Bonnies Almost Artisan Bread Recipes

BONNIE'S ALMOST ARTISAN BREAD

Steps:

• PREP FIRST I assemble all my ingredients before I start making bread. it saves so much time. Especially if I am interrupted by life. :) Let all ingredients come to room temperature. I use a Kitchen Aide Mixer with paddle and hook attachments. If you don't have a Kitchen Aid Mixer, this bread can be made by hand.
• This recipe is made for a 4 quart size Dutch Oven.
• Prepare your Dutch Oven for baking. Line the interior of the pot with parchment paper. Bend any corners that are sticking up, and tuck the pieces of paper down the inside of the pot. (I used to trim those pieces of paper until I found out that they make a great "sling" to lift and remove the bread from the hot pot after baking.) Give the parchment paper a light spray on the sides and the bottom with kitchen spray..
• Add all the DRY INGREDIENTS to the mixing bowl of the Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer with the paddle attachment and mix two minutes on low speed. Add the WET INGREDIENTS and mix until the mixture is combined. Exchange the paddle for the hook attachment and continue to mix on low as you add the reserved flour - a little at a time - just enough to remove the dough from the bottom of the mixing bowl. Mix 5 minutes.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured board and hand knead for a couple of minutes, just enough to make a stiff, elastic dough that can be shaped easily into a round ball shape.
• FIRST RISING. Oil a large mixing bowl with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Place the ball of dough round side down into the oiled bowl, then turn the ball so the round side is up facing you so the top is well oiled, then cover with a light towel.
• Turn on your oven to no more than 200 degrees, and then turn it off. This provides a nice warm place for the dough to rise. Now, let the ball of dough rest in the oven, covered with a towel, to rise for about an hour until it is doubled in size.
• SECOND RISING. When your dough has doubled in size, carefully remove the dough from the bowl and place it in the Dutch oven. Let it rise for the second time. About an hour. It should almost reach the top of the Dutch oven. Remove the Dutch oven to the counter and PREHEAT THE OVEN TO 375. Slash the top of the dough three times with a sharp thin knife, being careful not to disturb the dough too much. A sharp Ginsu steak knife works for me. (This will keep your bread from cracking on the top)
• When the oven has preheated to 375 degrees, put the lid on the Dutch oven and bake the bread for 40 minutes. Remove the lid and bake 10 minutes more until the bread is nicely browned.
• Here is how it looks!
• Remove the bread from the oven, and brush the top with butter. Use a knife, being careful not to burn your fingers, flip the tucked edges of the parchment paper up on each side so you can grab hold of the paper and lift your bread out of the Dutch Oven onto a rack to cool..
• ideally, you are supposed to let the bread cool before you cut it. Somehow, that never happens in this house! Enjoy!

BONNIE'S RUSTIC ARTISAN DUTCH OVEN BREAD

Steps:

• 1. (1) Gather your ingredients and read through the recipe before you begin. Make sure your ingredients are room temperature. (2) This is a Rustic Artisan Bread, and I bake it at least two or three times a week. It is wonderful hot from the oven with soups and stews, sandwiches and toast. My husband's guilty pleasure is toast with butter and blackberry jam. (3) The Danish whisk is a wonderful tool for mixing flour and dough. I use it all the time for pulling dough away from the sides of the bowl. It is very sticky dough and sticks to your fingers, but it doesn't stick to the Danish whisk. (4) When the bread is completely cool, place in a ziplock bag with two large paper towels to keep moisture from forming. The bread can be frozen.
• 2. MIXING THE DOUGH In a large mixing bowl, mix the Dry ingredients together with the Danish whisk, and add the water and mix well. This will be a loose dough. Cover the bowl tightly with saran wrap. I put mine in the pantry because there is no draft in there from the air conditioner. Let the mixture rise overnight for 15 hours. It will double in size, and it will have bubbles all over the top of it. The dough pulls slightly away from the sides of the bowl, then you know it is ready.
• 3. FORMING THE DOUGH Dip your hands in flour and sprinkle some flour around the edges of the bowl. Gently pull the bread away from the sides of the bowl with the Danish whisk. Gradually loosen the dough from the bottom of the bowl. Use as little flour as necessary. Shape into a loose ball without kneading. Turn it out on a cutting board. Cover the dough with a tea towel, and let it rest for an hour.
• 4. PREHEATING THE OVEN Meanwhile, place parchment paper in the Dutch oven. Preheat the oven AND the pot (without the lid) to 450 degrees about ten minutes before the dough is ready to bake.
• 5. Cook's Tip: If you like the earthy taste of cornmeal on the bottom of your Artisan bread, sprinkle some on the parchment paper just before you put the bread in the oven.
• 6. BAKING THE BREAD After the dough has rested for an hour, remove the tea towel and cut two to three slits in the top of the dough with a sharp knife. Remove the pot from the oven. Gently lift the dough and place it in the hot pot (Careful!) Place the lid and using mitts, return the pot to the hot oven. Bake for 40 minutes covered and remove the lid, and if your bread is not brown enough, bake an additional 10 minutes until golden brown. Be sure to bake it long enough so it is done in the middle.
• 7. Cook's Tip: Every oven is different. So watch your bread the last few minutes of baking time. My bread is brown at 40 minutes but not quite done internally., so I put a foil shield between it and the lid and let it continue to bake with the lid on to prevent over browning.
• 8. AFTER BAKING Remove the pot from the oven, and place the bread on a rack. Brush the top of the bread with the melted butter to keep it soft, and cover with a tea towel. Allow bread to cool before slicing....Of course, I do realize that just isn't going to happen. Enjoy!