Despite the hot weather outside, I still crank up my
oven since I bake constantly. I am quite the minimalist when it comes to
bread: I like doughs that require minimum intervention on my part (a resting
period and a few folds and they are on their way) and yield loaves that bring
smiles to everyone's face while providing good nutrition (the more whole grains
the better). My kids see me mix dough just about
every day of the week, usually when they are having breakfast. Maybe one day,
when they are all grown-up and crave honest bread, they'll remember that all it
takes is a big bowl and two hands and they'll want to learn how to make their
own. One can only hope, right?
Here’s the recipe.
Ingredients:
(a) 1/3 cup warm water + 1 tsp sugar + 2 tsp. active dry
yeast
(b) Approx. 7 cups of bread flour + 3 cups of warm water
(between 80 and 115 degrees F.)
(c) 1 tbs salt
Method: (hand-mixed)
Using an 8 oz measuring cup, mix (a) yeast into
sweetened water and let rest for five minutes (that's called "proofing" the
yeast). Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix (b) flour and water until no dry flour
remains, incorporate proofed yeast, and let rest, covered, 20 to 40 minutes.
Add the salt. Cover the dough and let it rest, doing as many folds as necessary
to obtain medium soft consistency. When the dough is ready (it takes about
three hours hours at my house with folds every thirty minutes), transfer it out
of the bowl on a floured surface and shape it into three medium-sized
loaves.
Preheat the oven to 450°F
Let the loaves rest for 30 to 45 minutes, then bake in
preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Cool on a rack. Enjoy!
