The first time my youngest son made this bread, it only lasted for two days. The recipe produced two loaves and we almost finished a whole loaf as soon as it came out of the oven. We had it simply with butter and it was delicious, especially the crunchy edges. It was so simple to make; it had only few ingredients. The hard part was kneading the dough and waiting for it to rise. It was worth the wait because we were rewarded with two loaves of bread that smelled and tasted good. We had the left-overs the next day for breakfast. We toasted it and had it with butter, jam and sunny side up egg. Our family love it so much; my son made it again this weekend. Enjoy!
Easiest Homemade Bread
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Author: Liza A
Serves: 2 loaves
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp active dry yeast
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp salt
- 2 cups warm water (not over 110°F)
- 5½ cups all purpose flour, plus more for kneading
- cornmeal
- boiling water
Instructions
- Mix together the first four ingredients. Let this stand until the yeast, sugar and salt are dissolved. Gradually add the flour to the liquid and mix thoroughly until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface to knead. (This may be a little messy, but don't give up!)
- Fold the far edge of the dough back over on itself towards you. Press into the dough with the heels of your hands and push away. After each push, rotate the dough 90°. Repeat this process in a rhythmic, rocking motion for 5 minutes, sprinkling only enough flour on your kneading surface to prevent sticking. Let the dough rest while you scrape out and grease the mixing bowl. Knead the dough again for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Return the dough to the bowl and turn it over once to grease the top. Cover with a damp towel and keep warm until the dough doubles in bulk, about 1 to 2 hours.
- Punch down the dough with your fist and briefly knead out any air bubbles. Cut the dough in half and shape into two Italian- or French-style loaves. Place the loaves on a cookie sheet generously sprinkled with cornmeal. Let the loaves rest for 5 minutes.
- Lightly slash the tops of the loaves 3 or more times diagonally and brush them with cold water. Place on rack in a cold oven with a roasting pan full of boiling water on the oven bottom. Bake at 400°F for 35 to 45 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and sounds hollow to the touch.
Notes
Recipe source: King Arthur Flour
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