I ran across an interesting recipe the other day for a 5-minute artisan bread. I never buy bread because the loaves are green with mold before I even get to finishing it off. However, this recipe is EASY! Throw the ingredients in the mixer, pop it in the fridge, and tear of pieces of dough to bake at your leisure. Simple as that! Plus, it promised me a bread that would be crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside, so I knew that I must try it.

(Makes four 1 lb loaves)

3 c lukewarm water
1 1/2 T yeast (1 1/2 packets)
1 1/2 T coarse salt (I only had regular old table salt, but hope to try coarse next time)
6 1/2 c flour - unsifted, unbleached, all-purpose white flour (I used 100% whole wheat)

Add yeast and salt to the lukewarm water in the mixer bowl. Using the dough hook attachment, add the flour while mixing on medium speed until uniformly moist. Cover the bowl loosely. Rise at room temperature for about two hours. Pop it in the fridge.

After returning from a long day at work, take out a handful of dough and sprinkle with flour. Stretch all four sides of the dough around the bottom. Rest for 40 minutes on a well floured pizza peel (I just used a cutting board. After 20 minutes, preheat the oven to 450 with a baking stone in the middle rack and a broiler pan beneath it. Once the 40 minutes is up, sprinkle the top of the loaf with flour and slash the top of the bread. Slide the loaf onto the baking stone. Pour 1 cup of hot water into the broiling pan and quickly close the door (to keep the bread moist). Bake for 30 minutes, or until the crust is browned and firm to the touch. Cool completely on a wire rack and you will end up with this yummy bread:

The bread wasn't yet European bakery quality, but it has strong potential! Next time I will use the coarse sea salt and try playing around with different flavors - maybe the addition of herbs, honey, etc to kick it up a notch. Anyone know how to add the whole grain texture??

The dough lasts up to two weeks in the fridge, and the longer it sits the more flavorful it becomes. It can be used for a variety of meals and since Friday is Pizza Night at the Brock household (as Chris is obsessed with pizza), tomorrow I'm trying it as a pizza crust!