No-Knead Black Bread

I love proper Eastern European black bread, but I must confess that this loaf, although it tastes the part, is hardly traditional, let alone authentic. For one thing, it’s made following the no-knead method, and for another it contains stout — its ferrous tang partnered by black treacle and mellowed by dark muscovado sugar — which makes this recipe something of a louche aberration. But it’s so easy to make, and so wonderful to eat, I don’t think we can let that concern us. The only thing you must be prepared for is that you do need to start making it a full day before you want to eat it, not because it’s elaborate in any way, but just because it requires, all told, about a day's rising (during which time you can happily ignore it). And while I can’t imagine anyone not loving this, I do know that there are those who regard anything in the anise arena with antagonism; I’m afraid to say, however, that it just doesn’t taste right without the caraway and fennel seeds. As there is an egg white in the dough and the top is painted with a egg wash made with the leftover yolk it isn’t vegan-friendly, but that can easily be remedied: simply replace the egg white with 1 teaspoon of vegan egg-replacer powder, adding it along with the dried ingredients, and instead of the yolk wash, glaze the loaf with 1 teaspoon of maple syrup mixed into 2 teaspoons of almond milk, although you won’t get the high shine you get with egg wash. There’s no need, by the way, to rush out to get activated charcoal: it doesn’t affect the taste, but simply makes the loaf a deeper hue. But whatever you do, don’t be tempted to use what’s sold as “black cocoa”; just trust me on this! It’s good with so much: cream cheese, cherry jam — or cream cheese and cherry jam! — smoked fish of any sort, ditto cured meat, and I just adore it with taramasalata, And it’s spirit-lifitingly gorgeous when spread with the almost fluo pink of Beetroot and Chickpea Dip which is, in effect, beetroot hummus, just as it is, or topped with slices of avocado and a few fronds of dill. For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.