When God made me I believe he forgot to give me the patience gene. And while I’ve heard it’s a virtue, I for one don’t have the patience to find out.
With that being said, anything that requires this fathomable persistence is sort of..not my strong suit. For example, baking.
I rarely bake. I don’t measure*.
One time I made cookies that physically disintegrated. Literally.
Pie? I mean I’ll have a bite…if you make it.
Cake? Not if you are referring to that spongy, calorie burden from a box that tastes like old sandals. Hard pass.
For our wedding we had a cheese cake. It was simply a large boule of Humboldt Fog, topped with a smaller (albeit still rather boisterous) wheel of oozy camembert, and finally topped with a french marvel, Delice de Bourgogne (a triple cream brie).
No boxed cake was harmed in the making of this holy matrimony.
I don’t have much of a sweet tooth. But bread, cheese, wine…now we’re talking…However, often times (in eastern Washington) I can’t find decent bread that’s not under $9 a loaf. (!@*!#$)
One day I had a revelation. I had to have good bread.
The time was mine. It was only God, me, the flour and all the patience I could muster up…I was going to bake bread.
I decided on simple, crusty, white bread; composed of only water, yeast, salt, sugar and flour. And 7 hours later…actual tears of joy.
Takes 7-8 hours (with rising time); And I would not share
Ingredients for White Bread
- 4 1/3 cup all purpose (or 00) flour + more for dusting
- 1/4 tsp superfine white sugar
- 1 pkg or 2 and 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 2 cups warm water
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp semolina
- 1 tbsp good EVOO
Tools
- 2 large clean bowls or 1 bowl and kitchen aid with dough hook
- 1 small (cereal size bowl)
- measuring cup
- teaspoon and tablespoon
- clean working surface or cutting board
- clean dish towel
- dutch oven or cast iron pan with fitted lid
Method
In cereal size bowl combine water, sugar and yeast allowing to bloom for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, mix flour and salt in one of the large bowls (or your KitchenAid mixer). Create a crevasse in the middle and once the yeast is ready add the water mixture to it.
Mix this by hand or with dough hook until incorporated and all the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl. Add additional flour, tablespoon at a time if mixture is too wet. I just leave it in my Kitchen Aid bowl.
Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let sit in a warm place for at least 2 hours.
After 2 hours knead the dough again and flip it upside down (about 2 min). Allow to rest, covered in the same bowl for another 2 hours, minimum.
After this time is up, flour a clean surface and pour the dough onto it. Grease the inside of a new, clean, large bowl.
Knead the dough again dusting with additional flour if needed. Place in greased bowl for another hour.
Set your timer for 30 minutes once you’ve put your dough in the greased bowl.
After 30 minutes elapse, turn on your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and place your dutch oven and lid inside for the 30 remaining minutes.
Remove the Dutch oven, carefully, and grease this too with a small amount of olive oil and then semolina. The semolina will crackle and jump. So cute.
Shape dough into a ball and place in this hot dutch oven. Cut the top of dough with 3 slice marks and dust with flour if desired. Place this back in the oven and cook with the lid on for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, uncover and cook for 15 more minutes.
After 7-8 very patient hours…you will have your masterpiece, and perhaps a little more tolerance for the art of baking.
*In all of my recipes the measurements are simple guides for you to gather an appropriation of ingredients to compose dishes. In baking, accurate measurements are more important BUT I urge you…feel, smell, observe and taste. Go off those thousands of regenerated receptor papillae on your tongue that the big guy granted you…and make some killer carb-y delights.
This bread makes killer toast, and is perfectly dippable alongside some delicious Clam and Langostino Chowder with Bacon or my Spanish Fabada Stew with Kielbasa and Gigante Beans.
