Printable Recipes from Mommy's Kitchen

use your browser's print function to print this recipe

Friday, September 4, 2009

Worlds Easiest Crusty Bread

3 cups all purpose flour
(you will need more to work the bread)
1/4 tsp instant active yeast
1 1/4 tsp salt
corn meal to dust top of loaf
1 1/2 cups water
(pour it a little at a time you might not need all of it)

Mix all the ingredients together except the cornmeal, the dough will be sticky put saran wrap over the mixing bowl tightly and let it set for 12-18 hours in about 70 degree's, I set mine in the microwave for safe keeping. The dough will be ready when the dough is dotted with holes. Take dough out onto a floured surface and work it 2-3 times gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, wheat bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6 to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

Yield: One 1½-pound loaf.