In the Kitchen: Warm and Crunchy Artisan Bread

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In the Kitchen Warm and Crunchy Artisan Bread
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Wintertime calls for cozy hibernation and
creating delicious meals in the kitchen. Although
its always a treat to get dressed up and go out
to a restaurant, theres just something so
special about making your own food and devouring
the finished product. It doesnt matter if you
are dining alone or with a party of 10, cooking
can always be a fun experience.
Putting on some soulful tunes, lighting a few
candles, and opening a good bottle of red always
gets us in the mood for cooking up a meal.
Whether you are re-creating restaurant finds or
making it up as you go along, the food you choose
to put in your body should be intentional and
nourishing.
Todays In the Kitchen spotlight is on one of
our winter favorites.... Warm and Crunchy Artisan
Bread.
Artisan bread is delicious. Perfect for soups,
stews, picnic paninis (dont forget your black
and white wool blanket!), French toast, or just
snacking on in the middle of the day. Its
important to plan accordingly for this one, as
homemade bread needs time to rise. This recipe is
so simple, soon youll learn how to make it with
your eyes closed.
Ingredients
3 cups (24 ounces or 680 grams) lukewarm
water (100F or 38C), plus more for the broiler
tray 1 tablespoon (.35 ounce or 10 grams)
granulated yeast (active dry, instant, quick
rise, or bread machine is fine) 1 to 1 1/2
tablespoons (.6 to .9 ounce or 9 to 12 grams)
Himalayan salt, measured to taste 6 1/2 cups
(2 pounds or 910 grams) bread flour, measured by
the scoop-and-sweep method Directions
1. Warm the 3 cups water to about 100F
(40C). In a large bowl of a standing mixer or a
6-quart container with a lid, mix the yeast, warm
water, and salt. Add the flour all at once, then
use a spoon or stand mixer to mix until the flour
is completely incorporated. (If youre
hand-mixing the dough and it becomes too
difficult to incorporate all the flour with the
spoon, just use very wet hands to press the
mixture together.) Kneading is not necessary.
Dough should be uniformly wet and loose enough to
conform to the shape of its container. Ensure
there are no dry patches of flour. Add 2-3 Tbs of
fresh oregano or Italian spices. 2. Loosely
cover the container and let the dough sit at room
temperature until it begins to rise. It will take
about 2 hours to rise. 3. After 2 hours, place
the container of dough in the fridge. Once
refrigerated, the dough will appear to have
shrunk back upon itself as though it will never
rise againthis is
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normal. Do not punch down the dough, as you want
to retain as much gas in the dough as possible.
Be sure to use the dough at some point within 14
days. 4. Cut off a 1-pound piece of dough.
Hold the dough and, if necessary, add just enough
flour so the dough doesnt stick to your hands.
Gently stretch the surface of the dough, tucking
the ends underneath the ball and rotating it a
quarter turn as you go. Your round loaf of bread
should be smooth and cohesive, and the entire
shaping process should take no more than 20 to 40
seconds. Place the shaped ball of dough on a
prepared pizza peel and let it rest uncovered for
about 40 minutes. 5. Preheat the oven to 450F
(230C) for at least 20 to 30 minutes. Preheat a
baking stone on a middle rack for at least 20 to
30 minutes. Place an empty metal broiler tray on
any rack that wont interfere with the rising
bread. 6. Dust the top of the raised loaf
generously with flour. Using a serrated bread
knife, slash a 1/2-inch-deep cross or tic-tac-toe
pattern in the top. Add about 1 cup of hot water
to the boiler tray. 7. Bake the bread for a
total of 20 to 35 minutes, until the crust is
richly browned and firm to the touch. Soon your
kitchen will be smelling like a French bakery.
And on that note, its time to wrap up in my red
plaid wool blanket with a cup of tea and a slice
of oregano bread topped with butter and honey.
Bon Appetit!