Homey Brown Sugar Bread

Where we love is home - home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts. – Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

Life is strange, even at its best. Life is also not a spectator sport. You have to muck in.

You will have noticed, dear readers, that it has been an ungodly long time since my last post. March 19, to be exact. No I haven’t died, but my mother-in-law has. We received some extremely bad news at the end of January. The “C” word. It took only two months for her to leave us.

Instantly upon hearing the news, my husband withdrew from college and moved back home to be with, support and care for her. He did an amazing job, and I could not be more proud of him.

I also helped out the best I could at every opportunity. A functioning “office” was set up in her home so I could work as comfortably from there as I did from my other two offices. You do what you must when circumstances are thrust upon you, and there was no way in hell I would not be there for both her and my husband.

Her other son, who lives with his family out west, also did the best he could – coming home twice in close succession. It was hard for us, and must have been equally hard for him being so far away.

But, at the end of her days, she knew she was loved, is loved, and will be missed terribly. In her own quiet way she was an incredible woman, and I feel honoured to have gotten to know her better, even under the circumstances.

Now we have moved beyond the traumatic shock that caring for a dying parent brings, on to the practical matters of closing up house, and setting affairs in order. Life is still, if you will pardon the colloquialism, a shit show.

Out of all of this I have learned a very valuable lesson. Home actually IS where the heart is. It’s not bricks or mortar or a plot of land. Home is wherever you are, where you are surrounded by those you love and who love you. Anyone who thinks otherwise is a short-sighted fool.

What does this have to do with bread? Probably not much, but it seems I always give you a recipe, so why not, eh? I could go on at length about home and homeyness and memories and  such. But you know all that.

So here it is. This is not a sweet bread, but a toast and sandwich bread. With four buns there's plenty of "fluffy bits" for people to fight over. You could just as easily do three, two or even just one. 

Think of this bread as a pale, winter-weary version of Maritime Brown Bread. Anyone experiencing this year's spring in Nova Scotia knows exactly what I mean. (link here)

Brown Sugar Bread
Prep: 20 min  |  Rise: 3 hrs  |  Bake: 30-35 min  |  Yield: 1 big-ass loaf

2 cups water, 110°F
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp yeast
1 egg
1/4 cup butter, melted
1-1/2 tsp salt
5 cups flour

Place the warm water and brown sugar in a large bowl. Add the yeast and allow to proof until bubbly and creamy, about 15 minutes.

Add the egg, butter, salt and flour. Knead for 5 minutes on the counter. The dough should be slightly wet feeling to the touch, but fairly firm and soft.

Wash and butter the bowl you brought the dough together in. Place the dough in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a tea towel and let rise for 2 hours, or until doubled.

Punch the dough down, knead briefly and divide into four equal balls. Line the balls up in a buttered high-sided 5”x9” baking dish. Let rise until doubled again, about 1 hour.

Just before the dough is finished rising, preheat the oven to 425°F. Place a shallow dish with a cup or so of water in it on the bottom rack. This hydrates the oven and gives the bread an initial “push” as its baking.

Bake on the middle rack for 30-35 minutes, until browned on top and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped with your fingers. Let cool, if you can wait.

Have butter and your favourite jam very close by...

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Dried Apricot & Cranberry Bread

Can anything be so elegant as to have few wants, and to serve them one’s self? – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Simplicity can be so "elegant," and cheap.

Cheap. That’s me... sometimes. Other times I’ll spend money like a drunken sailor. It’s odd the times my miserly instinct kicks in.

For example, the other day I was at the grocery store. Bread was on my list. But as I scanned the prices I couldn’t bring myself to put a loaf in my basket.

$3.99? For a loaf of bread? It’s patently obvious that man cannot live by bread alone. Man can hardly afford it. So then was the time to call on the wisdom of Emerson. I could make it myself.

Luckily, bread is easy to make at home. And infinitely cheaper. Except for the flour, but rationalize the cost of it. How many loaves of bread can you get out of the bag of flour... 

This is a really bad picture of my starter in the morning...
Obviously my coffee hadn't kicked in.

To make bread, all you really need is four ingredients: flour, water, yeast and salt. That’s it.

I know that many of you “out there” will be saying you can’t make bread. It fails. There’s two important things that can make bread fail. One is your yeast, the other is your temperature.

Thing 1: To always have fresh yeast on hand, buy a cup or even more at a bulk food store, put it in a jar and stick it in your freezer. It won’t kill the yeast. it will start to activate the moment it hits warm water.

