Recipe – Artisan Bread

But I’ll be honest, I don’t often make this white sandwich bread. I prefer the denser, artisan-style bread you find in Europe, farmer’s markets, and fancy restaurants. Rosemary ciabatta anyone? This recipe I have been making for years now.

Reading the book: Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day. I learned a new and easy way to make bread, with a simple easy to remember recipe. When I first read their book, they touted their easy to remember method. “Just remember 6-3-3-13 and you’ll impress your friends.”

I scoffed, I won’t remember that. But I did. I still do and have used it to make homemade bread at other people’s homes without looking up the recipe. Spice it how you like, use what you have already, and make amazing bread you won’t want to share. 

The Bread Recipe

6 cups of flour

3 tbsp salt

3 tbsp yeast

13 cups very warm water

Directions

#1 Pre-heat the Bowl

A small step I don’t skip. Particularly for metal and glass bowls, often times the bowl is cold. When you put your very warm water into a cold bowl, it’s not very warm anymore. Yeast like the water very warm, so I first run the bowl under hot water to warm the bowl first. Then I move on to making the bread.

#2 Mix Yeast, Salt and Water (+ spices, seed, nuts)

Add the very warm water, yeast, and salt to your stand mixer. You can mix by hand, and I did for a number of years. Or you can use a stand mixer with the bread hooks.

This is also the time to add any spices, seeds, or nuts you want into the mixer. Adding them during the liquid start ensuring they are evenly mixed throughout the dough.

#3 Gradually add the Flour

Slowly, cup by cup, add the flour and grains you want. This can be a blend of flours. I often blend oatmeal, whole wheat, and white flour together. Simply switch off between cups of different flours. No need to pre-mix the flours before you add them to the dough.

#4 Rise 1 Hour

In a warm place, let your dough rise for one hour. This hour to rise is the first rise, and cannot be skipped. The dough should double in size during this time, but don’t be concerned if it doesn’t. This type of bread often experiences, “oven spring” in which it does most of it’s rising in the oven.

#5 Bake or Store in Refrigerator

Bake at 425 for 30minutes or store in the refrigerator for a week or so.

If you store in the fridge:

When you are ready to bake, grab a hunk with floured hands and quickly form it into your loaf shape. Let it rise for a little bit on the cookie sheet while the oven is preheating. Bake at 425 for 30minutes.

The longer you store it in the fridge, the more it will ferment and become sourdough. Smell the dough each day until it is to your desired sour level, this may take some trial and error to determine how many days of fermentation you like the best. Just means you have to eat more bread!

#6 Enjoy Fresh Artisan Bread

Enjoy your fresh artisan bread with Cranberry-Strawberry Jam, or butter or just all by itself.