Making Bread

I wanted to share the recipe we use for making bread.  I discovered this recipe while reading my Mother Earth News a while ago- which by the way is an awesome magazine!  Anyway, it is a very simple no-kneading recipe that you can add to or adjust as you like, and it is very kid-friendly (smooshing dough with your hands!).  Things you will need before you get started:  bread flour/all-purpose flour (better to use unbleached), yeast (packets or jars- jars are better value if you will be baking a lot of bread), salt (I use sea salt or kosher salt), cornmeal, pizza peel (I use a small cutting board with a handle).  The recipe is for a free-form artisan loaf or French boule. 

• Start by heating 3 cups of water to about 100 degrees.
• Add 1 1/2 tbsp of granulated yeast and 1 1/2 tbsp of kosher salt to the water in a 5-quart bowl- I use a wooden salad bowl, but you can use any bowl that you can loosely cover or lid.  Do not worry about getting all the yeast to dissolve- just swirl it around a bit with a wooden spoon.
• Mix in 6 1/2 cups of your flour by gently scooping it into measuring cup and leveling it off with a knife (don't pat down)
• Mix with a wooden spoon or stand mixer with dough attachment until uniformly moist.  If hand mixing becomes too difficult (which it will)- this is where your children can help.  With wet hands, have them mix the dough together until flour is blended together and all moist.  This step is done in a few minutes- remember no-kneading.  The dough is ready when it is wet and loose enough to conform to your container.
• Cover it loosely and allow to rise at room temperature for about 2 hours (until it flattens on top).  If it rises longer- no problem (if you are like me, two hours slips by sometimes). 
• You can use the dough anytime after this; however, if you refrigerate it for a few hours (better overnight)- it will be easier to work with and the taste will improve.  Refrigerate it covered loosely (I cover my bowl with plastic wrap and a towel- or sometimes just a towel.
• When you are ready to bake, sprinkle a little cornmeal on your pizza peel to keep it from sticking.
• Sprinkle top of dough with flour to make it easier to cut a piece away- then with a serrated knife cut a piece of dough about the size of a grapefruit or cantaloupe (if you want a bigger loaf)
• Take the ball of dough in your hands if it is sticky add a little flour to your hands so it will not stick
• Gently stretch the surface of the dough around to the bottom on four "sides"  rotating the ball of dough a quarter-turn as you do, until the bottom of the dough has a collection of four bunched ends.  The bottom part will flatten during resting and baking.
• Put the dough on the cornmeal-sprinkled pizza peel and let it rest for 40 min.
• Twenty min. before baking pre-heat oven to 450 degrees with a baking stone on middle rack and place an empty broiler tray for holding water on the bottom rack.
• Dust top of loaf with flour to slash it with a serrated knife to allow for bread expansion.  Slash scallop pattern 1/4 inch deep in loaf.
• After 40 minutes and oven is preheated, with a flick of your wrist, slide the loaf onto the baking stone, and add 1 cup of hot water to the roasting pan and close the oven quickly to trap the steam.
• Bake for about 28-30 minutes depending on your oven
• Take out and cool on a wire rack before cutting- then enjoy your delicious homemade bread!
• Refrigerate the rest of the dough to use over the next week

It may sound difficult or long, and yes the first time, as with any recipe, may take awhile and seem hard.  But, trust me, the end result is worth it.  Plus, after doing it a couple of times, it will be like second nature to you.  Then, you can add ingredients (sunflower seeds) or use different flours (like wheat) once you get the hang of it.  We have started using the dough for making pizza on Friday night- it is delicious.  Just cut a piece of dough off the size of grapefruit and roll out and put toppings on and bake same degrees- if you like a crustier dough- bake the dough a couple minutes before adding toppings. 
This bread is so good with honey drizzled on it or dipped in olive oil.  Great snack for your children when they get home from school- especially on cold days.  Also, thinly sliced, it makes perfect sandwich sizes for kids, and toast in the morning before school.  Send me a comment or e-mail if you have any questions.  caroline_watford@bellsouth.net