By Kelly Bogard

Essential for sandwiches. Crunch for salads. Something to sop up that last bite of stew. Bread is good with any meal. And contrary to popular belief, it is fairly easy to make.

Bread is all about the love you put into it. It is a test in patience and accuracy.

Measurements are exact. Timing is crucial. But the end result? Warm, crusty and satisfying to the soul.

 

For Artisan Bread, you will need…Artisan Bread
3 c. all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. coarse sea salt
1 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. dry active yeast
1 1/2 c. warm water (approx. 110 degrees)

This recipe was shared by our very own Cindy Wennin. She is a graphic designer at Texas Farm Bureau and is all about details. She added her spin on a classic bread recipe and these are the results. She told me sometimes she adds a cup of grated mild cheddar for a little extra flavor.

First pour all the dry ingredients into a large bowl. I find that a glass bowl is best for this part of the process.
Artisan Bread

Add in the water. Stir until everything is combined. It is important to know the temperature of your water. If it is too hot, it will kill the yeast and it will not rise. I like mine to be at 110 degrees and I use a candy thermometer to test the temp. It is usually about that temperature when it comes out of the hot water faucet.
Artisan Bread

Once you have the dough good and sticky, cover the bowl with a piece of cling wrap and store in a nice warm place overnight. Cindy suggests simply closing it up in your microwave so the air conditioning doesn’t cool it too much. Let the dough rise for up to 24 hours.
Artisan Bread

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees, placing your dutch oven in there to get warm while the oven is preheating. While the oven is warming up, pour the dough out onto a floured surface and form into a ball.
Artisan Bread

Place it in the dutch oven over a piece of parchment that has been laid in the bottom to prevent it from sticking while baking. You can sprinkle a little of the sea salt over the top now for extra flavor before baking.
Artisan Bread

Cover the pot with a lid and bake the bread for 30 minutes covered. Then remove the lid and bake an additional five minutes to get it nice and golden brown.
Artisan Bread

This is the perfect bread for sharing with friends or family at a meal. I can’t wait to try it out on my crew. From all of us at Texas Table Top, enjoy!

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Recipe: Artisan Bread

Summary: A perfect complement for every meal

Ingredients

Artisan Bread

  • 3 c. all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp. coarse sea salt
  • 1 tbsp. sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. dry active yeast
  • 1 1/2 c. warm water (approx. 110 degrees)

Instructions

  • Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.
  • Pour in warm water and mix well to combine.
  • Cover with cling wrap and let rise in a warm place for between 10 to 24 hours.
  • When you are ready to bake the bread, preheat the oven to 450 degrees with the dutch oven in the oven to warm with it.
  • Pour the dough onto a flour surface and form into a ball.
  • Place the dough over the parchment-lined dutch oven and cover with lid.
  • Bake for 30 minutes.
  • Remove the lid and bake for an additional 5 minutes to make it golden brown.
  • Serve warm.

Prep time (duration): 24 hour(s), 0 minutes

Baking time (duration): 0 hour(s), 40 minutes

Number of servings (yield): 1 loaf

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