While the loaf was darned homely, it tasted OK enough to serve it at a family dinner last night, and toasted up pretty well this morning.
I'm going to check out Alton's recipe. Did I mention, I interviewed the fabulous Mr. Brown while I was working in Memphis? Nice guy. Very clever.
Where can I buy some "artisan" yeast in Seattle? Or, at least something I can be assured is alive and active? I used Fleishmann's Rapid Rise, expiration date March 26, 2010. I've read other recipes that say salt can kill yeast, and that recipe calls for mixing yeast and salt together. Could that be it?
So many questions. Why the heck don't I just go buy bread at Macrina?
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To avoid death by salt, whisk the flour and yeast first, then whisk the salt in.
I have a loaf of no-knead going right now that I'm trying bulk large flake yeast I got out of the big bin at grocer yesterday. I'm not impressed so far. I suppose in the bins, one doesn't really know how old the yeast is. If it doesn't respond better in the next few hours, I'm kneading in some tried and true from the jar in my fridge.
Did you see the story a few years ago about beer being made with yeast that was brought up in intact bottles from a 1600's era shipwreck? Apparently is was very cold at the bottom of whatever body of water and they were actually able to recultivate the yeast. I had some and must say it was pretty tasty.
The no-knead recipe I go by calls for a quarter tsp of yeast for the right reasons, but even here at 7K feet, where one might normally use LESS yeast, I have better results with something just short of a half tsp.
Oh - the ship went down in the 1800's. Still - kind of neat.
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/935/14563
Bwaaaa haha. I just found out that large flake yeast is deactivated and is used as a dietary supplement. So much for that loaf. No wonder it wasn't doing anything.
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