Hey everyone! It's been a while! We're just about two weeks into our stay-at-home order here is California. This is all so crazy, isn't it? Hopefully it will all be over soon, but until then, I'm hoping to take advantage of this time to do the things that I never feel like I have time to do. Last night, I finally dove into the bread world. This is the perfect recipe for beginners like me. It's easy, beautiful and pretty dang rewarding.
Anyone want to join me?
I'm quite the amateur in the kitchen, friends. I've mentioned multiple times how Devin is the better cook in our house -not just better, he's actually really good. BUT GUYS. After yesterday, I have so much more kitchen-confidence! I don't have any experience in making bread (other than religiously making Magnolia' Banana Bread, wow, that sounds good right now), but making this BEAUTIFUL artisan bread yesterday from Jenny Can Cook was a game changer. I know I'm not the only one looking for things to do during this quarantine, so I figured that I would share! Mine turned out beautifully, and it opened up a whole new realm of possibilities for me. I hope it can do the same for you!
Understanding Yeast
When I went to the store to get some yeast, Saf-Instant was the only kind of yeast that they had available. I got a little nervous because I thought it would be different from the ActiveDry or RapidRelease packets that I was used to. I had no idea where to get educated on such a thing, so I did what most millennials do... I consulted my good friend, the internet. This video from Noreen's Kitchen was super helpful and informative, check it out if you are like me and get overwhelmed by the differences!
Here's a summary...
• Red Star Quick Rise isn't worth it.
• Bread Machine and RapidRise are the same, both are instant yeasts that don't need to be proofed.
• Pizza Crust Yeast is the same as RapidRise, it just has some Vitamin C powder and sweetener mixed in.
• ActiveDry has larger grains than RapidRise. It must be proofed in order to use it, which basically means that you have to get it wet and introduce a sweetener (like a small amount of sugar) to activate the yeast bacteria. You will know the yeast is alive if it begins to foam after a few minutes after adding the water and sweetener, this is called proofing your yeast.
• Saf-Instant doesn't need to be proofed and is just like RapidRise. The red package is everyday yeast, the gold package is better for doughs that are higher in sugar or are denser.
• Cake/fresh/wet yeast comes in a small block. It can crumble similarly to blue cheese and is to be treated just like ActiveDry, it needs water and sweetener to activate.
• Freezing your yeast will preserve it for virtually forever, you don't have to worry about expiration dates. I'm DEFINITELY doing this because we have a lot of yeast left to use. We put ours in a mason jar and it now sits happily in our freezer, ready to be used again later today.
Ingredients:
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. instant yeast (or a 7 gram pkg)
• 3 cups flour (all-purpose or bread) + 2 Tbsp. for shaping
• 1 1/2 cups hot water (up to 130° F)
You Will Also Need:
• Large Bowl
• Measuring Spoons/Cups
• Plastic Wrap
• Parchment Paper
• Kitchen Towel
• 3-6 qt. Dutch Oven w/ Lid
• Scraper for folding bread
Notes:
• This bread is PERFECT if you have never made bread before. It's fast, easy, and simple.
• I highly recommend making multiple of these at a time. I wish I would have the first time I made it so that I could give one to a friend. I didn't realize how easy it was, so I tried not to do too much. Trust me, if I can do it, you can do it!
Instructions:
(takes approx. 2 hours)
1) In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients. Gradually stir in hot water until well combined.
2) Cover bowl with plastic wrap, let sit for 1 hour at room temperature. After 40 minutes, place dutch oven in oven and preheat to 450° F.
3) On a well-floured surface, sprinkle flour on top of the dough and then fold with a scraper 10-12 times. Form dough into a rough ball.
4) Place dough on parchment paper and place back in the original bowl and let sit for 15 minutes at room temperature with a towel covering. You can use two layers of parchment paper here if you don't want the underside of the paper to get sticky.
5) Transfer bread and parchment paper into dutch oven and bake with lid on for 30 minutes. Then, remove the lid and paper and let bake for an additional 10 minutes.
6) Remove from the dutch oven, let sit until cool enough to touch. Slice with a serrated bread knife and serve with butter. We also enjoyed it with honey or jam.
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