Bran bread

Hyegyoung K. Ford’s bran bread follows a no-knead method and bakes in a Dutch oven. This selection uses the offered wheat bran.

Bread flour, wheat bran, salt, instant yeast and warm water are stirred together. The dough first rests at room temperature until foaming appears, then rests covered in the refrigerator until it develops a spiderweb-like texture.

Cornmeal is sprinkled on parchment, and the risen dough is placed on it. Flour dusts the hands as the dough is gently shaped into a ball and slits are cut into its surface.

The loaf goes into the preheated Dutch oven. It first bakes with the lid on, then with the lid removed until golden brown.

The bread cools on a wire rack before slicing. The author describes a crisp, crunchy crust and a dense, moist, chewy crumb, with a nutty and slightly sweet flavor from the bran.