Does anything smell better than bread baking in the oven? Does anything taste better? With this recent snowfall keeping everyone at home, cooking seems to be the past time of choice. I decided to use my unexpected down time to make fresh home made bread.
Sourdough is one of my favorites, but it is a committment. Not having any starter in the house and not wanting to risk my lower carb lifestyle by introducing some, I decided to make an easy recipe with no fuss, no committment.
I found this recipe on the website ChickensintheRoad.com and recommend you visit it to read all the variations from raisan bread to cinnamon rolls. For me, just a small load of bread was all I was after.
Homemade Bread:
4 cups warm water
1 packet yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
7 cups all-purpose flour
In a large bowl, combine water, yeast, sugar, and salt. Let sit five minutes.
Stir in first three cups of flour with a heavy spoon.
Mix in the rest of the flour, with the spoon, a cup or two at a time.
Lightly grease a sheet of aluminum foil and cover loosely.
Let the dough rest for two hours at room temperature. It will rise, and slightly collapse.
Place the bowl of dough in the refrigerator overnight and up to 2 weeks. Seal the aluminum foil over the bowl to cover tightly while in the fridge.
When you’re ready to bake some bread, take out the bowl and using a large spoon, cut away the portion of dough you want–half, a third, a fourth, depending on what type and size of loaf you want to make.
You can make one portion at a time and put the bowl with the rest of the dough back in the fridge for another day, or use it all to make several loaves at once.
If you want to continue this process to develop a sourdough flavor, leave about a cup of dough in the bowl and remake the recipe.
With floured hands, shape dough into loaves.
You can make round loaves, long French- or Italian-style loaves, or if using half of the dough, place it in a loaf pan. Lightly grease whatever pan you’re using and let the shaped dough rest for at least 30 minutes and no longer than 90. The dough won’t rise much during this time but will in the oven. (Time the rest period to suit yourself and your schedule that day. Don’t go
Make slits with a knife across the tops if you like. Cold dough works really well for slashing.
Your bake time will vary depending on the size and type of loaf, anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes, so keep an eye on it! Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven.
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