5 Minute Bread, Two Ways

Rating: 5 million bajillion stars

Prep time: So easy you won't believe you're making bread

I have had the Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes A Day technique bookmarked to try for several months. Two or three weeks ago, I finally tried it... and now, the only thing I can't figure out is why I didn't start making bread this way sooner! Not only are these recipes the easiest bread recipes I've ever tried, but they are also THE MOST DELICIOUS. And the best part about this technique is that you can have fresh bread every single day! For more recipes from the Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day book, see this article. Though I do recommend the book... it has TONS of different quick recipes!

AN IMPORTANT TIP: I learned from this method that the proper way to store a crusty bread is NOT in a plastic bag. The best way to store crusty bread, it turns out, is to simply place it on the cutting board with the cut side down. I was a little skeptical of this idea at first, but it works GREAT.


One other thing—you may be tempted to brush the top of the boule with egg white/oil/something else, like you do in many bread recipes to create a better crust. I did that for awhile, but once I stopped doing it I realized how utterly stupid that was. Trust this bread: it will make you the tastiest, chewiest, yummiest crust you've ever tasted, no help needed.

Basic Loaf (French Boule)

3 cups warm water

1 1/2 T yeast

1 1/2 T salt*

6 1/2 cups flour (I like to use 5 1/2 cups white, 1 cup wheat)

(It's important to use unbleached all-purpose white flour for this, rather than bleached flour. Unbleached flour—besides being generally healthier for you—is higher in protein, which helps this recipe work.)

In a large (5 quart) container that is NOT metal, mix together all ingredients with a wooden spoon. (I don't have a bowl that is big enough and not metal, so I usually mix up my dough in a smaller plastic bowl and then pour it into my largest metal bowl, lined with freezer paper. It is kind of a pain, but it has worked fine so far.) That's all you have to do: mix gently until all the ingredients are combined and evenly moist. Then stick your spoon in the sink, cover your bowl with something breathable (I typically do plastic wrap or tin foil, and I punch holes in the top of the covering—I tried a towel at first but my dough rose so high it stuck to the towel and that was a pain to clean off!) and let sit in a draft-free place for 2 1/2 hours. After that time, you can work with the dough; however, it IS easier if it's been refrigerated for awhile (less sticky). I usually mix up my dough in the afternoon, stick it in the fridge, and it's ready by morning. When you're ready to shape a loaf: If you're lucky enough to have a pizza stone and pizza peel, then sprinkle some cornmeal on your pizza peel; if not, you can be like me, and pull out oa piece of parchment paper to use instead. To shape the loaf, pull out a grapefruit-sized portion of the dough (or however big you prefer) and gently stretch the "corners" of the dough under, until you have a nice little ball. Plop your ball on the pizza peel/parchment paper, and use a serrated knife to slash the top of the loaf in whatever pattern you desire (I like to do my slashes only in one direction, which makes the loaf come out slightly more oval-shaped and better for slicing). If your dough is very sticky you may need to lightly brush it with flour before slashing. Allow your dough to rise for about 30 minutes. 20 minutes before you are ready to put it in the oven, turn your oven on to 400 degrees. On the top rack of the oven, place your pizza stone (or, if you are like me, your cookie sheet). On the bottom rack, place a boiler pan (in my world, that is an old 9x13 cake pan). Once the oven is fully heated, slide your risen loaf from the pizza peel to pizza stone (or simply lift the parchment paper and place it on the cookie sheet) and add about two cups of hot water to the boiler pan. Close the over door, allow to bake about 40 minutes, and voila! You have officially produced THE MOST AMAZING BREAD EVER TASTED. And tomorrow after you've eaten every last crumb, you will still have dough in your fridge to make another loaf. Note: this is definitely a savory bread, the kind that is great for soups, sandwiches, or eating plain with butter. I've heard a few people describe it as "too salty"—it's not really salty, but the high salt content makes it a savory bread rather than a sweet bread. For a sweeter bread to put jam on, decrease the salt or use the recipe below.

100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread

1 1⁄2 tbsp granulated yeast (1 1⁄2 packets)
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp salt
1/2 cup honey
5 tbsp neutral-flavored oil, plus more for greasing the pan
1 1⁄2 cups lukewarm milk
1 1⁄2 cups lukewarm water
6 2⁄3 cups whole wheat flour

(Tip: I tried to mix this one up with a wooden spoon and my arm almost fell off. Use a mixer with a dough attachment—but only use the lowest speed, or else it will knead your bread, which you don't want.) In mixer with dough hook, mix together water, yeast, salt, honey, milk, and oil. Add in flour and mix until combined and moist. Allow to rise 2-3 hours until your dough has risen and collapsed or flattened on top. At this point your dough is ready to work with, though (again) it's easier once it's been refrigerated. When you're ready to make a loaf: Spray medium-sized loaf pan with cooking spray. Pull off a large section of dough (about the size of your fists together, or the size of a very small canteloupe) and shape it by gently stretching the "corners" of the dough under, until you have a nice little ball. Place in loaf pan (you want the pan to be a little more than half-full). Slash the top of the loaf with a serrated knife and allow the dough to rest for 1 hour and 40 minutes. About 5 minutes before you are ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350, with a boiler pan (aka old cake pan) on the bottom rack. When the oven is preheated, place your loaf pan on the top rack and put 2 cups of hot water in boiler pan. Bake for 50 60 minutes, until deep brown. This is GREAT with butter and homemade jam!

Now go try these recipes... your life will never be the same!