_wednesday tastes like...artisan bread_

 I think there is nothing better than freshly baked bread on a crisp fall day. An artisan bread with a crispy crackly crust and chewy soft warm interior. My mouth is watering just thinking about it... And because this recipe is from the amazing 'Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day' empire, it's surprisingly easy. 

Simple Artisan Bread


Ingredients:
_ 3 cups lukewarm water
_ 1-1/2 tablespoons granulated fast-acting yeast (2 packets)
_ 1-1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
_ 6-1/2 cups unsifted, unbleached all purpose white flour.

Process:
1_ Warm water to about 100 degrees F, then add yeast and salt to the water. It's best if you do this in the same bowl you want the dough to rise in, which should hold about 5 quarts. (I just use my largest mixing bowl, then cover it with plastic wrap later. )

2_ Mix in the flour - no need to knead. Add all at once and mix with a wooden spoon until all incorporated and there are no dry patches.

3_ Allow the dough to rise, covering the container but not airtight - make sure there is somewhere for air to escape. Let rise at room temp until it rises and then collapses. This will probably take around 2 hours.

4_ Keep the dough in the refrigerator overnight, keeping it covered.

5_ When ready to bake, remove a 1-pound piece of dough around the size of a grapefruit from the dough. Stretch the surface of the dough on all four sides, creating a stretched smooth surface on the outside of the ball.

6_ Let the dough rise for 30-40 minutes, then place on a baking sheet (Technically you are supposed to use a baking stone. Being a college student and having limited money and storage space, I make do with a baking sheet). Make sure to flour the baking sheet to prevent sticking.  Make a few slashes on the top of the bread with a (very) sharp knife. I tend to make an X-pattern.

7_ Preheat the oven to 450 F, and place a tray of water in the lower rack of the oven. This creates steam within the oven, creating that magical crackly crust.

8_ Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown. When you remove the bread from the oven, it will crackle, which is called the 'sing'. (fantastic thing, eh? singing bread!)

9_ Allow the bread to cool.... though mostly I don't have enough patience. I tend to dig in. Though the texture is usually better after the bread cools.

10_ Store remaining dough in the refrigerator for up to 14 days. The flavor improves after each day, and you can use whatever little is left over in your next batch of dough!

Enjoy! 


       -AO