Thing 2: The water used to activate your yeast has to be *at most* 115°F. Any higher and you risk killing the yeast – something freezing couldn’t do. Proper temperature water is slightly warmer than the temperature of a baby's bottle. Or better yet, use a thermometer to test it.

If your yeast doesn’t proof (either too old or killed by heat), your bread won’t rise. It’s as simple as that. Normal room temperature will raise bread every time. Cover the bowl to keep it relatively dark, and don’t sit it in a draft.

I went one step further with this and made an overnight starter. It’s not necessary, but does add a bit of a nice rich flavour, sort of like a sourdough.

My bread recipe today is a bit on the “fancy” side for another reason, too – it has dried apricots and cranberries. In truth, I was going to make raisin bread, but I didn’t have any raisins, so I had to raid my mother’s pantry.

Such is life. Sigh...

Left: before first rise; right: after first rise.

Dried Apricot & Cranberry Bread

Time: 24 hours, or a little less  |  Yield: one large loaf

night before, starter:

1 cup water, 110°F

1 cup unbleached flour

1 tbsp yeast

1 tbsp sugar

next day:

3 cup flour

1 cup water, 110°F

2 tbsp honey (or sugar, brown or white)

3/4 cup chopped dried apricots

1/2 cup dried cranberries

3/4 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp salt

The night before you want to make your bread, mix together the starter ingredients. Cover with plastic wrap and a towel and let sit until morning. By morning it will be a bubbly mass.

In the morning, add the remaining ingredients and stir well. It will be very wet and sticky. Remove the dough to the counter. Slap and fold the dough until it no longer sticks to your hands. This step will be very messy, but it will actually start to stick to itself as opposed to you.

Shape into a ball. Butter a bowl, place the dough in it and proof until doubled in size.

Left: before second rise; right: after. Easily doubled.
It possibly would have risen even more.

Once doubled, scoop out onto the counter and knead for about 2-3 minutes. Generously butter a 5x9 loaf pan. Shape the dough into a log, place in the pan and let it rise until doubled again. Tent a plastic shopping bag over the dough while it rises.

For a soft crust, rub the top with butter. It's optional.

Just before you are ready to bake the bread, preheat the oven to 425°F. Make sure the oven rack is in the centre of the oven. Place a pan of water on the bottom rack while the oven heats. 

Bake the loaf for 35 minutes. Remove the water pan after the first 5 minutes. The loaf is done when nicely browned and sound hollow when tapped with your fingers.

Rub the top of the loaf with butter if you want a soft crusted bread.

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Spicy Pigs in a Blanket

She was not quite what you would call refined. She was not quite what you would call unrefined. She was the kind of person that keeps a parrot. – Mark Twain

Swine. That's a refined name for pigs, right? So these are Swine in a Blanket.

I need to get to the grocery store more often. It seems living alone through the winter/spring (my spouse is at college) has left me a little “uninspired” as far as the kitchen goes. My grocery purchasing habits have not been whet they were for the last several years.

I admit it – I’ve been eating junk.

But does junk always have to be bad? Short answer, no. I have several recipes on this site posted a few years ago where I have re-interpreted junky recipes into more palatable versions. Search “junky” on this site.

So what did my vast (ha!) pantry yield tonight? An opened package of hot dogs. Inspiring, eh?

Well just wait a minute. It can be. It’s said the devil is in the details. It can also be said that the angels are in the creativity. Not one to be out-classed by something I had to deal with from the fridge, I took it upon myself to upscale pigs in a blanket.

How does homemade dough, gooey mozzarella, rich caramelized onions with jalapeño, and crumbled bacon sound? Not one single Pilsbury dough boy was harmed in this process.

As you can imagine, making your own dough is a little...involved, and does extend your prep time. But it’s not that bad. And think of the oohs and ahhs you’ll receive when they come to the table.

They smell and look fantastic, and they’re probably almost good for you. Almost. Up that quotient by serving a nice, crisp green salad on the side if you feel so inclined. Me? I had potato chips.

