No time for that today! Instead I love this bread as a close cousin... chewy, hard crust but a soft and yummy inside. Note: The last time I made this I got sloppy and lazy. It's a very sticky, stretchy, wet dough. I was rushing, decided to add some flour to make it more like a regular dough so I could work with it faster. Mistake. It's sticky. It's stretchy. Just use oil or water on your hands (or a tiny bit of flour) but don't try to add flour to make it easier to work with OR like a typical homemade bread dough. That's not what this one is about.
I LOVE this recipe. Only 4 main ingredients and you can mix it up with a wooden spoon in a bucket. No kneading. No fuss.
Artisan Bread
1 ½ T yeast
1 ½ T salt
3 c water, lukewarm
6 ½ c flour
1 bucket with lid
cornmeal
flour
Dump yeast, salt and water into a bucket or container.
Add flour.
Mix with a wooden spoon just until the flour is incorporated. No dry flour, no lumps.
Put the loose lid on. Not air tight. Let set at room temperature about 2 hours.
Sprinkle bit of flour so your fingers don’t stick or use oil. Cut off grapefruit sized piece with serrated knife.
Work in your oiled/wet hands to make somewhat of a ball, pulling top layer to bottom. Round and smooth.
Place on cornmeal sprinkled board.
Let set 40 minutes.
Sprinkle with flour, slash the loaf with a few slices.
Bake at 375 preheated oven with an empty pan in the bottom.
Slide on middle shelf baking stone.
Pour a cup of water in the hot empty pan and close door quickly to steam the bread.
Baked till top is golden brown.
Hard crust and moist, soft bread!
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| Mix the yeast, water and salt right in your container |
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| An ooey gooey mess. Perfect. |
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| Lid on... but not air tight! Make sure your container is big enough to allow for rising. |
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| Formed into rounds. Scoring the tops with a knife. |
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| Fresh from the oven - let it cool. |
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| I couldn't let mine cool. I cut into right away! Crisp and crunchy crust - moist and chewy inside. PERFECT. |
