Herb and Onion Bread- 1972 (No Knead)

There have been some no-knead yeast bread recipes circulating lately. You may have seen them- some are being baked in mixing bowls. People are excited when they discover that they can have fresh-baked yeast bread without the time or trouble of traditional yeast bread recipes.

These recipes make me think of my older sister. She was always the cool one (and still is!). In the early 1970s, she was the Cool Big Sister who went away to college and came back at Christmas break wearing purple velvet bell bottoms and listening to Steppenwolf and Led Zeppelin. Later, she was the Earth Mother, raising her beautiful son on health food and working at the local vegetarian restaurant. 

Now and then: in 1975, Sis was a college grad, and I was finishing high school.

Around about that time, she gave me a wonderful cookbook, The Vegetarian Epicure by Anna Thomas, published in 1972. I immediately loved Ms. Thomas' Herb and Onion Bread, and made it for a long time. At some point I just kind of forgot about it...until the renewed popularity of the no-knead breads made me think of it again. 

I made it the other day, and it's just as I remembered: rustic, tender but with a little bit of chewiness to it, aromatic, and so flavorful. I baked it in a 1.5 quart Pyrex casserole dish. A few days later, I baked another batch in a loaf pan. This bread doesn't rise a whole lot, but it does make a nice-sized loaf. 

Baked in the loaf pan

Herb and Onion Bread (1972)
Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients:

1/2 cup milk
1 and 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter
1 package yeast 
1/2 cup warm water (110 to 115 degrees F)
2 and 1/4 cups white or whole wheat flour (I used 1 and 1/4 cups unbleached white flour and 1 cup whole wheat flour)
1/4 cup minced fresh onion
1 teaspoon crushed, dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 X 5" loaf pan with cooking spray.

Scald the milk and dissolve in it the sugar, salt, and butter; cool to lukewarm. In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Add the cooled milk, flour, minced onion and herbs, and stir with a large wooden spoon.

When the batter is smooth, cover the bowl with a towel and let the dough rise in a warm place until triple in bulk- about 45 minutes. Stir down and beat vigorously for a few minutes, then turn into greased bread pan. Let it stand in a warm place about 10 minutes before putting it into oven. Bake about an hour. 

Baked in the round casserole

Ms. Thomas notes, "This is the fastest yeast bread I know, and a delicious one. I like to bake it late in the day, to serve still warm with dinner. The aroma of herbs is the greatest appetizer you could devise."

May have been shared at these great parties!