WANT.

Slowly, but surely, I'm getting the kitchen stuff I've always wanted.

Step one: a set of All Clad pots and pans. I've actually had these for almost ten years, and they're just as fantastic now as when I got them. Definitely a worthwhile investment!

Step two: a set of good Henckels knives. You get spoiled when you get used to good knives. It drives me nuts to go to someone's house and try to use their cheap $20 for 10 knives serrated knives. We bought these for ourselves as a wedding present, and I have yet to regret it.

Step three: a salt cellar like Alton Brown uses. I know, I'm a geek. Got one last Christmas in Seattle and it's PERFECT. It sits next to the stove and houses kosher salt. It was like ten bucks, but it makes me way more happy than that.

Step four: a KitchenAid bowl lift stand mixer. I've been lusting after one of these almost since the time I started wanting the All Clad pans, if that gives you any idea. Don't be trying to offer me any crappy Artisan tilt back ones either, I had to have a bowl lift. Big, strong, ready to take on anything, these babies aren't cheap, so it kept getting put off. I finally got one as a late Valentine's Day gift from my sweet husband. Makes me happy everytime I see it sitting on the counter.

Step five: and I do believe this is the next step, I need one of these:


I've wanted a nice dutch oven for a few years now, and it's even made it onto Christmas lists, but because it is such a big purchase it's always been pushed by the wayside. Like many of my other big kitchen items, it's definitely an investment, because this baby will pretty much last me the rest of my life. So, what pushed me into actively thinking about it again? This:

No Knead, Dutch Oven Bread


Ingredients:

1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting. You may use white, whole wheat or a combination of the two.
1 1/2 tsp salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran for dusting

Directions:

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add the flour and salt, stirring until blended. The dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest at least 8 hours, preferably 12 to 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

The 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 it rest for about 15 minutes.

Using just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to the work surface or to your fingers, gently shape it into a ball. Generously coat a clean dish towel with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal. Put the seam side of the dough down on the towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another towel and let rise for about 1 to 2 hours. When it’s ready, the dough will have doubled in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

At least 20 minutes before the dough is ready, heat oven to 475 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in the oven as it heats. When the dough is ready, carefully remove the pot from the oven and lift off the lid. Slide your hand under the towel and turn the dough over into the pot, seam side up. The dough will lose its shape a bit in the process, but that’s OK. Give the pan a firm shake or two to help distribute the dough evenly, but don’t worry if it’s not perfect; it will straighten out as it bakes.

Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake another 15 to 20 minutes, until the loaf is beautifully browned. Remove the bread from the Dutch oven and let it cool on a rack for at least 1 hour before slicing.


Yield: One 1 1/2-pound loaf.
Adapted from The New York Times.

Someone on 2ps posted this, and you should have seen the photo. It's one yummy looking little loaf of bread! Who doesn't love homemade bread anyway? I wonder if I'll be able to sway the husband at all, hee hee!