Easy Bread Recipe Yield: 4 one pound loaves of bread (which is approx. the size of a 12” baguettes or a medium pizza crust.) Start to finish: 3 hours for fastest, no chill method. You can also chill dough and bake as needed. Dough will keep in the fridge for 2 weeks! Mixing and rising takes about 2 hours. From fridge to table this easy bread recipe takes about an hour.
Mix the Dough In a large, 5 quart container, combine: 3 c. warm water 1 ½ T. kosher or coarse salt 6 1/2 c. of flour 1 1/2 T. instant/fast rise yeast (2 packets) Stir with a wooden spoon until the dough is evenly wet with no dry spots. Cover your container and allow to rise on the countertop for 2 hours. The dough should almost triple in size and begin to collapse on itself and flatten on top. You can allow it to rise longer, and it won’t hurt anything. Chill dough for at least three hours. You can bake it before chilling, but it’s easier to work with cold, and the flavor improves with age. Bake the Bread 1. Place a baking stone in your oven, and put a sheet of parchment paper on a pizza peel. An upside down baking sheet can be subbed for either the baking stone or pizza peel. 2. Flour your hands. The dough is very sticky and soft. You’ll want to treat it gently so you’ll not deflate those beautiful air pockets. 3. Cut or tear away about a fourth of the bread dough…approx. the size of a large grapefruit. 4. Gently shape the dough into any shape of your choice, smoothing out the top into a ‘gluten cloak’. It’s OK if it looks wompy. 5. Place it on the parchment paper and set a timer for 20 minutes. 6. When the timer goes off, begin preheating the oven to 450º. Set the timer for 20 more minutes. Your bread dough won’t have risen much at this point, and this is normal. 7. Top with kosher salt or herbs/seeds if desired. Slash top to allow gasses to escape while baking. 8. Slide the bread in and bake for 25 to thirty minutes until golden brown. Enjoy! For more family favorite recipes, or for a video and step by step photos of this easy bread recipe, go to: http://www.gwens-nest.com/family-favorite-recipes/easy-bread-recipe