Happy Wednesday! I am currently swamped with commissions, errands, forging, running to the post office, and meetings.
I am so grateful for your continued support of my art.
I literally would not be here without you.
July is a hard time of year for everyone who owns a small business. Anytime I get a sale, it keeps me going another day.
Thankfully, last night, I managed to make it to the gym for the first time in months. It feels great to stretch my tired, aching body, lift some weights, do my favorite rowing workout, and hit the sauna for an hour.
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If there’s one thing you should know about me, it’s that I adore freshly baked bread.
I love it when it’s warm and steamy out of the oven, slathered with my favorite Amish salted butter.
This recipe is super simple and *fast* and can be made ahead of dinnertime in the morning or early afternoon.
Primeaux No-Knead Sesame Bread
Ingredients:
1 cup warm water
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1 tablespoon honey
11 1/4 ounces (about 2 cups) bread flour, divided
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons butter at room temperature
Egg wash (1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water)
Sesame seeds
Instructions:
Combine water, yeast, honey, and 1 1/2 cups of flour in a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let rest for 30 minutes. This is the “first rise.”
Preheat oven to 350°F and sprinkle cornmeal and pour 2T olive oil in a Dutch Oven. I love baking bread in my Le Creuset. It yields a crispy crust.
Add salt, butter, and remaining flour to the dough mixture.
Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface, roll briefly, and shape into a boule. Place into your Dutch Oven, seam-side down. Cover and let rise for its final time for 20-30 minutes or until your dough has doubled in size.
Brush risen dough with egg wash, sprinkle with sesame seeds, and slash down the center with a sharp knife.
Bake for about 30 minutes with the lid of the Dutch Oven on. Remove the lid from the Dutch Oven and bake for around 3-5 more minutes until the top of your bread is golden brown. Let cool completely on a rack before slicing. Use this for sandwiches or simply spread it with butter and enjoy over your cutting board. In any case, savor it. The sesame seeds provide a nutty and delightful texture to the crunchy crust and soft, warm bread.
It’s pretty cool that I suddenly have one of these beautiful Damasteel Paring Knives available. Do you need it? Check it out here.
I’m also working on Damasteel Chef Invitational pieces for November, so make sure you get your tickets for that.
Have you missed any of my podcasts, awards, interviews, articles, or films related to my work? No worries because my personal assistant has assembled a press kit for me here, check it out!
-Here’s a 7-hour Live Grateful Dead playlist that I made.
-Listen to this incredibly captivating podcast about the legendary musician Donny Hathaway.
Hope everyone has a wonderful week. Take some time to spot the full moon this weekend—it’s going to be bright and beautiful.
Please comment and share this post. Let me know when you use my bread recipe to bake some bread!
Much Love!
The Knife Man
John Phillips