Have the kids help you make the dough.  It’s that easy!  The dough can be made a week in advance and kept in the fridge until you are ready to shape and bake.  You can also bake the bread and freeze it whole or in slices.  Toasted with a bit of butter and served with hot tea or coffee will take a ho-hum breakfast to the next level. (Check out the No-Knead website)

Special Equipment:  6-8 quart plastic container with a lid*** (If the container is airtight, drill three holes in the lid.); pastry brush; plastic wrap; oil spray; cooling rack; loaf pans

2 cups lukewarm water
 (about 100° F)

1 cup buttermilk


1½ Tablespoons yeast


1½ Tablespoons kosher salt


1½ Tablespoons sugar


6½ cups unbleached, all-purpose flour


Unsalted butter for greasing the pan or cooking spray


1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/3 cup sugar


¾ cup raisins (if you are using them)


Egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 Tablespoon water)

1. Mixing and storing the dough: Mix the yeast, salt and sugar with the water and buttermilk in a large plastic container. (See note above about the plastic container.)

2. Add the flour.  Mix with really wet hands to make sure that all the flour is wet.  Do not knead.  You’re finished when everything is uniformly moist, without dry patches.  (The dough will yield a dough that is wet and loose enough to conform to the shape of its container.)

3. Cover (not airtight) and allow to rest at room temperature until the dough rises and collapses or flattens on top, approximately 2 hours.

4. The dough can be used immediately after the initial rise, though it is much easier to handle when cold. Refrigerate in a lidded (not airtight) container and use over the next 7 days.

5. On baking day, lightly grease a 9x4x3-inch nonstick loaf pan. Set aside. Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a 1½-pound (cantaloupe-size) piece. (Note: the original recipe yields 3 loaves. You can also divide the total amount of dough in half and making two larger loaves as opposed to three smallish loaves.) Dust with more flour and quickly shape into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go.

6. With a rolling pin roll out the dough to an 18×16-inch rectangle (or about an 11×18-inch rectangle — just wider than the loaf pan) about ¼-inch thick, dusting the board and rolling pin with flour as needed. You may need to use a metal dough scraper to loosen rolled dough from the board as you are working with it.

7. Using a pastry brush, cover the surface of the dough lightly with egg wash. Mix together the sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle the mixture evenly over the dough. Distribute the raisins, if using.

8. Starting from the short side, roll it up jelly-roll style. Pinch the edges and ends together, tucking the ends under. Place the loaf seam-side down in the prepared pan. Allow to rest 1 hour and 40 minutes (or just 40 minutes if you’re using fresh, unrefrigerated dough.)

9. Twenty minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 375ºF. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from pan and allow to cool before slicing.

***I use a plastic Rubbermaid container with a lid.  My hubby drilled four holes in the plastic lid.  

Sweet Potato Rolls

Makes 3 dozen

Bon Appetit October 1991

Adapted and Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

If you love to bake, you'll love making these beautiful rolls.  They have a lovely color, which would go nicely on your Thanksgiving table. They are a great choice when you want something more interesting than the standard plain white dinner roll. Use these rolls to make a great mini sandwich with leftover turkey, some Havarti cheese and mango chutney, all of which are available at the Lost River Market & Deli. Be sure to buy our local wildflower honey and eggs for these rolls! You can even purchase the whole-wheat flour from our bulk section.

1 ½ pounds sweet potatoes, peeled, quartered
2 envelopes fast-rising yeast
¼ cup sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, divided
¾ cup honey, divided
¼ cup vegetable oil or sunflower oil
2 large eggs, beaten to blend
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
3 cups all-purpose flour
4 cups (about) whole-wheat flour or white whole-wheat flour
2 cups graham cracker crumbs or amaretto cookie crumbs

Cook potatoes in large saucepan of simmering water until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid. Place the potatoes in a food processor bowl. Transfer reserved cooking liquid to large bowl; cool to 120°F. to 130°F.
Sprinkle yeast and sugar over reserved warm liquid; stir to dissolve. Let yeast mixture stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add ½ cup melted butter, ½ cup honey, oil, eggs and salt to the potatoes in the food processor. Blend until smooth. Add to yeast mixture. Mix in all-purpose flour. Gradually stir in enough whole wheat flour 1/2 cup at a time to form soft, slightly sticky dough. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, adding more whole wheat flour if sticky.
Lightly oil a large bowl. Add dough, turning to coat entire surface. Cover bowl with kitchen towel. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease three 9-inch-diameter cake pans. Punch dough down. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Divide dough into thirds. Cut each third into 12 pieces. Roll each piece into ball. Mix remaining ½ cup melted butter and ¼ cup honey until well blended. Dip each dough ball into honey mixture and then roll in graham cracker crumbs to coat. Place 12 balls in each prepared pan, arranging close together. Let stand 10 minutes. Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes. (Rolls can be prepared ahead. Cool completely. Wrap tightly and refrigerate 1 day or freeze up to 1 month. Reheat rolls before serving.) Serve warm. 

Crispy Smashed Roasted Potatoes

Serves 4 as a side dish

Recipe by Susie Middleton from Fine Cooking

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Here’s how I knew that this potato recipe passed the “Husband Test.”  I made this simple, tasty dish for a small dinner party with friends.  After our guests left, the hubby and I watched a movie, then read.  Just after turning out the lights and saying our goodnights, I heard his voice in the darkness of our bedroom say, “Those potatoes were good!”   

12 to 15 baby red or yellow potatoes

(About 1 ½ to 2 inches in diameter)

Kosher salt

Extra virgin olive oil

*You could also add some dried thyme or other herbs.

Boil the potatoes:

Put the potatoes (I used baby Yukon gold potatoes) in a large saucepan (preferably in one layer) and cover with at least an inch of water. Add Kosher salt to the water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, reduce to a simmer, and cook the potatoes until they are completely tender and can be easily pierced with a metal or wood skewer. Make sure they are cooked through, but don’t overcook. The total cooking time will be about 30 minutes.

While the potatoes are cooking, set up a layer of clean dishtowels on the counter. As the potatoes finish cooking, remove them individually from the water, and let them drain and sit for just a minute or two on the dishtowels.

Flatten and cool the potatoes:

Fold another dishtowel in half, and using it to protect your hand, gently press down on one potato with the palm of your hand to flatten it to a thickness of about 1/2 inch. Repeat with all the potatoes. Don’t worry if some break apart a bit; you can still use them.

Cover a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil; put a sheet of parchment on top of the foil. Transfer the flattened potatoes carefully to the baking sheet.

Here are the potatoes before they go into the oven.

Roast the potatoes

Heat the oven to 450°F. Sprinkle the potatoes liberally with Kosher salt (and herbs, if using) and drizzle the olive oil over them. Lift the potatoes gently to make sure some of the oil goes underneath them and that they are well coated on both sides. Roast the potatoes until they’re crispy and deep brown around the edges, about 30 to 40 minutes, turning over once gently with a spatula halfway through cooking. Serve hot.

Make-ahead tips

Do the busy work—boiling and flattening the potatoes—up to 8 hours ahead. Let potatoes cool completely, and store them on the pan, lightly covered, in the fridge. Then all you have to do at the last minute is coat with oil and salt and roast.

Nutrition information (per serving):

Size: based on four servings; Calories (kcal): 270; Fat (g): 20; Fat Calories (kcal): 180; Saturated Fat (g): 3; Protein (g): 2; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 15; Carbohydrates (g): 20; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 2; Sodium (mg): 520; Cholesterol (mg): 0; Fiber (g): 2