Spicy Pigs in a Blanket

Prep: 2 hours (includes rising)  |  Bake: 20 min  |  Yield 8

Dough:

1 cup water, 110°F

3 tsp yeast

2 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

2 cups flour

Spicy onions:

1 tbsp butter

1 medium onion, sliced

1 jalapeño, thinly sliced

1 tsp sugar

8 hot dogs

8 x 1/4” slices mozzarella cheese

crumbled bacon bits

1 egg

1 tbsp milk or cream

Heat the water in a microwave in a ceramic bowl to 110°F. Add the yeast and sugar and let proof until creamy, about 10 minutes. Then add the salt and flour. Bring together in the bowl and then knead for 2 minutes on the counter. Place the dough back in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a towel and let rise for 45 minutes.

While the dough is rising, make the onions. Melt the butter in a skillet and add the sliced onions, jalapeño and sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the onions soften and begin to turn brown. Set aside.

Once the dough has risen, lightly flour a rolling board (or the counter) and put the dough on it. Roll out to a rectangle (roughly) 18” x 10”. Cut into four rectangles. Then cut each rectangle in half to make 8 triangles. Gently pull each piece of dough by the corners to make the rectangle shape more pronounced.

Cut a deep slit nearly the whole length of 8 hot dogs. Cut slices of mozzarella that can fit inside the slits. Fill each hot dog slit with cheese. (As for how much cheese that is, use your innate common sense.) 

Place a cheese-stuffed hot dog on the edge of each triangle of dough. Divide the onions between the triangles. Add about 2 tsp of crumbled bacon bits to each. Roll up and place on a parchment lined (or well greased) baking sheet. Make sure the point of the rolled up dough is on the bottom. Let the “pigs” rise for 30 minutes. 

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Mix the egg and milk together in a small bowl. Just before baking, brush the dough with the egg wash. Bake for 25 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.

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Crusty “Artisan” Loaves

I am an artist you know ... it is my right to be odd. – E.A. Bucchianeri

I had a difficult time with this bread. Not making it, but naming it. I usually consider any bread that doesn’t come pre-sliced in a bag from the store as somewhat artisan. But there are different definitions for what the word means.

For example, these answers are both from Answers.com. They sort of sum up the two ideas.

Before first rise.

1. Artisan food is food produced by non-industrialized methods, often handed down through generations. Tastes and processes like fermentation are allowed to develop slowly and naturally rather than curtailed for mass-production. Artisan producers are aware of the source of their raw materials and are also aware of the different local conditions which have given rise to particular regional specialties. Artisan production methods involve more simple yet practiced skills.

2. Artisan food is made specifically for aesthetic or beauty purposes with emphasis on presentation and display as well as the various disciplines of cooking like bakery, butchery, pickling among others.

Let’s call them hardcore and soft core. Both answers get to the heart of doing whatever you’re doing for the love of it. Hardcore extends back through the whole process. Soft core is because you want to make something that’s pretty or unusual.

After first rise.

I almost called this “artsy” bread. But artisan sounds so much nicer.

I wanted to make bread (tomorrow is Easter Sunday) that had a delicious flavour, crusty exterior and unusual shape. That’s where the artsy part comes in to play. Anyone can make a double domed loaf, but something weird? That takes some doing.

To accomplish this when I shaped the bread I stopped before making into a tight, round ball. The shaping was sort of based on a pughliese shaping technique. But not seeing it the whole way through allowed the bread to change shape as it rose.

The result, sone very weird, artsy and artisan loaves. Perfect for a celebratory table. You need bread for tomorrow. Make this recipe.

Just make sure everyone knows the shape is on purpose!

This is the blow-apart I write about.

Crusty Artisan Loaves

Prep: 15 min  |  Rise 3.5 hr  |  Bake: 35 min

2 cups water

2 tbsp brown sugar (or white)

1 tbsp yeast

1-1/2 tsp salt

4 cups unbleached flour

1 tbsp olive oil

Heat the water to 110-115°F. Any more has the chance of killing the yeast.

Place the water, brown sugar and yeast in a large bowl. Proof the yeast until creamy and bubbly – between 10-15 minutes.

Once the yeast has “proofed” add the flour and salt. Bring together in the bowl, then transfer to the counter and knead for 5 minutes. The dough will still be moist, but not sticky.

Oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl, turn it to oil the top and then let rise in a warm place until doubled. This will take about 2 hours. After the 2 hours, punch the dough down and knead briefly on the counter. Then divide in two.

Shape each piece into a sort of triangle. Roll the dough up into a log by starting at the wide side and rolling to the triangle tip. Then take the ends of the log and cup underneath to shape into a roundish loaf. 

