one pot wonder- super easy home baked bread

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Mix up the dough (no kneading required). Cover with saran wrap for 24 hours .

One hour in the oven in a heavy, lidded pot and voila!

Lordy!.....Tastes and smells even better than it looks.

I’ve never understood why certain people guard their favourite recipes. Unless you are Heinz selling ketchup or Cadbury selling Caramilk Bars, who cares about keeping deliciousness in the vault? One would assume that those who love to cook food also love to feed people and are therefore generous by nature. One of my favourite aspects of food is its ability to be such an incredible connector. It has the power to bridge so many divides, be they cultural, economic, social, political or otherwise.

Philosophizing aside, most things simply taste better when they are shared. One of my favourite local bookstores is Duthie Books. I adore this store, not only for its impressive selection of reading material (including cookbooks!), but also for its eclectic, engaging and super fun staff. On more than one occasion I have dropped by with little treats, as a gesture of appreciation to some of the many people I feel are an enjoyable part of my community. During a recent visit, the store's owner enthusiastically gifted me with this bread recipe. As Cathy Duthie relayed specific details of the ingredients and method, it became evident that she considers this baked item a favourite, one that she makes almost daily. She had been given the recipe by her sister who had, in turn, received it from CBC’s ‘Sounds Like Canada’ host, Shelagh Rogers. With most recipe sharing, each recipient contributes their own special addition and/or modification. I opted to lightly oil the pot, as I found that my first attempt stuck to the bottom when I removed it from the oven and I also drastically reduced the salt quantity from 1 tbsp to 1 tsp. As for 'flavour makers’, I added 1 whole caramelized onion (finely sliced) plus 1 heaping tbsp of roughly chopped rosemary. The end result was warm and savoury, moist and chewy..... truly an excellent loaf of bread. Like any home baked loaf, it is at its best when served fresh from the oven, though it also toasts well.

Shelagh Rogers’ Bread

2 cups whole wheat bread flour
1 cup all purpose white flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dry yeast

*optional: additional flavour makers, such as caramelized onions, grated cheese, grains, granola, canned lentils, bran, currants, blueberries, herbs etc.

between 1 + 1/4 to 1 + 1/2 cups cold water

In a glass bowl combine all dry ingredients. Mix in any desired ‘flavour makers’. Mix in water. Cover mixture with saran wrap and allow to sit on counter for 24 hours. Next put a large cast iron or Le Creuset pot into a preheated 450* oven for 10 minutes. With a paper towel, lightly oil the bottom and sides of the pot, being very careful not to burn yourself! Gently scrape dough out of the bowl and into the hot pot. Cover with snug fitting lid and cook for 10 minutes at 450* and then turn temperature down to 400* and continue to bake for another 45 minutes. Remove bread from pot and place on a cooling rack. Allow to cool slightly (about 15 minutes minimum).