No Knead Bread… Pudding

Since I discovered no-knead bread, I haven’t been buying bread at all (thank you, folks at King Arthur Flour!); every couple of days, I mix up a batch of dough, and voilà, fresh bread.  It almost always gets used up before it goes stale, but sometimes time wins out.

That’s the one thing about homemade bread that could be considered a drawback— how quickly it goes stale.  It’s at its best while still warm, the day it was made.  It’s still quite good the following day, but after that (and depending on the specific bread) it begins to lose that freshly made quality.

But it’s not really a drawback, you see, because stale homemade bread makes splendid bread pudding.  Whenever a loaf gets too stale, I put it in the freezer, and when I have about a loaf-and-a-half’s worth, I make bread pudding.

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Honey Wheat (No-Knead) Bread

As promised, this is a variation on the No-Knead Bread recipe that I posted back in August.  As with the original, it needs to rest in the refrigerator for two hours, but can stay “on hold” there for longer.  It’s a great bread to bring for a “thank you” as a dinner guest: mix it up in advance, then about two hours before you’re expected, pop it in the pan, let it rise for an hour, bake it at 400° for 35-40 minutes, wrap it in a clean towel and it’ll be warm and ready to cut shortly after you arrive.

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Basic No-Knead Bread

For much of history and in cultures the world over, bread making has been a part of daily routine.  There are still places where this is true today, but in modern societies where “time is money” prevails, homemade bread can seem like a luxury not easily afforded.

The process of making the bread can be a pleasure unto itself; if you enjoy baking, and are fortunate enough to have time to pursue it, then fresh baked goods may already be part of your routine.  If, on the other hand, you long for homemade bread but lack enthusiasm for devoting precious “free” time to the cause, don’t despair— give this quick and easy no-knead recipe a try.  But be warned, once hooked, you may find yourself enjoying baking more than you thought you would!

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