food : peasant bread

This has become our staple bread. It is easy to make, and fairly quick too. The bread is moist and delicious, with a nice crust. It can be made in most any container. I have made it in pyrex bowls, bread tins (the larger 9" size usually used for quick breads), and a springform pan. I have yet to try it in a dutch oven or as a freeform loaf. We tend to eat the whole loaf the day we cook it with maybe a bit left for day two. After day two it will likely be too hard. My preference is to just eat it plain, but it is good with butter, jam, vegemite, etc.

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Weigh or measure flour into the container you wish to use for the rising of the dough. I use a straight walled two quart container with measuring marks (so I can see when it has doubled in size)
2. Whisk in the salt, sugar, and yeast
3. Add the water and stir/mix/whisk until a gloopy mess is made with no spots of dry flour
4. Cover and let rise until doubled in size
5. Turn on oven and set to 425°F
6. Using a fork pull from the edges to the center, turning the container as you work around the outside
7. Grease a bread pan with vegan butter, coconut oil, etc.
8. Let rise uncovered until back to the "doubled" size, around 10–20 minutes
9. Pour into the bread pan
10. Brush a thin layer of olive oil (or other oil) on top of the dough in the pan
11. Check that oven is at temp and put in the bread. If using a metal bread pan (as opposed to pyrex or ceramic) maybe put a baking sheet under it. I have done it with and without. Depending on where in your oven the loaf is, the bottom may burn a bit without it... but if you don't have one or are using a different material just try it out and see
12. Bake for 15 minutes then turn the temperature down to 375°F
13. Bake for 25–30 minutes
14. Remove from oven and turn out onto a cooling rack. Tap the bottom. If you get a hollow/resonant sound: you are good to go. If not, maybe put it back in for a bit?
15. Remember to turn off the oven. Let the bread cool more or less fully before cutting into it

Notes

• You can skip brushing the oil, but the top may not get as nice a color
• Living at 5k feet elevation I make the following adjustments:
  • Use 1.5 tsp sugar (instead of 2)
  • Add an extra Tbsp of water
  • Add an extra Tbsp of flour
  • Do a third rise, using a fork to deflate the dough like we did before the second rise, and doing this third rise uncovered (like the second)
  • Do the cook at 375 for only 20 minutes
• Before the second rise you can move the dough into your baking container and, assuming it is an appropriate size, let the second (and, optionally, third) rise go until it just crests the top of the container