Fancy bread that's easy too

I think I successfully avoided any copyright issues with that title.

I used to avoid yeast breads because I didn't like proofing, kneading and double rising. Then I went to a RS class about artisan breads and I had no more excuses. No proofing, no kneading, and no double rising.

I adapted the recipe below from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. It's perfect to eat with soup.


1.5 cups lukewarm water
2 and 1/4  t yeast
2 t salt
1 and 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

Mix everything together in a bowl or a stand mixer. Don't knead. Let rise at room temperature for 2 hours or until the dough rises and collapses. Longer rise times are fine. Refrigerate dough in a lidded, but not airtight, container (plastice wrap works too).  The dough can be refrigerated up to two weeks.

On baking day, dust dough with flour and break off a 1-pound piece - about the size of a grapefruit, or about half the dough. Dust with flour and then quickly shape in into a ball by pulling top of dough around to the bottom and rotating a quarter turn each time. (Does that make sense?)  Allow dough to rest on a cornmeal covered pizza peel for 40 minutes.

Twenty minutes before baking time preheat oven with baking stone inside* to 450. Place an empty broiler pan** on a lower rack.

Sprinkle loaf with flour and make two slashes with a sharp knife. They can be criss cross, parallel or any other pattern. Slide the loaf onto the hot stone, pour one cup of water into the broiler pan and close door. Bake for about 30 minutes until loaf is brown and firm. Cool on a wire rack before slicing.


*If you don't have a baking stone just use a cookie sheet with parchment paper. They say it's not as good as baking right on a stone, but I did it that way for a long time.

**Don't use a glass pan or it will shatter, but I have used metal or other ceramic pans.

***I have forgotten both the slashing and the steam steps and the bread still turns out perfectly edible. It's hard to mess up.