Don’t make it completely tight and round. Leave it loose enough so it will open up when it rises again. (This gives you your “artsy” shape.) Place on parchment on a sheet pan. Let rise for an additional 1.5 hours or until doubled.

Preheat the oven to 450°F with a pan of water on the bottom rack. Just before placing the loaves in the oven dust with flour.

Bake the loaves for 35 minutes, removing the water pan after the first 10 minutes.

Let the loaves cool on a rack. As they cool, the crust will tighten and crack in a most pleasant and attractive way. Almost artsy, one might say!

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Old-fashioned Rich Egg Bread

A man is rich in proportion to the number of things he can afford to let alone. – Henry David Thoreau

Riches. We all want them. Our society directs us to consume constantly, in a never ending cycle, never being happy. Never reaching "the goal."

If your yeast doesn't proof, you won't
have successful bread.

My profession is part of the problem. I’m a designer. We often help shill the things you really don’t need. We help make the unnecessary feel necessary, at least in many consumers’ minds.

Thoreau lived from 1817 to 1862 and is most famous for his work Walden, which was a collection of reflections on simple living. This was in the first half of the 1800s – not the last half of the 1900s, or the first two decades of this century. It boggles the mind a little when you realize that people saw a problem with how we felt we had to live over 150 years ago.

Over the last year I have taken a page from Thoreau (in a very small sense) and have tried (in a very small way) to simplify my life, or perhaps more correctly, take control of it.

After first rise.

Working for myself was a major step. So was cutting down on monthly expenses by living more efficiently. Our foray last year into vegetable gardening was another. There’s a satisfaction you get from putting hand to soil that can’t be described until you do it.

So is “making” rather than “buying.” Not only does it reduce expenses but it gives a feeling of self-sustenance and sharpens your mind to what is important. Success takes many forms. Being able to afford the latest and greatest is only one concept of it.

Besides our small house in the country, we have a bachelor apartment in the city that my spouse uses for college and I use as a second office for my city clients. It’s small. It doesn’t have much except the necessities. We’re fine with that. The things one thinks they need are not in truth what is necessary.

After second rise in the pan.

Happiness, I believe, comes from fewer things, not more. If you can love someone, and be loved in return, what more is necessary, except for those few things required to keep you alive? He who has the most things at the end of the day does not win.

In fact, the more you have can make you less happy. Picture a dog with four bones. There’s no way he can enjoy all of them simultaneously, so instead of enjoying one, he spends his time guarding all four, constantly afraid another dog will take them.

Food for thought on a Thursday: What can you do without today to make yourself happier? Is it a simpler life, one in closer contact with nature and those you love? Would you sacrifice the hurly burly of your everyday existence for something “less” but far more rewarding?

From the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam:

A Book of Verses underneath the Bough,

A Jug of Wine, a Loaf of Bread–and Thou

Beside me singing in the Wilderness–

Oh, Wilderness were Paradise enow!"

I hope my writing helps inspire you to reassess your priorities. For me it has worked. I am in a far better place now than I have been before. I am in control of my life, and responsible for my own happiness.

Bake some bread. Get in touch with a simpler way of life. Find some peace.

A recipe for happiness? Self-sustainability.

Old-fashioned Rich Egg Bread

Prep: 15 min  |  Rises: 3 hrs  |  Bake 35 min

1 cup water, 110°F

2-1/2 tsp yeast

1 tsp sugar

2 large eggs

3 cups flour

1 tsp salt

Proof the yeast in the warm water mixed with the sugar. Once the yeast is creamy (has activated), mix in the eggs. Pour over the flour and salt in a large bowl. Mix well.

Once the flour has been incorporated, turn out onto the counter and knead for 5 minutes. Let rise until doubled, about 2 hours.

After the first rise, remove the dough to the counter again, divide in two and shape each piece into a round ball. Place the balls side by side in a well greased 5x9 bread pan. Proof again until doubled, about 1 to 1.5 hours.

Preheat the oven to 425°F with a pan with a little water in it on the bottom rack. Bake the loaf for 35 minutes, until hollow sounding when tapped on top and nicely browned.

For a soft crust, rub the top with butter.

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Thoughts on Bread & Olive Oil Loaf

Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat eis. – Mozart, Requiem Mass in D Minor

There used to be times when occasions of life called for specific foods. We still have vestiges of that today. For example, hot cross buns, turkey and cranberries are often seen as necessities for Easter and Thanksgiving feasts, respectively.

