I always thought it was a really complicated process to bake homemade bread. So many steps, rise, knead, punch down the dough, rise knead, proof…it sounded much too complicated and time consuming to me. The whole yeast thing was a mystery to me and the thought of trying to bake bread totally intimidated me.
The problem is that I am a bread snob! I have been in Europe and they know how to make the most excellent bread! The bread here in the United States pales in comparison. The only place I’ve had really good bread here in the states is in San Francisco. Their freshly baked sour dough bread is heavenly!!!
I came across a book that promised that you could bake your own bread in only 5 minutes a day. I was intrigued. So I checked out the book “The New Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day” from the library and I have been using the basic loaf recipe.
It produces a sourdough tasting, crunchy, crusty loaf with a soft interior and a great chew. The dough actually makes better and better tasting bread the longer it hangs out in the fridge, the flavor actually gets more and more sour doughy tasting.
For good consistent results you will need to invest in a few items if you don’t already have them; a baking stone, a 6 qt. bowl, a pizza peel, and a metal broiler pan. The instructions in the book shows them using a fancy Danish Dough Whisk to make the dough but I just use a long handled wooden spoon, and it works just fine for me.
For the actual dough, you will need salt, water, yeast, flour and a little cornmeal to make the basic recipe, that’s it. Don’t let the different types of yeast confuse you, you can use any kind and get good results. I use the yeast that comes in the little individual packets, one envelope per recipe. You can find it at almost any grocery store, or you can order it on Amazon here.
This video on YouTube does a good job explaining the process:
The book has recipes for different types of breads like Rye, Pumpernickel, how to’s for pizza crust, Brotchen, and many more. I’m still perfecting and enjoying the basic recipe but I’m sure I will be trying some variations in the future.
Artisan Bread
- 3 cups lukewarm water
- 1 tablespoon or 1 packet yeast
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 6 1/2 cups (scoop and sweep) flour
- Cornmeal for pizza peel
To prepare dough:
Pour water into a large container.
Add yeast and salt to water, no need to worry about getting it all to dissolve.
Add all the flour all at once.
Mix with a wooden spoon (or Danish dough whisk) until the mixture is uniform. You’re finished when everything is uniformly moist, without any dry patches, it should only take a couple of minutes. The dough will be loose and wet and conform to the shape of the container.
Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise at room temperature for a minimum of 2 hours; depending on the room’s temperature and the initial temperature of the water.
You can use any portion of the dough after the initial 2 hour rise. Refrigerated dough is less sticky and easier to work with.
Once refrigerated the dough will look like it shrinks back down, that is normal.
Never punch down the dough!
Store dough in the refrigerator loosely covered with plastic wrap and use it for up to 14 days.
To bake bread:
Place a pizza stone in the center of the oven with a broiler pan beneath it. Do not use a glass pan, it will crack when you add water.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees while preparing dough for baking.
Prepare the pizza peel by spreading a thin layer of cornmeal onto the surface.
Dust the surface of the dough with a little flour, and flour hands.
Pull up a handful of dough (about the size of a grapefruit) and cut with kitchen shears or serrated knife.
Hold the dough and add more flour as needed so it won’t stick to your hands.
Gently stretch the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, turning the ball as you work the dough.
The correctly shaped loaf will be smooth on top.
Don’t overwork the dough, this process should take less than a minute.
Place the loaf on the prepared pizza peel and allow the dough to rest for 40 minutes.
Just before putting the loaf in the oven, dust the top of the loaf liberally with flour and slash the dough with a serrated knife or a bread lame; 3-5 cuts about a 1/2 inch deep.
Slide the loaf off the pizza peel and onto the preheated stone in the oven.
Quickly but carefully pour 1 cup of water into the broiler pan and close the oven door.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the crust is richly browned and firm to the touch.
You may need to make some adjustments to the bake time depending on the size of your loaf.
When removing the loaf it will audibly crackle or sing when initially exposed to room temperature. It should sound hollow when you thump it with your fingers.
Cool for at least 2 hours on a wire rack before cutting into the loaf.
my friends told me they are getting fat just looking at the pictures, LOL!
Please post pictures of your loaves if you decide to try making bread, don’t let it intimidate you! It really is very easy to do and makes the best tasting bread! I would love to see your results!
You can find the book here on Amazon. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
I’ll bring soft butter and a nice bottle of red wine if you have the same good results and want to share 🥖 🍷