Bread and Cheese

There are chocolate lovers. There are bread lovers. ("Fresh Bread, warm from the oven, slathered with oodles of butter, clutched, devoured....") Of course, there are chocolate AND bread lovers.

In "Wives and Daughters" there is an great scene in which the heroine describes her father's fondness for "Bread and Cheese"

"He'd just as soon eat bread and cheese as anything else."

The scene makes you want to dash into the kitchen, cut yourself a wedge and feast simply.

With the debut of Dixie's STATE FAMOUS little flower farm CHEVRE we thought you might appreciate a DIVINE bread recipe to spread that rich cheesy goodness upon.

This bread recipe is for all those who simply don't have time to make their own bread. It will change your life OVERNIGHT. Guaranteed. Best of all: You can make pizza dough from it, and cinnamon rolls...and....

"No-Knead Crusty Bread"

3 cups warm water

1 and 1/2 tablespoons salt

1 and 1/2 tablespoons yeast (if dried, 1/3 of that if fresh.)

6 and 1/2 cups of all- purpose flour

Mix all the above together in a big bowl with a wooden spoon. Feel domestic. Feel empowered. Feel earthy. Feel nurturing. Feel happy. Let your toddler stir a little.

Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 2 hours in a warm place.

After this, you can bake it into loaves or rolls or pizza dough if you wish, and freeze the extras, or bake one loaf and refridge the rest for later in the week, as the dough turns into a sour dough. Amazing stuff this.

To bake:

Preheat oven to 400.

Wipe a baking sheet or loaf pan with a butter wrapper. (Save those! They come in handy!)

If making a boule Grab a large chunk of dough and gently pull the edges under itself for a round loaf. Do the same if placing into a loaf pan.

Dust with flour and slash thrice with a serrated knife or razor blade to aid the rising in the oven.

Bake for at least 40 minutes, maybe more. Check to be sure. Tap the bottom. Should sound hollow.

This makes for the most pleasant of Sunday picnics...spread with CHEVRE or one of those incredible imported FRENCH CHEESES.

"A loaf of bread, a jug of wine and thou

Beside me singing in the wilderness

-- And Wilderness is Paradise enow. "

Omar Khayyam