Right, so here's the obligatory "my first blog post" post. I'm 40-ish with two small children. I love to garden, though right now all I have is a bunch of herbs in pots and some dying daylilies. I love to bake, and recently I've started cooking healthy stuff, too. Turns out I'm pretty good at it. I'm teaching myself to knit, and I'm trying to buy an old house. I've never finished college and I'm going to start over in six months, when my littlest turns one and a half. I may try to learn the cello. And Welsh.
I want to share a recipe that has changed the way I do bread. It's simple, delicious, and all but ensures you'll have fresh baked bread on your table any time you want it. Here's what you'll need:
- 24 ounces water, hand-warm (100 - 110° F)
- 1 1⁄2 teaspoons fast-rising yeast
- 2 1⁄2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 3⁄4 lbs (6 1⁄2 cups) unbleached white bread flour
Before baking your bread, place a pan of water on the bottom rack of the oven (I like to use a Pyrex pie plate). Preheat to 450° F.
Once the dough has risen, you can use it right away or put it in the fridge until you need it. To use now, tear off as much as you want and knead lightly for a few minutes. Let rise for 20 - 30 minutes more. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes (more or less depending on the size of your bread).
You can keep the dough in the refrigerator for at least a week and possibly up to two. Remove as much as you want an hour or more before you plan to bake it. (I find the longer I've kept the dough, the more time it needs out of the fridge.) Knead the dough gently and leave lightly covered until it's time to bake.
You can form the dough into just about any shape you want, as long as it's round-ish. I've attempted baguettes, with moderate success; "rolls" baked in muffin tins; and simple, round loaves, which is what I do most often.
Sometimes I brush the top of the loaf with olive oil, which creates a thin and crispy crust. An egg wash makes for a slightly thicker crust and a nice, brown color. Rubbing a bit of whole wheat flour on top of the bread creates a wonderfully rustic-looking loaf.
I have shamelessly stolen this recipe from the delightful French Tart at Food.com. You can find the original recipe posting here.
