Easy Artisan White Bread

Easy Artisan White Bread - Piseco Baking Company

3 cups lukewarm water
6 1/2 to 7 1/2 cups (2 lbs) All-Purpose Flour
1 tablespoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons instant yeast (SAF)

Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl or food-safe plastic bucket, using Danish whisk/dough hook.

Mix and stir everything together to make very sticky, rough dough. Or, in a stand mixer, beat at medium speed with beater blade foe 30 to 60 seconds.  Make sure there are no dry spots.

Next, let the dough rise. Cover bowl or bucket with a lid or plastic wrap.  (Remember, your container must be at least 6-quart capacity). Let dough rise at room temp for 2 hours.  (If you are in a hurry you can skip this step and put it right in the fridge, but leaving it at too temp for 2 hours is best case scenario). Store the dough in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before baking. Can be stored up to 7 days.  The longer you keep it in the fridge, the tangier it will get. Over the course of the first day or so, you will see it rise and then fall.

On baking day, grease your hands and pull off 1/3 of the dough or a ball roughly the size of a softball. Form dough into a round ball or longer log.  (You could also divide into 9 large rolls).

Stretch dough into a nice tight ball, leaving seams underneath.  Will look like a ball of freshly pulled mozzarella.  Place dough on parchment lined or lightly greased baking sheet (jelly roll pan). Sift a light coating of flour over the top.  This will keep the dough moist as it rests before baking.

Let the dough rise for about 45-60 minutes. It won't appear to rise upwards that much, but it will settle and expand slightly.  Preheat your over to 450 and place a shallow metal or cast iron pan (not glass, Pyrex or ceramic) on the lowest oven rack. Have 1 cup of hot water ready to go.

When you are ready to bake, slash the bread 2 to 3 times with a sharp blade, making a cut about 1/2" deep.

Place the bread in the oven and carefully pour the hot water into the pack on the rack beneath.
Quickly close the over door.

Bake bread for 25 - 35 minutes, until it is deep golden brown.  Lots of steam will escape oven when the door is opened, so be careful.

Remove bread from oven, and cool on a rack.