What's all the hype??

Artisan Bread?? Just what exactly is that?? I mean..it's not like we need another type of bread there are a gazillion types out there already and now we get to add 'artisan' to the list?? WTH??

Artisan Bread..sounds intriguing if nothing else. In simple terms, it means...bread that someone made. (HA!) ok ok..to be more specific, it means bread that is 'crafted' and not mass produced.
Sooo that means, when I get in my kitchen and bake a loaf of bread, it's ARTISAN Bread. How unique huh?
BLAH..to me, this is hoopla! Hoopla to get someone to buy something is just that..hoopla...not artisan!!
Call it what you will, it's bread. Yeast, flour of some sort, sugar (usually) and various other ingredients that one feels like adding. SO be your OWN artisan and poo poo those high prices at the store for the 'word' ARTISAN! (what we won't think of next to gain the almighty dollar!)


Here ya go..a recipe to make the perpetual 'artisan bread'. (and seriously, this couldn't be easier!)
What you'll need:
ONE VERY LARGE BOWL! (I'm being serious here..large..I repeat..LARGE).
A mixer if you have it, if not good muscles. Plastic wrap.

1 1/2 Tablespoons of salt
1 1/2 Tablespoons of yeast
3 Cups of warm water (warm to touch)
6 Cups of flour, your choice, just not self rising.
Ready??
Put the salt and the yeast into a large mixing bowl (not the same one listed above). Add the warm water and mix with the mixer for a few mins. Begin adding the flour, 1/2 cup at a time, blending with the mixer untill all 6 cups are used. This dough will be very sticky.

Transfer the sticky dough, to the VERY LARGE OILED bowl, sprinkle lightly with flour and cover with a cloth. Let rise for several hours (2-3) in a warm place. You can place this inside the oven, which has been heated for 5 minutes on 200 and turned off.
After 2-3 hours, be prepared..it's like monster in the bowl and has grown to enormous size!

You won't really be able to punch it down, as it's sticky, but you can pull it away from the sides of the bowl, so pull it out from the bowl all the way around. Now remove about 1/4 of it and place in a prepared (oiled) pan of your choice. Either a loaf pan, a souffle dish, a pie pan, your choice. The dough will form to the pan you put it in for the most part (as long as the pan is not too big)
Sprinkle the top very lightly with flour and cover with your cloth and let rise in a warm place for about 40 mins.
Place plastic wrap over the large bowl of dough, tightly and put it in the fridge. (you can use it again tomorrow..just be prepared, even in the fridge it will GROW!)

Once your dough has risen 40 mins, put it in a hot oven ..450 for 30 minutes. Lower the heat to 400 and bake 20 minutes more.
This bread makes a very very crispy crust and bottom. The inside is wonderful! Serve it with any meal and call it 'ARTISAN' bread.
Everyone will bow down and call you a genius!

**HINT HINT HINT:
This recipe..this dough..the way this cooks up, is VERY VERY similar to 'pan pizza' crust...soooo THINK ABOUT IT..consider making homemade pizza out of some of your lovely' artisan bread' ..wonder what we should really call this stuff?

Easy Everyday Bread

Here ya go..a quick and easy bread recipe that you can put together quick. Goes from mixing bowl to table in about 3-4 hours!!
Enjoy!

Ok..here's the thing about this recipe..you can change it about a bit. You can either make it all white, or a white/wheat mix, or all wheat. *if you use all wheat, you'll need extra gluten. It would be 5 Tablespoons of gluten for all wheat.
This recipe can be doubled to make 4 loaves..enough to last a week or better, so put one or two in the freezer!
Ready??

Here ya go: This makes 2 loaves

1 Cup Milk
1 Cup water
1/4 C sugar
2 teaspoons yeast (or 1 packet)
1 teaspoons salt
5 tablespoons butter/margarine (melted) or oil (I use butter)
6 Cups or less plain flour

The doubled recipe is
4 Cups liquid (1/2 milk, 1/2 water, warm)
1/3 C. Sugar
4 teaspoons yeast or 2 packets
1 Tablespoons Salt
1/3 C butter, margarine (melted) or oil
12 C flour or less.

Hints and tips:

*IF you're doubling the recipe, you'll need a BIG BIG BOWL.
*I don't use a thermometer to see how warm the milk is, good and warm to your finger is good enough, just NOT hot..it will kill the yeast if it's too hot.
*in the winter when it's cold, I 'raise' mine in a warmed over that I've gotten just warm and turned off when I put the rising bread in.

Directions:

Mix the milk, water and sugar..heat to warm.
Sprinkle the yeast on top, whisk it about and let it begin to soak up and dissolve (a few mins).
Add the melted butter/oil or marg.
Now start with the dry ingredients ..the salt, 2 cups of flour and the gluten if needed ..beat together. (I'm an avid wood spoon user, so I use a wooden spoon)
Add one cup of flour at a time and keep stirring until it starts to form a 'ball' that you can't stir.
Then flour your table and start kneading it, adding flour as you go if it's sticky', till it's not sticky anymore. Once it's not sticky..knead, knead, knead!
Knead it a good long time, about 10 minutes.


Once your ball of dough is kneaded, place it in an oiled bowl, turn the dough over so it gets covered with a light coating of oil.
Cover with a cloth and sit it in your semi warm over or any warm spot for about an hour to 2 hours.
This should make the dough rise and 'double or triple' in size.
After an hour or so..or once it's doubled. Punch it down.
And I do mean that..give it a punch with your fist in the middle and watch it deflate!
Knead it again for about 5 minutes, split the dough in half and form each 1/2 into a 'loaf' shape or heck, a round one like I did.

Put in oiled pans, cover and put it back in the oven (make sure oven is still a wee bit warm, if not ..warm it some) and let rise for one hour. (or less) till doubled again.
I baked this at 350 for 40 minutes.
When you take your bread out, it should be golden brown and when you tap it with your fingers should sound hollow. If it doesn't sound hollow..bake for another 5-10 minutes.

How do you knead?
Put the round ball of dough in the center of your area..push with the heal of your hand away from you at the center of the ball. Give the ball a 1/4 turn and fold in one side and repeat.

That's it..that's how to make every day bread.

Marry it with the Bean Soup Recipe and wow..what a lovely dinner!