Crusty Bread

I cannot resist warm, crusty bread. Pass the butter or the Quince Marmalade!  Bread is my weakness, so I must confess that I don’t make this recipe as often as I want to. That being said, it is the easiest bread recipe I have found. The results are amazing and you’ll have enough dough to produce several loaves.

This recipe can be found in

The New Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking

If you love baking bread be sure to grab a copy of this book.

This dough can make several plain loaves or can be used to make others types of bread.

Ingredients

• 3 cups lukewarm water
• 1 1/2 Tbsp dry yeast
• 1/2 Tbsp coarse salt
• 6 1/2 cups unbleached four

Instructions

1. You will need a large container, at least 4 quarts
2. Pour lukewarm water into the container
3. Add in yeast and coarse salt; giving it a quick whisk
4. Add the 6 1/2 cups of flour
5. Knead all of the ingredients with your wet hands until well combined
6. If the dough is dry add a small amount of water
7. Cover and set in a warm place for approximately 2 hours
8. Afterwards, place the container in the fridge overnight
9. To make bread: cut approximately 1 pound of dough from the container
10. Form into a ball or baguette-style loaf
11. Let it sit to rise for 20 minutes.
12. Before placing in oven brush load with water and slice the top.
13. While the loaf is rising, heat the oven to 450 degrees.
14. Prepare the oven by placing a baking sheet or pizza stone in the middle rack and a broiler pan in the bottom.
15. When the oven is at the right temperature place loaf on the heated sheet and pour a cup of water into the broiler pan.
16. Bake the loaf for 25 to 30 minutes.

To test if your bread has risen enough, stick your finger in the dough and see if the dough returns to its original form. If the dough creates a dent that lasts over 30 seconds, the bread is ready to be baked.

I recommend baking the loaves after it has risen for over two hours and then freezing the loaves, rather than storing the dough in your fridge until you are ready to use it. I find that the bread is airier and tastes better.

Enjoy,

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