But in “olden times” many other gatherings of families and friends were celebrated and traditionally called for very specific foods to be served. There’s not a lot of people (if any) who now serve Simnel cake on Mothering Sunday (4th Sunday in Lent), or Groaning cake when a woman has been “confined” in the process of giving birth.

Before overnight rise.

Here’s another one I just found out about today: funeral (arval) bread – once common in the north of England. As is now apparent by my quote and this post today, the health of my friend’s husband did not improve and the family has the sad task of saying goodbye for the last time in a few days. Our collective hearts ache for them.

There appears to be a few variations of this “bread.” Some say it was like a cake with raisins and cinnamon, others more like a biscuit. But they all were associated with the celebration of a life well lived, and the transition of inheritance – and responsibility. 

Arval was the inheritance feast of the Norse. You can see a clear influence by the Viking invaders/settlers (northern England).

This bread was distributed to the gathered mourners before the funeral procession. Apparently it was provided not just as sustenance at the wake, but mourners were given it to take home, and I believe at times it was also distributed to the poor.

An arval dinner and bread were intended (according to an old source) to “exculpate the heir and those entitled to the possessions of the deceased from fines and mulcts to the Lord of the Manor, and from all accusations of having used violence; so that the persons then convened might avouch that the person died fairly and without any personal injury.”

That’s a lot of significance in a round of bread. What foods in our culture now carry such weight?

We still have wakes and “celebrations of life” but nothing so circumscribed and definitive.

This recipe is not avral bread – not by a long shot – but it made me think, and learn, and appreciate anew.

I hope you try to make this. Baking bread is a demonstration of love, and isn’t that part of the ideas associated with funeral bread?

Olive Oil Bread

Prep: overnight  |  Second rise: 2 hrs  |  Bake: 35 min

3 cups unbleached flour

1-1/2 cups water

1/4 cup olive oil

2-1/2 tsp yeast

1-1/2 tsp salt

Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl and beat with a spoon for 2 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and a towel and let rise overnight (or 8 hours). 

In the morning, (sort of) knead the bread on a lightly floured surface (it will be very sticky) and place in a well oiled 5” x 9” loaf pan. Oil your hands and press the dough out so it is even in the pan.

Let rise until the dough reaches the top of the pan (about 2 hours). Preheat the oven to 425°F. While the oven heats, hydrate it with a shallow pan on the bottom rack with 1/2 cup of water in it.

Bake the loaf for 35 minutes, until browned and hollow sounding when tapped on the top. Remove from the pan and let cool on a rack.

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Bistro French Onion Soup hits the spot in winter

When one is too old for love, one finds great comfort in good dinners. – Zora Neale Hurston 

Bistro Onion Soup. Welcome, my friend, it's a nasty day outside...

That's a bit of a silly quote. Surely no one is too old to give and receive love. I suppose, if I couldn't experience love, dinner would be in the running as a substitute. This is, at the end of the day, a recipe that I just love. There's something about it that is hard to define – a delicious "deepness" that is wholly satisfying – especially during sleet/snow days like today in Nova Scotia. Comfort x food = happiness.

Low 'n slow to caramelize onions.

I’ve been making this from memory for over 20 years. I have no idea where the recipe may have originated. Some cookbook now buried in a box in my basement, I would imagine...

This is a really good "meatless" soup, but it does use beef stock. The cheese substitutes for meat a little, as does the bread, so it's filling and delicious.

The way to make a delicious soup of any kind – meatless or not – is to introduce lots of flavour. There are tricks.

Caramelizing the onions is the first way. Caramelizing their sugars adds depth of flavour. But just like caramelizing sugar for a dessert, you don’t want to burn it. So caramelize on medium heat, slowly.

All ready for toast and cheese.

Next up is cooking a little flour with the onions until it takes on a bit of a nutty taste, like the start of a roux. This can be done in a short time (2-3 minutes), and really makes a difference. This adds body to the broth as well.

After that it’s really up to good quality ingredients – good beef stock, fresh herbs, and nice, flavourful cheese. And don’t forget the bread but any "country" style loaf will do. Traditionally it's a crusty French baguette. I used my homemade whey bread. It was an excellent choice too. Nice and "sturdy."

This is a really great way to drive away the winter storm blahs, and you really don't have to have a lot of ingredients in the pantry. The only thing you may have to venture out for is the cheese.

Bistro-style French Onion Soup

Fresh from under the broiler, and piping hot.

