latimesblogs.latimes.com — Jim Lahey skyrocketed from near-unknown to culinary all-star on the strength of an amazingly easy technique for making amazingly good bread. His first book "My Bread" was based on his now-famous no-knead technique, where very fluid bread doughs are slowly fermented, then roughly shaped and baked in a cast-iron pot to mimic the action of a brick oven.