No kneading or shaping on this guy, he was just a shaggy dough tossed into the bread pan |
... and give us this day, our daily bread.
Once I started to make this version, I haven't made any of my 'regular' breads or rolls since.
And here is the bread I've mentioned... all you need is 3 ingredients (I like 4 because I add a little sugar to the yeast) and a bucket or container with a lid.
The original version is one I posted back in November, 2019 that would make 4 - 1 lb. loaves. (Linked)
Since then, it's evolved into a smaller, more simple version I just kind of throw together.
When I first made this it was in a bowl and it was the 3 ingredient version without sugar for the yeast. It evolved into the bucket with a lid version that I do add 2 teaspoons of sugar to. I'm not sure if it's the bucket or the sugar or the fact that I normally bake it in a bread loaf pan for our daily bread, but it's now a loaf that keeps easily and wonderfully for 2-3 days if it lasts that long - and doesn't lose texture or get crumbly and is still soft and delicious.
Simple Artisan Bread
Bucket Version
3 cups flour
1 t yeast
1 t salt
2 t sugar
1 1/2 cups hot water (sometimes up to 2 depending on the day, the flour, the humidity, etc.)
(Usually
I toss in a teaspoon or two of sugar, once in a while I add a tablespoon
of egg powder to the dry ingredients, other times I've added a couple
tablespoons of olive oil - it's a pretty easy and friendly recipe to
mess with.)
Pour the dry into a food safe bucket or container with a lid.
Mix the dry a little bit, then pour in about 1 1/2 cups hot water. Stir.
If it's too dry, add more water. Too wet,
add a couple more tablespoons flour. Just stir it together until it's a
shaggy, somewhat gooey, wet dough. Now you loosely put the lid on top,
let it set on the counter for a few hours until you want to use it that
day or put the lid on and pop it into the refrigerator for a day or two
until you want to use it. Don't knead it. The gluten forms from the
time it sits.
About an hour or two before you need bread of some type, pull it out. Dust enough flour to make it into whatever you want (round, rolls, pizza dough, bread, garlic bubble bread, etc.) If you have time, try to let it rise in a warm spot for about 45 minutes and bake it the way best for whatever you are making but usually it will be a preheated oven at 375 for about 35 minutes.
Using the same bucket, just put another 3 cups flour, a teaspoon of salt and about 1/2 - 1 teaspoon of yeast back into the bucket, add a cup or two of hot water, stir, and put it back into the refrigerator for the next day.