It's Bread

Tried the Almost No-Knead Bread Recipe 2.0 from Cooks Illustrated, and this is what I got. So gorgeous I had to take the photo to admire forever. Tasted as good as it looks, did not need butter to be delectable. Has miniscule amounts of vinegar and beer to get the "artisan" taste and texture. I let it rise overnight. Recipe asked for a Dutch oven to bake it in -- that's the secret of the crust -- but my heavy stockpot was a good substitute, obviously. Because the bread is oil-free it does not keep, but I softened up the next day's bread with a zap in the microwave -- best way to "save" stale bread. I can't post the recipe because of copyright, but you can find it by googling "Almost No-Knead Bread 2.0." Cook's Illustrated and Cook's Country are two of my favorite magazines, and everything I make from them awes my friends.

A friend was amazed to hear bread had protein in it, from the wheat gluten. Of course it does; that's why they call it "the staff of life."

My best bread story: Went to a Filipino home for dinner. They eat rice, not bread, but they had bought bread for the American guest and had it in a basket on the table; so very thoughtful of them, although I ate rice like everyone else.