Bread and Soup

I tried a couple new recipes for dinner tonight. First is Bruce & Lori's soup. They liked it so well that they shared it with us.
Bruce & Lori's Soup
14 oz chicken broth
6 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 T. Rosemary
2 tsp crushed red pepper, I used only 1 tsp
1 can cannelini beans, rinsed and divided
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
1 cup medium pasta shells
2 cups frozen spinach
6 T. Olive oil
6 T fresh parmesan
1 lb turkey sausage (optional)
combine crushed garlic, rosemary, red pepper in 6 qt. pan with chix broth. Simmer for 20 min. strain out garlic, rosemary and red pepper and return broth to the pan. I browned a lb of turkey sausage and added it. Crush half of the can of beans and add to broth along with the other half of can of beans. Add tomatoes and bring to a boil, Add pasta and cook till pasta is tender. Add spinach and cook until it is unthawed. I added like a cup of water because it seemed too thick. Garnish with olive oil and cheese. Eat it with the NO-KNEAD BREAD.

NO KNEAD BREAD
3 cups of bread flour
1/4 tsp instant yeast
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 5/8 cups (room temp) water

Mix all together in a big bowl. The dough will be messy. Cover with plastic saran wrap and leave to rise for 18 hours.(yes, that is eighteen hours) The dough will be bubbly when it is ready. sprinkle flour on work surface, Scrape the dough out of the bowl. I used a wooden spoon that I dipped in flour as needed and my floured hands. The dough is real sticky. Dump the dough on the floured surface and cover loosely with the plastic wrap. Let it rest for 15 minutes. Shaped the dough in a ball by folding it over twice. Don't knead it. Flour a plain towel, not terry cloth, and lay the ball of dough seam side down, flour the top and cover with the other end of the towel. let rise for two hours. I did three hours because I didn't get home in time. Pre-heat a heavy dutch oven with the cover on at 450 degrees for 30 minutes. Dump the dough into the pot seam side up. Shake the pot a little to straighten it out in the pot. put the lid on and bake 30 minutes. Take the lid off and bake 15 to 30 minutes more to brown up the top. I did 15 minutes because I was afraid it would burn on the bottom. It did not. It did not stick to the pan either. This bread is like an artesan type bread with a crunchy, chewy crust and tender inside. Really yummy with the soup. Be careful your pot's handles etc are heat-proof to 450 degrees so you don't ruin it. Cooking lesson over! This meal is much much better than Panera bread and we have enough left for a couple more meals.