Homemade Bread

This recipe and method makes a delicious bread in a boule shape. Everyone seems to like it. It requires almost no kneading, so it is easy to make, but takes some time because it must be allowed to rise for 12 to 18 hours or longer. The bread is baked inside a covered 8 quart pot, so you will need a pot with a lid that can safely be put into the oven.

Freshly Baked Bread

Ingredients

3 cups bread flour
½ teaspoon instant yeast
1¼ teaspoon salt
Cornmeal and additional flour for dusting
¾ cup plain yogurt with active cultures
1 cup heavy cream, half and half, or milk
 

Preparing the Bread

In a large bowl, glass works best, whisk together the dry ingredients. Add the yogurt and cream and stir together until blended and mixture forms a dough.

At this point you can knead your dough, or not. If you have a mixer with a bread hook, then use that to knead the dough for about 10 minutes.

With the dough in the bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let the dough rest and rise a minimum of 12 hours at room temperature. I ususlly just put the bowl on top of the refrigerator and leave it over night.

After the dough has risen over night, knead it lightly. Dust your work surface with flour, and flour your hands. Knead the dough lightly, folding it over on itself a few times, then dust with flour.

Spray the inside of your pot with cooking spray, then sprinkle cornmeal in the pot to keep the bread from sticking. Dump the dough into the pot. Cover the pot and allow the dough to rise for three hours.

Preheat the oven to 450° Farenheit.

Make a couple slashes on the top of the dough. Cover the pot and put it in the oven and bake the bread, with the cover on, for about 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 400° and bake for another 25 minutes.

At this point, take the cover off the pot and take a look at your bread, if it is a nice golden brown, then take it out of the oven and put the bread on a wire rack to allow it to cool. If the bread looks too light, leave the cover off the pot and return it to the oven for another 5 minutes.

After the bread has cooled, brush off any excess flour or corn meal that may be on the bread.

 

Enjoy!

craig