{Recipe} Quick Artisan Bread

This bread whips up in seriously, less than 10 minutes. The basic recipe is from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, and it turned out SO great. We’re going to be trying the recipe out for the next few weeks so we can see how the flavor develops as the dough sits in the fridge.

To make the bread, mix in a large bowl (I’m serious, LARGE):
6 cups warm water
3 T. yeast
3 T. kosher salt
13 c. flour
Just stir together until combined, cover, and let rise for a few hours. Don’t worry about whether it’s doubling–it will get really poufy. Then put the bowl in the fridge and let it be overnight (or for up to two weeks).

When you’re ready to bake, tear off a grapefruit-sized lump. Pat the dough lump with flour, and form it into a boule. Which is actually a loaf shape, kind of oblong. Put the boule on cornmeal-dusted parchment, and let it sit on the counter for about 40 minutes. Slice a few 1/2″ deep cuts into the top of it to let steam escape.

When you’re 20 minutes out from baking the dough, preheat your oven to 450. Inside the oven, put your baking stone, and right under it, a pan filled with water. Shut the oven door and let it heat up. When the oven is hot, put the bread (on parchment) right onto the stone, and shut the oven door almost all the way–I like to put a foil “snake” in the top of the door to keep a little gap between the door and the oven.

Bake the bread for about 30 minutes, until it’s a nice dark golden brown. Take it out of the oven and let it cool for an hour. Then slice, tear, or just bite in, and enjoy!