Let’s Invent Some Artisan Bread
Baking is hard. Baking at high altitude? Damn near impossible (for me).
I kept coming across photographs of lovely loaves of bread on Pinterest and they were all mentioning the same book. When I clicked through, I was taken to the authors’ site. I immediately went and checked the book out from the library.
Artisan Bread In Five Minutes A Day? They had me at bread and five minutes.
The concept is you make a large batch of dough and you can store it in the fridge for up to two weeks, taking a bit of dough when you feel like making bread, that’s where the whole five minutes comes a day comes in.
Let me just start by saying when I gathered up all my supplies to make this I was thinking to myself, “YEAH RIGHT” and also rolling my eyes because doubts? I had them.
Apparently you only need five ingredients to make artisan bread.
Flour, active yeast, salt, water, and a big container to mix everything in. I happen to own the world’s largest cambro, that’s restaurant talk for a big ass container.
I used the Master Recipe and which calls for 6 and a half cups of flour, 3 cups of water, 1 1/2 TB of salt, and 1 1/2 TB of yeast.
I was worried that I would need a mixer with a dough hook, but I just used a wooden spoon
After mixing everything up, I let the dough rise? Rest? Nap? on our kitchen counter for two hours and then let it chill in the refrigerator for an hour.
I then took a grapefruit sized amount of dough and formed it into a ball, making sure I formed a “gluten cloak”. (Seriously, go get the book. You need the book.) At this point, I really became impressed with myself because LOOK WHAT I JUST DID.
After letting the ball of dough rest for 20 minutes, I slashed the top a few times and popped that bad boy in a 450 degree preheated oven on a baking stone with a pan of water underneath for steam, baked it for 35 minutes, and this happened, ZOMG I BAKED BREAD.
I did nothing different to the recipe for high altitude, I just mixed that dough up and hoped for the best. The bread is delicious and perfect and we’ve already eaten two loaves. When Troy was buttering his second piece of bread, he said, “I didn’t even know you knew how to invent bread!”
Me neither, but we all win! TEAM BREAD INVENTORS UNITE.
Melissa
That looks awesome! I have been wanting to make some bread for a while now…maybe I’ll try this! I live at 7000+ feet, so I hope it works here too.
Lori
How long did you bake it for? I may have to try this out.
ZDub
35 minutes, but make sure you use an oven thermometer.
Lori
Totally missed your instructions above where it says to bake it 35 minutes…duh.
Andrés & Candice
THIS IS AWESOME.
I love bread. And now I want that book.
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Ami
I love this recipe! I seriously love it. I’ve never had much luck getting dough to rise, but this works for me every time. We totally need to get some Bread Inventor t-shirts.
Ami recently posted..Wenches and wrenches and office chairs.
Jennifer Jo
The dough makes my favorite pizza crust.
I had a similar slack-jawed reaction when I first made this bread. http://bit.ly/Ubrwqx
Next, you might want to try the Dutch oven version. Seriously good. http://bit.ly/STFAVO
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MissCaron
Awesome! Craig makes bread like that rather frequently. He found a recipe in his hippie magazine (http://www.motherearthnews.com/) but that shiz is muy delicioso!
Amanda
I have had this book for several years now, and I agree, it is the shedizzle. I’m only sorry I didn’t notify you when I got it how amazing it is. The best part is that you just leave that stuff in your fridge for as long as you want to and make another loaf whenever you want to!
Paige
This book is on my wish list, now I may have to just get it.
Mrs. Biscuit
That bread looks beautiful! I’ve tried making bread before, and I even tried a recipe that someone posted from that same exact book… My bread baking adventures have always been crap though. I may just have to go out and buy the book, maybe that’s the secret!
Regardless, your bread looks amazing, Miss “Bread Inventor” lady!
=)
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Jules
I won this book in a giveaway once, and the publisher never sent it to me. I’m still pissed off.
Michelle Naomi
that looks amazing. I have a hard time cooking at altitude as well although it’s not as high in Denver. I’m going to go to my library and check this out as well!
on another note–where did you find those chalk board labels? I just bought tons of containers to organize and am looking for those!
BB
Looks amazing! Shit now I need a giant ass container and I have to go to the library… And I’m supposed to be making a batch of your laundry detergent before we run out… Zdub has BBs ass running all over town this week
Deb
First of all, homemade bread rocks and you are now a bread-inventing rock star. So there’s that.
What I really want to know is what the hell that cute chalkboard paint label is doing on your flour container. Are we supposed to actually DO the projects we pin on Pinterest or something? You are making the rest of us look bad. Jeez.
Kat
You win!
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Michelle
I have got to get this!
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xae
Okay so first of all, I read ‘Asian’ bread in the title, LOL…and secondly, the bread you invented looks so very good.
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Jade @ Tasting Grace
WHY is this book not on the kindle? And HOW do I get it in Thailand?
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Robin Jingjit
I love the words “gluten cloak.”
That bread looks amazing. I don’t eat bread but I do buy artisan bread for my adorable (half-thai…. you know you’re tempted to look) boys from a lady that sells it near my work. There are some days I’d rather just have the five minutes.
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koreen
Makes me wish I ate bread (gluten-intolerant here). But I do like making bread for my family, so maybe…..
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Beth Woolsey
Brilliant!
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Bec
Since this kitchen is mildly kitchen related, I just wanted to let you know that Target has gone squirrel crazy. Butter dishes, salt and pepper shakers, cookie jars…it is all 100% adorbz and all 100% Z Dub.
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Gaelle
I wish I could get that book. I really love bread.
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Born27
I’ve tried making bread before, and I even tried a recipe that someone posted from that same exact book… My bread baking adventures have always been crap though.
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lisabella
I had this book from the library and never looked at it before it was due. DURR. Going to have to check it out again.
I don’t suppose you have a chocolate chip cookie recipe that works at our elevation? I’ve tried the adjustments on the back of the Tollhouse bag, didn’t work very well for me.
Jennifer
I bought my husband this book last Christmas. I may need to steal it.
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Hannah
I have this book and I love it. Wait until you make the desserts, so yummy!