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11/12/12

Easy Artisan Bread Rounds





Yesterday afternoon was a nice lazy, Sunday.  I was relaxing on the couch with my laptop and reading random news stories when I found myself on the website of our 'old' hometown.  Or should I say 'home city'?  There was an old, archived "lifestyles" segment from the Star Tribune which featured a video of a quick Artisan Bread.  I watched the video (no written article or written recipe) and thought to myself that it was so quick and easy, I'd give it a try.

Some details weren't given in the quick video, but common sense can fill in where the video lacked.  I made it purely by memory so that should tell you how quick and easy it is!  I believe this is the book that features the recipe if you need or want more details or love it so much that you want to purchase the cookbook. (Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking).

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
Baking/Pizza Stone


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. Cut off grapefruit sized piece with serrated knife.
Work in your hands to make 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!


Mix the yeast, water and salt right in your container

An ooey gooey mess.  Perfect.

Lid on... but not air tight! Make sure your container is big enough to allow for rising.

Formed into rounds. Scoring the tops with a knife.

Fresh from the oven - let it cool.

I couldn't let mine cool. I cut into right away!  Crisp and crunchy crust - moist and chewy inside. PERFECT.







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