Seriously. This is probably the easiest bread I've ever made, and it's reeeaaally good. Serve it alongside soup or chili...use it for sandwiches or french bread pizza...eat it plain... There are lots of ways to enjoy this yummy bread!
Ingredients
1 packet active dry yeast (or 2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 cups water (105 - 115 degrees Fahrenheit)
4 to 4 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1. In a large bowl, sprinkle yeast and sugar over warm water and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
2. With a wooden spoon, stir in two cups of flour until combined.
3. Stir in salt and two cups of remaining flour until mixture forms a stiff dough.
4. On a lightly floured surface, knead dough with lightly floured hands until smooth and elastic, kneading in enough of the last 1/2 cup of the flour to keep dough from sticking.
5. Transfer dough to a lightly oiled deep bowl. Turn to coat lightly with oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, and let dough rise until double, about 1 1/2 hours.
6. Preheat oven to 475 F. For best results (chewy interior and crusty exterior of the bread), place a dutch oven or pan filled with water in the oven to create a humid environment.
7. Punch down dough and form into a long slender loaf about 21 inches long and 3 inches wide (or, divide dough into multiple loaves).
8. Put loaf diagonally on a lightly greased baking sheet and let rise, uncovered, about 30 minutes.
9. Make 3 or 4 diagonal slashes on bread and lightly brush top with cool water.
10. Bake loaf in middle of oven for 30 minutes, or until golden and sounds hollow when tapped. Transfer to a rack to cool.
Four questions:
ReplyDelete1. Is there such a thing as inactive yeast?
2. What kind of oil to you use to oil a bowl?
3. What is a dutch oven?
4. Do you think this would bake fine if made into a braided loaf?
Not that I'm craving bread or anything...
E.
Everly, love! So sorry I'm only now responding! For some reason, almost all of my comment notification emails are going to my spam box, so I'm only just now realizing I've had several comments that I've inadvertently ignored!
ReplyDeleteAnyway. Your questions.
1. Apparently there is such a thing as inactive yeast. I just googled it, and here's what I found: "Inactive yeast is made from yeast cream that has been pasteurized and sterilized, so that the yeast is dead, with no leavening power, but leaving its nutritional content and other properties behind."
2. I just use Pam.
3. A dutch oven is a type of cooking pot with thick walls and a tight-fitting lid. You can put it in a regular oven as well as use it over a fire, I believe. I don't have one and have never used one; for this recipe I fill a pan with water and put it on the bottom rack of the oven (note: this tends to turn the bottom of the pan black...forever.).
4. Hmm, now that's a thought! I may just go try that...right now! I will let you know!