Moses Bread

In 8 hours you can have a fresh loaf of artisan bread… with no kneading or breaking of sweat.. just time..

I’ve handed out this recipe to many people and I have come to the conclusion that it needs a step by step instructions.

So here goes..

8 am:

 I gather my flour, salt, and yeast.

In large bowl add your dry ingredients

3 1/2 cups of warm water... Now this is a very important.. yeast a living organism.. and you can kill it. Keep that in mind as you use your water to make rolls, pizza dough, breads... anything that uses yeast.. so your milk or water temp is very important here.. I like to think of yeast as a baby.. you would never dunk a baby down into hot water.. yeast is the same.. have the water run on your wrist... too hot? you'll know it.. it should be warm.

Add water.. the recipe calls for 3 ½ cups of water but I think I measure to heavy so I end up adding more water.. doesn’t affect the outcome at all.

Stir.. not done.. there is still some flour not mixed in.. if you become lazy and think ( like I did/do) that the moisture will just absorb the flour your wrong.. it actually creates a little pocket and when you bake it there is a extra surprise of dried flour. Not good.

Now we are done stirring. Cover it and let it sit on counter for several hours until doubled. Time it took for all of this?? 5 minutes.

10 am:

After two hours it has risen quite a lot but I want to give it another hour.

12 pm:

Laundry got the best of me so I forgot about the bread.. it was a lot higher but upon taking off the plastic it deflated. Place in fridge for 3 hours..

5:30:

Again.. time got away from me.. sprinkle some flour on top so that you can get it out without having your hands covered in dough.. slice off what you want to bake place what you don’t back in the bowl and recover place in fridge ( it will keep for two weeks)

Shape into loaf using more flour if needed..

I have two ways of raising it… a cutting board that has corn meal or flour sprinkled on… or

A sheet of wax paper sprayed with cooking spray ( make sure you cover it will with the spray oil other wise you will have a sticky mess)

Here I have my pans.. this is a cast iron enamal  dutch oven ( they come in just cast iron too) I love my pans.. I got a little greedy there for awhile and had three.. One was given away and the other two are still being horded..( just did a inventory check... still have a huge clay dutch oven that I haven't used.. I give up...) I cook everything in mine.. they are a little oven inside a oven.

This is my present from my dear sweet sister.. I had spent many hours drooling over this pan online.. what a surprize when it came in the mail. this one I use when I want to make small sandwiches or company because it makes such a pretty loaf.

6:15 pm.. raising for 45 mins.. pan in oven started preheating right before I removed the dough from the fridge.

Here is how I put the loaf in my preheated pan.. it takes a bit of practice but soon you get the hang of it.. pick up all four corners of the paper.. ( other hand is missing… I think it was holding the camera)

Put it to the edge of the pan and let one side go…

Your loaf will then slid into the pan

You can then if it fell all to one side pull it with your fingers making sure you don’t touch the sides of the hot pot.. to reshape it…

Replace cover on pot and place in oven for 30 to 35 mins.

6:45 pm:

Done… let it cool a bit before slicing…

Print Recipe

Recipe:

1-1/2 tablespoons granulated yeast (about 1-1/2 packets)

1-1/2 tablespoons kosher salt

6-1/2 cups unbleached flour, plus extra for dusting dough

3-1/2 cups warm water

Directions:

• 1. In a large bowl stir in flour,yeast,salt and water mixing until mixture is uniformly moist with no dry patches. Do not knead. Dough will be wet and loose enough to conform to shape of container. Cover, but not with an airtight lid.
• 2. Let dough rise at room temperature, until dough begins to flatten on top or collapse, at least 2 hours and up to 5 hours. (At this point, dough can be refrigerated up to 2 weeks; refrigerated dough is easier to work with than room-temperature dough, it is recommended that first-time bakers refrigerate dough overnight or at least 3 hours.)
• 3. When ready to bake, sprinkle cornmeal on a pizza peel, cutting board, or greased wax paper.  Place baking pan with lid on middle rack and preheat oven to 450 degrees, preheating pan for at least 40 minutes.
• 4. Sprinkle a little flour on dough and on your hands. Pull dough up and, using a serrated knife, cut off a grapefruit-size piece (about 1 pound). Working for 30 to 60 seconds (and adding flour as needed to prevent dough from sticking to hands; most dusting flour will fall off, it's not intended to be incorporated into dough), turn dough in hands, gently stretching surface of dough, rotating ball a quarter-turn as you go, creating a rounded top and a bunched bottom.
• 5. Place shaped dough on prepared paper and let rest, uncovered, for 40 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough or refrigerate it in lidded container. (Even one day's storage improves flavor and texture of bread. Dough can also be frozen in 1-pound portions in airtight containers and defrosted overnight in refrigerator prior to baking day.) Dust dough with flour.
• 6.  Bake until crust is well-browned and firm to the touch, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven to a wire rack and cool completely.