The Great Bread Experiment: Artisan Bread

I posted last week that I finally figured out what I was doing wrong and, in the process, found a great recipe.  In my search for a good recipe, I bought a "Guide To Homemade Bread" magazine from Grit.  Becky Sell wrote an article on the Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day that I keep hearing about. It sounded pretty easy, so I decided to give it a try.

What I got was a very flavorful Italian like bread. A little too heavy for sandwiches, but great as a dinner or breakfast bread. This bread worked with just butter, honey, jelly and as garlic bread. We loved it!You could also add other things into it, like herbs or cheese for more flavor.

Sorry I didn't get pictures. I wasn't sure it would work after my first three fiascos. I'll take some and post them next time.

Ingredients:
3 cups warm water
1 1/2 Tbs salt (sea or Kosher, NOT table)
1 1/2 Tbs dry yeast
6 1/2 c all-purp flour, NOT packed
*can sub up to  2 1/2 c whole wheat flour*

Directions:
1. Pour warm water into mixing bowl. Add salt, then gently add yeast (it will spread across top).
2. Add flour. Turn mixer on lowest speed until you have noticed that it slows down (about 30 secs). Turn mixer up a notch and mix until dough starts to form a ball and pick up the extra flour from around the edges (about 30 secs).
3. Remove bowl from mixer. Scrape dough off dough hook. Cover bowl with lid that doesn't seal completely and let rise for for 2 hours. The dough will be sticky. You can put it in the fridge for an hour or so to make it more manageable.
4. Sprinkle bottom of baking pan or stone with flour, cornmeal, etc or grease with butter or line with parchment paper.
5. For Round Loaves: form two balls and place on baking/pizza stone
    For Pan Loaves: form loaves, place in loaf pans
    Slash tops of loaves to allow even rise.
6. Place a boiler pan or brownie pan on the bottom rack when you turn on the oven. Just before putting the bread in the oven, carefully pour 1 1/2 cups water into the pan, put bread in and quickly close the door.
7. Bake round loaves at 450 for 30 min or pan loaves at 350 for 60 min.

Dough can be stored in a non-airtight container in fridge for up to two weeks. It becomes sourdough after one week.