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FRESH ARTISAN BREAD

Print Recipe
Cook Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 CUPS ALL PURPOSE FLOUR 455 GRAMS
  • 2 1/4 TEASPOONS DRIED INSTANT YEAST ONE PACKET OF YEAST!
  • 1.5 TEASPOONS SALT
  • 1 TABLESPOON WHITE GRANULATED SUGAR
  • 1 TABLESPOON OLIVE OIL
  • 1.5 CUPS WARM WATER

Instructions

  • ADD INSTANT YEAST, FLOUR, SALT, AND SUGAR TO A LARGE BOWL, MIX UNTIL INCORPORATED
  • POUR IN OLIVE OIL AND WARM WATER (MICROWAVE WATER IN A JAR FOR 30 SECONDS), MIXING TOGETHER WITH A WOODEN SPOON. DOUGH WILL LOOK WET AND NOT SMOOTH AT ALL. IT SHOULD BE "SHAGGY AND STICKY".
  • SPRAY THE TOP OF THE DOUGH WITH COOKING SPRAY OR DRIZZLE WITH OLIVE OIL AND COVER BOWL / DOUGH WITH PLASTIC WRAP TO RISE. PLACE IN A DARK WARM SPOT FOR 3 HOURS, OVERNIGHT, OR UP TO 18 HOURS UNTIL THE DOUGH HAS DOUBLED IN SIZE. IT SHOULD HAVE SOME HOLES IN IT. IF YOU CAN LEAVE IT OVERNIGHT, DO IT!
  • PREHEAT THE OVEN FOR 30 MINUTES BEFORE BAKING YOUR BREAD, PLACE DUTCH OVEN WITH LID INSIDE WHILE PREHEATING TO 450 F DEGREES.
  • WHILE OVEN IS PREHEATING, LIGHTLY FLOUR A SURFACE, THE TOP OF THE DOUGH, AND A SPATULA. PULL OUT DOUGH WITH SPATULA ONTO THE SURFACE. PLACE ANOTHER PINCH OF FLOUR ON TOP OF THE DOUGH AND USING THE SPATULA, FOLD EACH EDGE IN TOWARDS THE MIDDLE (ABOUT 5-6 TIMES AROUND THE DOUGH). THIS WILL CREATE A SORT OF ROUND BALL. FLIP BALL CAREFULLY AND WORKING QUICLKY TAKING AS MUCH OF THE DOUGH TOGETHER AND FLIP ONTO A PIECE OF PARCHMENT PAPER. COVER THE DOUGH BALL WITH THE PLASTIC WRAP WHILE THE OVEN CONTINUES TO PREHEAT.
  • ONCE PREHEATED, USE OVEN MITTS TO REMOVE THE DUTCH OVEN. QUICKLY LIFT THE PARCHMENT PAPER DOUGH BALL INTO THE DUTCH OVEN.
  • USING A SHARP KNIFE, CUT A SMALL "X" RIGHT IN THE CENTER OF THE DOUGH AND DRIZZLE WITH A LITTLE OLIVE OIL.
  • BAKE WITH LID ON FOR 30 MINUTES, REMOVE LID AND BAKE FOR 12-15 MINUTES. IF DOUGH IS NOT GOLDEN BROWN BY THIS POINT, ADD ABOUT 5 MINUTES TO BAKE WITHOUT LID ON.
  • REMOVE FROM OVEN, AND COOL OUT OF DUTCH OVEN FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES BEFORE SLICING IT.
    SLICE THE BREAD IN HALF FIRST. FLIP IT CUT SIDE DOWN ON THE BOARD, THEN SLICE INTO PIECES ACROSS THE LOAF (THIS WILL HELP NOT TO SQUISH THE BREAD!).
  • SLATHER WITH SALTED IRISH BUTTER AND BE HAPPY WITH YOUR WARM BUTTERED BREAD :)

Notes

AUTHOR: CAFE DELITES
IF DOUGH IS LOOKING VERY VERY RAW AFTER 30 MINUTES OF BAKING, ADD 5-10 MINUTES WITH LID ON
IF DOUGH IS NOT GOLDEN BROWN AFTER BAKING WITH LID AND BAKING WITHOUT, ADD ABOUT 5 EXTRA MINUTES WITHOUT LID.
*ORIGINAL INSTRUCTIONS HAVE BEEN UPDATED