Artisan Bread

Sarah Stephenson

This bread takes two days to make but it is so worth it! 

Day 1--Mix

Mix:

1 ¼ cups water (287 grams)

¼ teaspoon yeast (0.5 grams)

3 cups flour (437 grams)

1 ½ teaspoons salt (5 grams)

Mix flour, yeast and salt in a bowl. Add water and mix until combined. You may need to use your hands to get the last bit of flour. Cover the mixing bowl and let rise a room temperature for 18-24 hours.

Day 2—Bake

Sprinkle bread dust * (about 1/8 inch) on the bottom of a covered pot.

Sprinkle modest amount of flour on work surface and carefully remove risen dough from mixing bowl onto flour. Shape dough into a ball. Place dough, seam side down, in center of the bread pot; cover and let rise at room temperature for 20-60 minutes. While dough is rising, preheat oven to 425. Just before placing the pot in the oven, choose how you want to finish** the dough and score with a baker’s blade or sharp knife. Cover pot and bake for 35 minutes at 245, then remove cover and bake for another 15-25 minutes. Remove bread from oven and let cool on rack for at least 30 minutes.

*Bread dust—mix equal parts (by volume) of flour, cornmeal and wheat bran.

**Finishing ideas— 1. spritz the dough with water, sprinkle with coarse salt and dust with flour. 2. Brush dough with thin layer of olive oil and sprinkle with finishing salt.

Variations: Don't be afraid to experiment! 

Don’t add more than a cup of extra ingredients, If adding one ingredient, use ¾ cup. For two ingredients, use ½ cup each, and for three ingredients add 1/3 cup each. Add the extra ingredients to the flour before adding the water.

Cranberry/Almond/Cinnamon: Add ¼ tsp. cinnamon, ¼ tsp yeast, ½ cup craisins, ½ cup almonds.

Italian Garlic: add 1 tbsp. Italian seasoning, 1 tbsp parsley flakes, 2 tbsp dried garlic slices, ¼ tsp yeast.

Rosemary Garlic: Add 2 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary and 2 minced garlic cloves

Parmesan: Add ¾ cup fresh Parmesan (rough pieces the size of a corn kernel work best).

Speed Method: Change the yeast amount to 1 Tbsp. and use warm water. Shortens the rising time to 4-6 hours.