If you guys have been following along for a while, you’ll know a couple of things about me.
- I’m not a great chef, so I love easy and delicious recipes.
- I looooove baking, but I’m fairly busy these days (duh), so again I’m constantly looking for easy ways to get my baking fix in.
And I should probably add,
- I really love sourdough bread.
So, finding a recipe that lets me prep 4 small loaves of bread at once, requires no kneading, only uses four ingredients, and has a bit of sourdough flare? Well, that’s right up my alley.
A bit of background on why I love it, and what makes it so easy:
- This isn’t a true sourdough recipe, and doesn’t have a super strong ‘sour’ flavour (because we aren’t using a classic sourdough starter – which ferments for many days to create the flavour), so if you aren’t a traditional sourdough fan don’t dismay… you’ll probably still love this!
- The original recipe is based on the Artisan Bread in Five Minutes recipe and has been tweaked by me (because I’ve probably made it a hundred times at this point)
- The recipe is split into two steps that can be done on two separate days: dough prep, and baking. I usually make the dough on Sunday, then I separate it into four and leave it in four containers in the fridge for up to 14 days (this is what gives it a bit of a sourdough flavour). When you want to bake it, just pull it out, let it rise, and bake away – totally doable on a busy weekday!
Okay, now to the good part. The recipe deets:
3 Cups Warm Water (it should feel warm to the touch but not hot)
1 Tablespoon Granulated Yeast
1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
6 ½ Cups All Purpose Flour
(and a bit of cornmeal or parchment will help)
Dough Prep (I do this on Sunday)
Add the salt and yeast to the warm water in a large bowl.
Add the flour and mix with a wooden spoon or a dough-hook on a stand mixer. Kneading isn’t required, just mix until the dough is all moist.
Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap and let rise for 2 hours (until it’s roughly doubled).
Cut the dough into four equal parts (I use a flour-dusted large knife) and place into four sealable containers (I use large Tupperware containers). Crack a corner of the lid on each so that gas can escape.
The dough can be stored like this for up to two weeks until you’re ready to bake it.
Baking Day
Prep a flat cutting board with cornmeal or parchment paper (this makes it easy to slide the loaf into the oven).
Dust your dough with flour so it doesn’t stick to your hands, then shape into a mound. Stretch it with your thumbs and tuck the ends underneath the loaf – that’s what I find works best. It should only take 20 seconds or so to form the loaf.
Take a flour-dusted knife and make three deep slices in the top of the loaf (this allows it to expand when baking while retaining its shape. (if your loaf ‘explodes’ when baking, your cuts weren’t deep enough… this happened to me the first ten or so times I tried it until I figured it out).
Let the loaf rest for 40 mins before baking. I usually set a timer for 20 mins, and at that point I start preheating the oven. Then I set the timer for 20 mins again.
Preheat the oven to 450F with a pizza stone in the middle rack and a roasting pan on the bottom rack. You can do it without a pizza stone, but I find the crust best if you use one.
Once the oven is up to temp, slide the bread onto the pizza stone and pour 1 cup of hot tap water into the roasting pan (placed underneath the stone). This creates steam in the oven and creates the perfect crust for the loaf!
Bake for 30-35 mins until the crust is golden brown!
That’s it – once you go through the process a few times you’ll get into a rhythm and realize just how easy it is.
And one last note – the longer you leave the dough in the fridge the more sourdough-like taste you’ll get. So, depending on your preference you can manage it accordingly!
Let me know if you try it out – I’d love to hear how it works for you. Now excuse me while I eat an entire loaf to myself…
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