Homemade bread is one of the most wonderful things I can think of. It is nourishing, comforting, and satisfying in a way that so few things are. When I bake bread I feel connected to each ancestor before me who transformed ground grain, yeast, and water into something magical. The elegant presentation is deceptive. The simple ingredients make this a perfect recipe for the lazy chef.
Be sure to use a spoon to put the flour into a measuring cup instead of scooping with the measuring cup. This will ensure light, fluffy bread. This is an old time trick hidden in the preface of many an ancient cook book.
Here is my recipe for lazy artisan bread.
Rising Time: up to 24 hours
Baking Time: 20-30 minutes
Baking Temperature: 475
Helpful Equipment: baking stone
Dough Starter (Sponge is the fancy term)
1 cup and 3 tablespoons Flour
3/8 teaspoons instant yeast
1 1/4 teaspoons honey
1 1/3 cups warm water
Whisk the crap out of these ingredients as hard as you can for two minutes. This is your chance to take out all that aggression that may be pent up over phone trees, people who don't recycle, or whatever presses your buttons. It should be pretty bubbly. This is the base of the bubbles in your future loaf of bread.
Flour Mixture
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
Mix the flour mixture in a bowl and gently spoon over the dough starter mixture.
Cover and ferment for about four or five hours, depending on what is convenient for you. Longer time always gives the flavors more time to create a party in your mouth later.
Add
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
and
mix with a stand mixer or hand knead for about eight minutes. This dough will be very sticky but do not panic. This is where being lazy creates taste!
Flour the batter ball really well and put in a bowl where you can observe its progress. Cover and let it rise until doubled, one to two hours. A kitchen above 70 degrees is preferred, if this is not possible, I like to turn my oven on warm or just set the dough next to the pilot light if you have an old time gas oven. Make sure the dough doesn't get too warm or it will bake!
Smash the dough down and let rise until doubled again, maybe another forty-five minutes to an hour. Preheat the oven to 475. Prepare a metal sheet pan in the floor or bottom rack of the oven.
Shape the dough into a rough ball and place on a floured sheet pan or cookie sheet, preferably on a baking stone. After you put the dough in the oven, quickly place two cups of ice (prepare beforehand) in the pan on the floor of the oven.
Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until the outside is golden and crispy or you just can't stand waiting.
