I'm on a Roll. Literally.
February 25, 2008
That's it. Everyone needs to go any buy this book right now. In two days it has completely changed my life. Forget anything I said previously during the great bread experiment, I now deem it null and void and we need to pretend it never happened. Saturday, I tried the recipe out for the first time and today I am doing it by memory because that's how idiot proof it is and also because I have already baked and consumed the entire first batch - An entire weeks worth according to the book.
Yes. I have already eaten an entire week's worth of bread. Something about that is just plain wrong. I can't help it, it's so pretty and crispy and chewy. And oh so fresh out of the oven. I'm telling you it doesn't get fresher then this. Really, to think about it, how does something that essentially starts out as yeast infected paper-maché become so damn delicious? You throw that mess in the oven for half an hour and suddenly you're in carby heaven!
(I really made this!! Yes, me! With my own two hands!)
Yes. I have already eaten an entire week's worth of bread. Something about that is just plain wrong. I can't help it, it's so pretty and crispy and chewy. And oh so fresh out of the oven. I'm telling you it doesn't get fresher then this. Really, to think about it, how does something that essentially starts out as yeast infected paper-maché become so damn delicious? You throw that mess in the oven for half an hour and suddenly you're in carby heaven!
(I really made this!! Yes, me! With my own two hands!)
The book says to form the dough on a pizza paddle (which I don't have) and then slide it onto a hot baking stone (which I do have) inside the oven. I rest my dough on the cool baking stone and then put it in the oven when it's ready. It probably makes the bottom crust slightly less crispy this way, but who the frig cares, you're just going to eat the whole thing 3 minutes after it comes out anyways.
Basic Bread Recipe
Recipe adapted from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day
3 cups lukewarm water
1 1/2 tbsp granulated yeast
1 1/2 tbsp coarse salt
6 1/2 cups unsifted, unbleached, all purpose flour
1. Add yeast and salt to water in a large 5 quart container or bowl.
2. Mix in the flour with a wooden spoon or a mixer fitted with a dough hook until mixture is uniform. If you are hand mixing and it becomes difficult to incorporate all the flour with spoon, you can use wet hands to press mixture together, but do not knead.
3. Cover with a non-airtight lid and let rise approximately 2 hours.
4. Sprinkle dough with flour and cut off a grapefruit sized piece, add a little more flour if needed to prevent dough from sticking to hands and stretch surface of dough around to bottom turning as you go to form a ball.
5. Let dough rest 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 450F and place an empty broiler tray on bottom rack.
6. Dust dough with flour and slash with a serrated knife to make a criss cross or scalloped pattern. Put dough in the oven and quickly pour 1 cup of hot water in the broiler tray and shut the door. Bake for 30 minutes or until the crust is nicely browned and firm to the touch.
Remaining dough can be refrigerated for up to two weeks in a lidded (but not airtight) container and used as necessary.
Basic Bread Recipe
Recipe adapted from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day
3 cups lukewarm water
1 1/2 tbsp granulated yeast
1 1/2 tbsp coarse salt
6 1/2 cups unsifted, unbleached, all purpose flour
1. Add yeast and salt to water in a large 5 quart container or bowl.
2. Mix in the flour with a wooden spoon or a mixer fitted with a dough hook until mixture is uniform. If you are hand mixing and it becomes difficult to incorporate all the flour with spoon, you can use wet hands to press mixture together, but do not knead.
3. Cover with a non-airtight lid and let rise approximately 2 hours.
4. Sprinkle dough with flour and cut off a grapefruit sized piece, add a little more flour if needed to prevent dough from sticking to hands and stretch surface of dough around to bottom turning as you go to form a ball.
5. Let dough rest 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 450F and place an empty broiler tray on bottom rack.
6. Dust dough with flour and slash with a serrated knife to make a criss cross or scalloped pattern. Put dough in the oven and quickly pour 1 cup of hot water in the broiler tray and shut the door. Bake for 30 minutes or until the crust is nicely browned and firm to the touch.
Remaining dough can be refrigerated for up to two weeks in a lidded (but not airtight) container and used as necessary.
