Artisan Bread

Hey Grad Studies,

My Mom found an artisan bread recipe at http://www.artisanbreadinfive.com/. Tried it and loved it--thought you guys could make some at the house and it would smell yummy! It sounds complicated because you have to use stoneware, but it's really pretty basic and easy once you get the hang of it. Apparently, even unsealed/unglazed travertine/marble/granite tiles will work (until they crack from too much use).

1 1/2 T yeast
1 1/2 T kosher salt
3 C lukewarm water
6 1/2 C all-purpose flour

In a 5qt ice cream bucket (or another large, plastic container with a lid that's NOT airtight), dissolve the yeast and kosher salt in the water. Mix in the flour but do NOT knead. Mix ingredients only with a wooden spoon or with hands. The dough will be very sticky. Cover with the lid but do not seal, and let the dough rise completely (usually from two to four hours, depending on location, temperature, and type of yeast). Once dough begins to collapse onto itself, put the container into the fridge for a few hours before baking (so that the dough is easier to handle). Make sure the lid is only loosely sealed.

Twenty minutes before baking, place the stoneware pan or pizza stone into the oven and then preheat. Five minutes before baking, place a steam pan into the oven with the stoneware pan (I use an old cookie sheet with a cup of water on it--the pan warps with consistent use, so make sure it's a pan you don't love). Remove the dough from the fridge and shape into loafs (I've been making hoagie-sized mini-loafs, but you can make it a boule, a baguette, braided loaf, whatever you want). Then bake at 450 for half an hour, or until the loafs are golden brown. Remove the loafs from oven, but leave the stoneware in the oven until it cools down. Cover the loafs with a dish towel, and let cool most of the way before eating (otherwise it tastes fine, but smells a bit yeasty and salty).

I've made it with cranberries and pecans. We're using it as pizza dough this afternoon. You can also add chopped black olives and spices for a nice Greek bread.

Hope all is well!