Huh? O.k. so the title may not be the great, but what this is, is basically homemade bread in 5 minutes a day. This recipe makes 4 - one pound loaves of artisan bread. It is delicious and so easy, you'll think you're dreaming. :D Don't be put off by the length of the recipe...it's seriously easy.
3 c. lukewarm water
1 1/2 tbsp granulated yeast (1 1/2 packets)
1 1/2 tbsp coarse kosher salt or sea salt
6 1/2 c. unsifted, unbleached, all-purpose flour (I have also used 4 c. all purpose and 2 1/2 c. King Aurthur's, white whole wheat flour)
Mixing and Storing the Dough
1. Heat the water to just a little warmer than body temperature (about 100 degrees F)
2. Add yeast and salt to the water in a 5 qt. bowl or preferably, in a resealable, lidded container (not airtight - use one with a gasket or lift corner - I just cut a lift corner into a normal Tupperware). Don't worry about getting all of it to dissolve.
3. Mix in the flour by gently scooping it up, then leveling the top with a knife; don't pat down. Mix with a wooden spoon until uniformly moist. If hand mixing becomes too difficult, use very wet hands to press it together. DON'T KNEAD! This step is done in a matter of minutes and yields a very wet dough, loose enough to conform to the container.
4. Cover loosely. Do not use screw topped jars which could explode. Allow the mixture to rise at room temperature until it begins to collapse (or at least flatten on top), approx. two hours, depending on temperature. Longer rising times, up to five hours, will not harm the result. You can use a portion of the dough any time after this period. Refrigerated wet dough is less sticky and easier to handle than room temperature dough. We recommend refrigerating the dough at least three hours before shaping into a loaf. And relax! You don't need to monitor doubling or tripling of volume as in other recipes.
On Baking Day
Prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Sprinkle the surface of the dough of flour, then cut off a 1 lb. (grapefruit sized) piece with a serrated knife. Hold the dough in your hands and add a little more flour as needed so it won't stick to your hands. Gently stretch the surface of the dough around to the bottom on four "sides", rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go, until the bottom is a collection of four bunched ends. Most of the dusting flour will fall off; it doesn't need to be incorporated. The bottom of the loaf will flatten out during resting and baking.
Place the ball on the prepared cookie sheet. Let it rest uncovered for about 40 minutes. Depending on the dough's age, you may see a little rising during this time; more rising will occur during baking.
Twenty minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place an empty broiler tray or oven proof metal pot for holding water on another shelf. (don't use glass or ceramic)
Dust the top of the loaf liberally with flour, which will allow for the serrated knife to pass without sticking. Slash a 1/4 inch deep cross, scallop or tick-tack-toe pattern into the top. (This helps the bread to expand when baking)
Put the cookie sheet in the oven and quickly, but carefully, pour about a cup of hot water into the broiler tray and close the oven door to catch the steam. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the crust is browned and firm to the touch. With wet dough, there's little risk of drying out the inside, despite the dark crust. When you remove the loaf from the oven, it will audibly crackle or "sing" when exposed to room temperature. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack. The crust may initially soften, but will firm up again when cooled.
Refrigerate the remaining dough in your lidded, not airtight, container and use it over the next two weeks. You'll find even one day's storage improves the flavor and texture of the bread. Cut off and shape loaves as you need them. The dough can also be frozen in 1 lb. portions in an airtight container and defrosted overnight in the fridge prior to baking day.
When your dough container is empty, don't wash it! Just scrape it down and incorporate it into the next batch. In addition to saving clean up, the aged dough will give your new batch a head start on the sourdough flavor.
The "6-3-3-13" rule. To store enough for eight loaves, remember 6-3-3-13. It's 6 cups water, 3 tbsp salt, 3 tbsp yeast, and then add 13 cups flour.
