No Knead Orange Bread

After the initial success of my No Knead Wine Flour Bread, I made it again. And again. Then I got a trashbag full of oranges from my grandfather's yard and had to get creative before they rotted. Thus was born: No Knead Orange Bread. To my knowledge, I am the only person to apply orange flavor to yeasted bread (quickbreads have been done).

-AnglophileinLA

Ingredients for 1 loaf:

3 3/4 cup bread flour (King Arthur is the best!)

2 Tb wheat gluten

1 packet yeast (2 1/2 tsp)

1/2 Tb sea salt

1 1/4 C. Orange juice

1/4 C honey

1/2 cup eggs, well blended

1/3 cup butter, melted

zest of 1 orange

slivered almonds and sugar to top bread

Now for the fun part: throw all the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix them. Then throw all the wet ingredients into the bowl and mix them. It's going to be really really goopy. No Knead bread making is a messy process, the dough is wet but yields such a delicious moist and spongy bread. Let rise in the bowl for 2 hours, and then I like to keep it in the fridge overnight so the flavors can develop.

After the dough has risen, pick up the goopy mass and stretch it into an oblong ball, so it fits in the breadpan. This will take some of the air out, but don't worry. Sprinkle the top with sugar and slivered almonds, and then let it rest another 90 minutes. It will rise again.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and when it's hot, put the bread in with an oven-proof dish of water to keep the oven environment humid. The bread should be close to done in 60 minutes, though I like to use a meat thermometer to check. The internal tempreture should be between 190 and 200 degrees when the bread is done.

Remove the bread from the breadpan 15 minutes after it comes out of the oven to a cooling rack. I've found that the bread is so moist that it will develop a soggy bottom if its allowed to sit in its pan too long.

Also, here is the recipe for 1 loaf of the Wine Bread, if 3 loaves is an intimidating prospect - follow the same directions as above.

Ingredients for 1 loaf of Wine Bread

3 1/2 C flour

1/4th C wine flour

2 Tb wheat gluten

1/2 Tb sea salt

1 1/4 C warm water
1 packet yeast (2 1/2 tsp)

1/4 C honey

1/2 cup large eggs, mixed (5 eggs = roughly 1 cup)

1/3 C butter, melted

I used sunflower seeds to top my last loaf, but any crunchy nut would be good.