Artisan Bread

I got this from one of my friends. I'm not sure where the original recipe came from but this is a easy, healthy, 4 ingredient, bread recipe. It is a freeform bread (baked on a cookie sheet, or baking stone, instead of in a bread pan) with a crisp crust and a moist, almost spongy, inside. It also makes awesome pizza dough. This recipe makes 4 1-lb loaves. Make the dough, and then store what you don't use in the fridge for up to two weeks. So whenever you want fresh baked crusty on the outside deliciously chewy inside artisan bread(or pizza dough) just grab a chunk from the fridge. The recipe says to use an ice cream bucket, but you can use any container of roughly the same size as long as you remember to cover it loosely.

3 Cups warm water

1 1/2 T yeast

1 1/2 T salt

6 1/2 C flour

Mixing:

Wisk dry ingredients together in ice cream bucket. Add water and mix with wooden spoon. Makes a very wet loose dough. (It will be a little dry while mixing and then after it rises it will be very sticky.)

Rising:

Put on lid loosely. Do NOT snap lid on tight, the gases need a way to escape. Allow to rise at room temp for 2 hrs, then store in the fridge.(Don't knead the dough) You can use dough any time after this period. Refrigerated wet dough is less sticky and easier to work. (Can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. After the first week it will start to taste more like sourdough and the taste will get stronger the longer it sits. Discard any unused dough after 2 weeks.)

Baking:

Cut off a grapefruit size piece. Gently fold edges under with floured hands. Let rest on greased cookie sheet on counter for 20 min. Then preheat oven to 450 with empty pan (NOT GLASS) on bottom shelf. Let bread rest on counter until oven in preheated and then slash 1/4 inch deep right before putting in oven.

1. Place cookie sheet with bread on the middle rack (or if using a pizza stone slide bread onto preheated stone)

2. Pour 1 C of hot water in the empty pan and quickly close the door. Be careful to not be burned by the steam that will come up.

3. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.

Variations:

Apple Cinnamon

reduce salt to 1 1/4 T

reduce yeast to 1 1/4 T

add:

4 apples, peeled and chopped

4 T sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

Bake as you normally would but just after you slash the dough and right before you put it in the oven, sprinkle the loaf with the streusel topping.

Streusel Topping:

4 T sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp flour

2 T soft butter

Mix all ingredients with fork in small bowl until crumbly.

Herb and Cheese:

add:

3/4 tsp dried basil

3/4 tsp oregano

2 C grated sharp cheese
(I have made some with chopped fresh basil and oregano and about 1tsp. garlic powder, it was yummy, especially for pizza dough.

Bake as you normally would except mix the cheese with the flour before you add it to the remaining ingredients. This will help to distribute the cheese more evenly.