Fast Bread Baking - The Process

This is the process for making the basic boule in Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day:

Measure and mix warm water, yeast, salt, and flour in a large tupperware container or dough bucket. (I started with the former, but fell in love with the process so fast that I bought one of the latter.)

Cover the container, making sure it is not airtight. (With the tupperware containers I didn't click the lid completely into place. I have put a small hole in my dough bucket's lid.) Leave it on the counter to rise for a couple of hours. Then stick the bucket in the fridge. This boule dough is good for 14 days.

When you want to bake a loaf of bread, cut off a chunk of dough. Shape the dough by pulling the it from top to bottom 4 or 5 times turning it as you go. This creates a smooth top and arranges the gluten.

Let the ball of dough rest for 40 minutes on a piece of parchment paper. Preheat the oven with a pizza stone or dutch oven inside. I use a dutch oven.

Flour the top of the dough and cut slashes in it. Plop the dough with the parchment paper into the dutch oven. Bake for 15 minutes with the top on, and 20 minutes with the top off.

This is what you get:

And here it is with soup and cheese for dinner:

I really recommend the book to anyone who is looking to make homemade bread, but doesn't have the time or inclination to make it the traditional way. If you want to learn more, the authors have a website: www.artisanbreadinfive.com.