Home-baked bread can be simple, easy

These days, with books such as "Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day" and Jim Lahey's "My Bread," there's really no excuse not to at least try to make homemade bread.

Just search "no-knead bread" on my site, www.steamykitchen.com, and you'll even see that a very cute little boy named Andrew was mixing dough when he was 4 years old using Lahey's recipe.

The concept of both books is simple: Instead of getting your hands dirty actually touching the dough, it's mixed in a big bowl with a wooden spoon. No kneading, no fussing. Of course what you do need is time, the trade-off for kneading.

I highly recommend either book. Authors Zoe Francois and Jeff Hertzberg of "Artisan Bread in Five Minutes" also have a new book called "Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day." It's full of whole-grain versions and gluten-free recipes.

Maybe you're the type of person lacking in both kneading skills and time. If that's the case, this recipe is for you. It includes a cheat!

For more food adventures, visit Jaden's Web site at www.steamykitchen.com.

STUFFED STECCA

(Adapted from Stecca recipe variations in "My Bread" by Jim Lahey)

Embedding little nuggets of olives, cherry tomatoes and garlic cloves will have your dinner guests thinking you're a baking genius. And it's easy to cheat: The main ingredient is fresh pizza dough from the supermarket (usually sold in clear, plastic bags in the bakery section). You could also bribe the local pizzeria to sell you a pound of dough or, in a pinch, I bet you could even use the French bread dough that pops out of a can.

I would love to reprint the original Stecca recipe from Lahey's cookbook, but space doesn't permit (and I want you to buy the book!).

1 pound store-bought fresh pizza dough

All-purpose or bread flour, for dusting

20 of any combination of cherry tomato halves, whole garlic cloves lightly crushed or large pitted olives.

Olive oil

Sea salt

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. If you're starting with refrigerated dough, unwrap it and set it on a lightly floured surface, cover with a towel and let it come to room temperature. Chilled dough will be difficult to shape.

Divide the dough into 4 balls. Lightly flour each ball and gently stretch each piece evenly into a stick shape about 12 inches long and a little more than 2 inches wide. Place each stretched loaf on a baking sheet or pan, leaving at least 1 inch between the loaves.

Push the cherry tomato halves, garlic cloves or pitted olives into each formed loaf, taking care to space the ingredients evenly down the length of the dough. Brush each loaf generously with olive oil and sprinkle all except the olive loaf with sea salt (the olives should be salty enough).

Bake until the crust is golden brown, about 12 to 20 minutes. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to rack to cool thoroughly.

Makes 4 small, thin loaves.