Homebaked Bread

I grew up eating good bread. Good bakery bread for my mother wasn't a baker. But we didn't buy grocery store loaves in celophane but rather good heavy loaves of great bread from the bakery. My favorite was egg with the poppy seeds on the top crust.

In early married days I baked bread. Our daily bread as well as rolls for special dinners. But we moved and got a different stove and bread baking went by the wayside.

Really good bread is hard to find on the prairie. We have grocery store bakery bread but that isn't like the bread from a really good bakery. We'd always get several loaves when we went to the city and upon arriving home would have several thick slices slathered in butter.

And then . . . . along came "Artisan Bread in Five Minutes A Day"by Jeff Hertzberg & Zoe Francois

It is great bread. It truly only takes five minutes of my time. The loaf is not large but that's perfect for the two of us. Fresh bread is always better.

A nice round flour dusted loaf with a crispy crust and a soft interior. PERFECT bread!

Of course, the smell wafting through the house is heavenly whenever we have a loaf in the oven.
It truly is great bread. It's a rustic country loaf. And if you have an oven, you, too, can become a bread baker. It is THAT easy!

Rustic Artisan Bread
(In Five Minutes)
(Based on the recipe from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes A Day by Jeff Hertzberg & Zoe Francois)

3 cups warm water (about 110 degrees)
1 1/2 T. yeast (I use a French one from Williams Sonoma)
1 1/2 T. salt
6 1/2 cups flour (I use all purpose)

Put water in a large container, add yeast and salt. Stir. Add flour and stir again until flour is well mixed.

Cover container (do not use Tupperware or anything that seals tightly -- you want it lidded but not sealed) and let sit for 2 hours. Dough will rise during this period.

At this point, you can take a grapefruit size peice, roll into a nice ball and put on a cornmeal covered paddle. OR you can put the whole container still covered in the fridge.

When ready to bake, dust dough with flour and take out a grapefruit size piece. Mold into a ball and put on a cornmeal covered paddle.

Let rise for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, turn the oven on to 450 with a baking stone on the middle shelf and the broiler pan on the bottom. Let rise an additional 20 minutes. (40 Minutes total rising time). Slide bread onto hot stone. Pour 1 cup hot water into broiler pan. Bake for 30 minutes until brown and crusty and hollow when tapped.