前前後後在家裡試烤了好幾次傳統歐式麵包 (artisan bread), 效果總是不理想, 不是皮太厚就是肉太緊, 拿來做三明治還過得去, 但登不得大雅之堂.  我參考了好幾本專業麵包食譜, 作者們諄諄教誨的幾個原則不外乎是: 1. 先培養麵種 2. 麵種與麵團要長時低溫發酵 3. 處理發好的麵團動作要又輕又快, 免得把裡面的空氣擠掉 4. 烤箱裡要舖上石板或陶磚以穩定溫度 5. 麵包烘烤的初期必須在烤箱裡製造水蒸氣 (噴水, 丟冰塊...) 以提升麵包皮的薄脆度.

總而言之以家用設備來烤理想的歐式麵包是很麻煩的. 就算花了好幾天的時間培養一個好麵種, 最後還是很有可能因諸多因素而前功盡棄. 不只浪費好幾袋麵粉, 還很可能在對烤箱噴水與丟冰塊時被蒸氣燙傷.  唉...

我的麵包難題終於有了解藥! 前晚在網上尋找烘焙資訊時, 我無意間看到去年十一月紐約時報美食專欄介紹的創意麵包食譜, 名為 No-Knead Bread (免揉麵包), 是紐約著名麵包店Sullivan Street Bakery 的師傅Jim Lahey 的獨門傑作. Lahey 宣稱這麵包的質感一流, 但簡單至極連四歲小孩都可以做.  它的含水量高達85%, 基本上是個麵糊, 不可能也不需要揉, 用手快速調勻以後擺在室溫下發酵18 小時, 麵筋自動在濕氣裡生成 (專業用語稱做 autolyse).  麵糊裡含極少量的酵母, 長時間室溫發酵, 就像培養麵種一樣, 只不過這次麵種不用豁入新的麵團, 直接拿來烤就好了!

最有意思的是, Lahey 把發酵好的麵團放在鑄鐵鍋裡蓋起來烤.  鑄鐵導熱與儲熱性佳, 在烤箱裡預熱後穩定度不輸石板. 麵團在加蓋的鐵鍋裡自行釋放水氣, 省了噴水或丟冰塊的動作. Ingenius!

我看到這個食譜時已經晚上十一點半了, 雖然頗有睏意, 還是馬上進廚房豁麵, 不消兩分鐘就完成了動作.  第二天下午五點麵糊漲了三倍. 我依照Lahey 的指示整形與二度發酵, 然後丟進我心愛的 Le Creuset 鑄鐵鍋裡, 二十分鐘後打開鍋蓋繼續烤, 家裡飄起濃濃麵包香. 再二十分鐘取鍋出爐, 只聽到麵包表層此起彼落的細碎爆破與收縮聲響, 這是好麵包的徵兆, 我耳朵貼著聽了好久， 真是美妙的麵包樂章啊！麵包稍涼了以後我迫不及待的切開, 啊... 那皮又薄又脆, 裡頭坑坑洞洞鬆軟濕潤, 一副標準歐式田園麵包的模樣. 最重要的是它美味極了, 果真不輸一流麵包店裡剛出爐的麵包. 配上一小碟橄欖由與羅勒和烤大蒜, 一盤新鮮arugula 沙拉, 一碗南瓜濃湯. It's a perfect dinner!

從網上各方熱烈的討論看來, 這個麵包已掀起了一股風潮.  全美鑄鐵鍋因此大賣, 很多人至此天天烤麵包. 

請見示範短片與以下詳細食譜：

Adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery
Time: About 1½ hours plus 14 to 20 hours’ rising

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

Yield: One 1½-pound loaf.

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