Five Things
Dear May, please be kind to us. Today is day 49 of quarantine for me and the end of week seven. As I am sure you have heard, Michigan specifically the Metro Detroit area is in a very rough state. This week we broke the 40,000 COVID case mark and every day at least 100 people are paying away from the virus. These people are dying alone, and it honestly breaks my heart into a million pieces. Yesterday, Michigan\’s Governor extended Michigan\’s emergency and disaster declaration to May 28. It looks like we are in this for the long haul, however if it prevents me from having to bury family and friends I will gladly stay home all summer long.
If you\’ve been following me for a while you know that I am not the sit at home type. My schedule is usually jam-packed with events and I find myself constantly exploring new hiking trails. The trails, however, have suddenly become an uneasy place for me. I am not a fan of the people, no one is keeping their distance and I never thought I would say this, but I do not want to be out on them. Last week Jack and I did our best to get out and do some exploring. In order to get us out moving faster, I used my Kurgo G-Train K-9 pack with him – which definitely helped us pick up the pace and do some different exploring.
I cannot believe tomorrow is my day 50 of quarantine. While I thought the time would go by slowly, it\’s actually gone by very quickly. Which could be because I was previously working. This past week was filled with major job hunting, bright and early trips through the woods, which lead to seeing the herons in their rookery, porch deliveries of bread, and of course plenty of snacking. How was your week? Keep up with what I am doing every day by following me on Instagram.
Dutch Oven No Knead Artisan Bread
One thing I really am missing right now is the smell of fresh-baked bread. There is a local bakery where I would go to and pick up a piping hot ($9.99) loaf of artisan bread to enjoy with a weekend charcuterie board. Since the bakery is currently closed, and I can\’t get my favorite loaf of artisan bread I thought I would head to the kitchen and make my own. Plus, are you really living quarantine life if you have not made bread? I don\’t think so!
If you love bread, today I have something absolutely amazing to share with you. How does foolproof no knead artisan bread sound to you? Pretty good, right? This no knead bread recipe is so easy to make, and you do not need to have any kitchen skills to make it. With just five simple ingredients, you will be able to make the perfect round loaf of bread. With just some yeast, salt, flour, sugar and water you can tell everyone that you made your own bread! This recipe will provide you with a loaf of round artisan bread that is perfectly golden and crunchy on the outside, but soft on the inside – yum. The bread is perfect for dipping in your favorite soups, oils, toasting and covering with jam, adding as an accent to a charcuterie board and more. This fool proof no knead bread is about to become a staple in your kitchen.
Dutch Oven No Knead Artisan Bread
Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/4 teaspoon white sugar (for activating the yeast)
1 1/2 cups warm water (bring it to a boil and then let it sit for a second)
Directions
1. Activate the yeast: Pour warm water into a small bowl. Sprinkle yeast on top.
2. Add sugar and give the mixture a small stir.
3. Place the bowl in a warm place for about 10-15 minutes.
4. Be patient! If the yeast is activated, you will see foam on top of the mixture and even a few small bubbles.
5. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, and salt.
6. Add water and yeast mixture.
7. Mix until just combined into a sticky dough.
8. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit for 12-18 hours.
9. After the dough has risen for at least 12 but preferably 18 hours, it should look loose, moist, and have bubbles on the surface.
10. When the dough is ready, preheat the oven to 450˚F.
11. Place your dutch oven (mine is a 3 qt) or cast iron pot in the oven to heat up for 30 minutes before baking.
12. Place dough on a well-floured surface.
13. Using plenty of flour on your hands, gently create a ball shape.
14 Us a knife to score the top of the dough as desired.
15. Place the dough onto a piece of parchment paper
16. Lightly dust the top of the dough with flour.
17. Cover and wait for your dutch oven to heat up.
18. Once the dutch oven has heated remove it from the oven.
19. Remove the cover over the dough and place both the parchment paper and the dough into the heated pot – make sure the parchment lines the bottom.
20. Place on a middle rack and cook covered for 30 minutes.
21. Remove the cover and cook another 10 minutes or until the bread is golden brown.
22. Cool on a wire rack.
23. Enjoy.
Coming Monday: Q & A with Executive-Producer, Matt Tolamach
Film lovers and film students alike, you\’ll want to check out the mind-blowing 80-second cut down of last week\’s class with THE THIRD FLOOR, the best-kept open secret in Hollywood. This Monday\’s class with Matt Tolamach is absolutely FREE and everyone is welcome!
Five Things
Today is day 42 of quarantine for me and the end of week six. The governor of Michigan is expected to extend the stay-at-home order until mid-May, but some stuff may open up May 1st. This week has been an absolute roller coaster for me. On Wednesday I lost my job and had to file for unemployment yesterday. This is the first time in my life that I have had to do that as well as the first time I have been released from a position. It\’s a hard time, but I am going forward with a positive attitude because I know I have skills and will get something when the time is right. Aside from the loss of my job, Jack and I have been getting out to do a little adventuring early in the morning before people are out, I made the DoubleTree Signature Cookies (they\’re amazing), finally made the no-knead bread that everyone else has been making and celebrated taco Tuesday with homemade fish tacos – that\’s right I actually cooked fish. If you\’re in need of a mask, and like me want something cute I highly recommend Zaley Designs. She also makes super cute dog collars and leashes! The masks are absolutely amazing, I could NOT blow out a candle while wearing it and wore it grocery shopping on Monday. I hope you\’re having an amazing week and enjoy your weekend! Follow along on Instagram to see what I am up to all weekend long.
DoubleTree Signature Cookies
You can freeze the unbaked cookies, and there’s no need to thaw. Preheat oven to 300°F and place frozen cookies on parchment paper-lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake until edges are golden brown and center is still soft.
These cookies are ONLY soft when they are warm. I have a friend who worked at The DoubleTree and she confirmed that the cookies are kept warm, and as soon as they are not warm they become hockey pucks. You can put a cookie in the microwave for 15 seconds to warm it up and make it soft again. I personally recommend freezing the dough into individual servings and cooking them as needed. Plus who wouldn’t want hot chocolate chip cookies each night?
Fashion meets Food 