Prep: 10 min  |  Cook: 30 min  |  6 servings

1/2 cup butter

8 medium onions (good sized medium)

5 garlic cloves

1/4 cup flour

5 cups good beef broth

1/2 cup sherry
2 tsp Dijon mustard (optional)

1-1/2 tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped (1-1/2 tsp dried)

1 tsp cracked black pepper

salt to taste

1 French baguette, sliced and toasted*

2-1/2 cups gruyere cheese, grated (or Swiss)

Heat 1/4 cup of the butter in a Dutch oven or other oven-safe pot.

Slice the onions, thin but not too thin, and add to the pot. Then chop and add the garlic. Sauté the onions and garlic over medium heat, stirring often. Sauté until they begin to caramelize (turn golden), but are not burnt. While the onions caramelize, toast the baguette slices and set aside.

Add the second 1/4 cup of butter to the pot. After it is melted, sprinkle the onions with 1/4 cup of flour. Mix together well and let the onions cook for a further 2-3 minutes until the flour starts to colour slightly.

Add the beef broth, sherry, Dijon (if using), tarragon and black pepper. Let the soup come to a boil and then simmer for 5 minutes. Make sure to scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pot as it simmers.

Taste the soup for salt. You may not need any depending on the saltiness of your stock. Adjust the pepper and tarragon at this time as well, if desired. Keep the soup hot.

Grate the cheese and set aside. Layer enough toasted baguette to cover the surface of the soup. Sprinkle the toast with 1/2 of the cheese. Add another layer of toast and finally the remaining cheese. If desired, sprinkle the top with a little pepper.

Broil the soup until the cheese bubbles. Serve immediately.

* You need to have enough toast slices to cover the top of the soup in two layers.

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Honey Ciabatta Loaf

Never miss an opportunity to show the one you love how you feel. Don't just say it. Live it. 
This isn't a quote, but it is the best advice you can ever be given.

Happy Valentine’s Day 2014! Don’t wash away in the rain.

At least it’s not snowing a blizzard, which is supposed to come on Tuesday - maybe. I suppose, what should we expect in the middle of February? At least today you can make it to the grocery store to buy all the fixings for a wonderful romantic dinner with the one you love.

But don’t buy bread. If you mix this before you go out the door for work, you can deal with it when you get home. You’ll then have a beautiful loaf to serve with your dinner, candles and good bottle of red wine. You are having a good bottle of red wine, yes?

Before first rise; after six hours.

A loaf of homemade bread can elevate even the simplest of meals to something memorable. There really is something about home baked bread that says “I love you.”

This loaf has a crisp crust and moist, airy interior. Hole-y, but not too hole-y, so butter won’t drip down your arm.

I made this a few days ago, and I can vouch for its delicious flavour when still warm, as well as used for toast in the morning. It makes great toast. It would make a great sandwich, too. So if you’re a little afraid a whole loaf won’t get used, put those fears to rest.

It will be gone before you realize it, much like Valentine’s Day. So make the most of it. Show that special someone how very special they are - however that may be.

Honey Ciabatta Loaf

Prep: 5 min  |  Rise 6-8 hrs  |  Bake 35 min

3 cups unbleached flour

2 cups water, 110°F

1/4 cup honey

2-1/2 tsp yeast

2 tsp salt

Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl. Beat with a spoon for about 3 minutes to mix well.

Cover with plastic wrap and a tea towel, place out of direct draughts, and let rise for at least six hours. The dough will more than double in size and be very “wiggly.” It will look like you will never be able to work it. This is normal.

Oil a 9” x 9” x 2” square baking pan. “Pour” the dough out onto a floured surface. Using a dough scraper, fold it over onto itself several times. Use only enough flour to keep it from sticking. It will start to retain a bit of shape.

Plop the dough (yes, plop) into the prepared pan. Using oiled hands, level it out in the pan as best as you can. Let rise again until the dough comes to the top of the pan. This may take 1 to 1.5 hours.

Preheat the oven to 425°F.* Bake the risen loaf in the oven for 35 minutes until it is nicely browned and sounds hollow when tapped on top.

Let cool slightly, remove from the pan and place on a rack to finish cooling.

* For some additional loft, place a pan of water in the oven while it is heating. Remove it just before baking.

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If you like this post retweet it using the link at top right, or share using any of the links below. Feel free to comment. I'll always try to respond. If you like this post, feel free to share it. All I ask is that you credit me and share a link back to the original.