Homemade artisan bread.
I absolutely love homemade bread! It is my ultimate vice and pleasure. Nothing better than hot bread fresh from the oven in butter! Sorry, went to my happy place for a moment. Anyway, as usual, I read several recipes for this type of bread and made it my own.
I have been trying for years, with more failures than I care to admit, to bake the best ever loaf of bread. I believe I have finally found a recipe that works. I have kneaded and worked hundreds of pounds of dough and none have tasted this fabulous.
This is by far the simplest, no effort and no stress recipe for bread you will ever find. It does, however, take 12 to 15 hours, so you need to think ahead. Here is what I did! Please let me know if you try it and how it turned out. And as always, add your own twist--Be fearless in the kitchen! You can't discover the best thing you ever made unless you try, if you fail, oh well...learn from your mistakes and get back into the kitchen. Your successes far out weigh your failures! Enjoy.
3 1/2 cups organic unbleached all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups warm (about 100-110) water (can substitute milk, or if you want a sweeter, more dessert type dough, apple cider or juice, peach cider, etc.)
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons active yeast (I never use the rapid rise.)
Optional:
You can add any one or more of these, depending on your taste:
1 tablespoon of:
garlic powder
onion powder
any herb you like, I have used rosemary, it is fabulous
Add yeast and sugar to the water, mix well and let it sit until yeast blooms, about 10 to 15 minutes
While that is working, mix dry ingredients. Add bloomed wet ingredients to dry. Stir with wooden spoon until it just comes together--DO NOT OVER WORK. Cover and let the dough rest until it doubles, about 1 to 1 1/2hour at room temperature.**
The dough with be very sticky and bubbly. Put some flour on the counter. The next several steps need to be done GENTLY. Put the dough onto the floured area. Pat it until into a rectangle to oblong shape--do not press down on the dough as you will press all the air out off it. Fold each side in a tri-fold and pat gently.
Put the dough back into the container and let it raise on the counter at room temperature for 12 to 15 hours. I was skeptical of this, but believe me, once the dough reaches a point, it does not rise over the bowl.
Trust me.
A dutch oven is best to use, but if you don't have one, you can use a cast iron pan, or foil roasting pan. You need something with a lid or you can cover with aluminum foil.
Pre-heat oven 450 F. Once oven is to temp, put whatever pan you are using into the over to heat for 30 minutes.
While the pan is heating, place flour on the counter and gently dump the dough onto it. Work as before, folding dough and gently forming a round. Let the dough rest on the counter for 30 minutes.
After pan is hot and dough has rested, remove pan from oven, use parchment paper and/or cornmeal on the bottom of the pan (I use both because I love the cornmeal on the outside of the bread). Gently place the dough in the pan--watch it - it is hot--cover and put on the bottom rack of your oven. Bake covered 30 minutes. Remove lid and bake another 15 minutes to brown.
Remove from pan and cool on rack. THAT IS IT! Give it a try it truly is easy, just takes a little time.
**I use a large glass or plastic bowl with a lid to mix the ingredients. If you do not have a large covered bowl, you can cover with plastic wrap.
