recipe of the week: bread and butter

for our first recipe of the week we decided to do something i know you all can make! bread and butter. i would have to say this is one of the easiest things my husbands makes, but still comes off as something that might take some skill. please continue reading for the recipes.

no knead bread

ingrediendts:

2 1/2 cups bread flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 teaspoon instant yeast

3/4 tablespoon kosher salt

1 1/2 cups lukewarm water

directions:
in a large bowl mix all the dry ingredients. add water and mix in. cover with plastic wrap and place in cold oven for 12-20 hours. greg says he normally try's to shoot for 20 if he has the time.

remove from oven after resting 20 hours. place dough on a floured board and gently form into ball. over kneading will make the bread too chewy. it is no knead bread after all!

next, place dough in a towel lined bowl. make sure the towel has been lightly dusted with the flour so it won't stick! let rest another 2 hours.

a half hour before the second rest is over, preheat your oven and dutch oven ( which you will be baking in ) at 500 degrees. make sure the dutch oven lid is on. at the end of 2 hours take your dutch oven out and drop the oven temp to 450 degrees. place your dough in the dutch oven. score an " x " on the top with a knife, about 1/4 - 1/2 " deep. ( optional ) bake bread for 30 minutes with the lid on.

remove lid and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes. tap the bottom of the bread and it should sound like a drum. this means its done!

butter:
1 quart heavy cream
pinch of salt

directions:
pour heavy cream into food processor. add a pinch of salt and add lid. blend anywhere from 5-6 minutes.

once butter has mostly formed , take out and place in a strainer. squeeze all the extra liquids out with a spatula or spoon . if you have cheese cloth use this instead. just place inside a square or cloth, twist up and squeeze. we just didn't have any this time around!

last, place finished butter on foil, wrap, and form into a bar shape. now enjoy your tasty treat! you deserve it!