Artisan Bread Recipe

Oh y'all. I have wanted to be a baker forever. Y'all who know me know I'm not - my mom is the most fabulous baker I know. She makes 6 loaves of sourdough bread every week without fail. I grew up eating the most delicious homemade bread so I never even tried my own! I just never needed to. But I'm trying to be an adult so that means I need to be able to make a full meal on my own without running to the grocery store every day, right? 

I decided in January that 2020 would be THE YEAR OF BREAD for me (in all honesty I decided that about 2019 but didn't fully achieve it. I did perfect pizza crust and handmade pasta in 2019 but not bread). I would expand my bread baking skills beyond cornbread and biscuits! I would be able to make a loaf of sandwich bread we wouldn't just give to the pigs because it was so stodgy! I would make something edible!! Like the Little Engine that Could I chanted, "I think I can, I think I can" all the way up the proverbial hill and tried and tried and tried. 

And now?

I've got it! By George, I did it! I made the bread and Barry says it's better than anything I've ever bought. Yea me!! (That's high praise if you know my husband - he's not one to throw out unnecessary praise by any means)

So, now that I've practiced and practiced and feel confident I'm going to share the recipe and instructions with you. It's not hard but it does take all day. I start it first thing in the morning (even before coffee!) and then it's ready to bake for dinner. Here it is:

Aliceson's Most wonderful, crispy, chewy, beautiful, no knead ARTISAN BREAD

3 cups All purpose or Bread Flour (I use King Arthur)

1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt

1 teaspoon active dry yeast 

1 1/2 cups hot water

1) Combine all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and fluff well. Add water and mix with a large wooden spoon until everything is combined (it will be sticky and messy but that's okay). Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let sit on your counter all day. (I'm talking at least 8 hours. I let mine go 9-10 hours usually)

2) Heat your oven to 450 degrees and place a large cast iron Dutch Oven (with lid) in the oven to heat for 30 minutes. (I use my 6 quart Lodge Enamel Coated Cast Iron Dutch Oven which I swear by for everything, not just this recipe)

3) While that's heating, take your dough out of the bowl and roll it out on a floured countertop into a ball. You don't need to knead this bread dough.

4) Once the Dutch Oven is terrifically hot, take it out of the oven and CAREFULLY place the dough inside. Place the lid back on and put in the oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, take the lid off and leave the bread in the oven baking at 450 degrees for 15 additional minutes.

That't it! It's pretty easy. It does take all day but 1) it's not hard work and 2) it's definitely worth it. This will be the best bread you'll have all month. Unless you're maybe in Paris, which I've never been to but heard the bread is amazing. But it's definitely the best bread we get in Mosheim, TN. 

Aliceson