Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day

I just got the book Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day from the library.  Wow!  What took me so long?  What an awesome book.

Here is a loaf of french bread that I made this morning, with the baby on my hip.  No joke.

Oh MY GOODNESS!  Fresh baked bread and lilikoi butter for breakfast.  What?!  I know.

Okay, so here's the deal ~  You take flour, water, yeast, and salt - put it in a bowl, mix it up with a wooden spoon and pop it in the fridge.  No kneading, no mixing, no equipment necessary.

You have 14 days to use the dough and it only gets better with age.  YUM!

If you want to try the recipe, you can get it here.

My NOTES on the recipe:

I made the dough, let it sit on my counter for about 2 hours then popped it in the fridge.

I pulled the tub out that night, about 6 hours later.  I baked 2 loaves that night.  They were a little dense, but still super good, I should have proofed them for longer.  I don't have a pizza stone so I just used a sheet pan turned upside down.  I have a crappy apartment oven, so if I can do it, so can you!

I baked another loaf 2 days later.  The recipe recommends letting your dough rest overnight, and I agree.  It turned out more flavorful, lighter, and with a crunchy crust.  I rounded the dough and then shaped it into a baguette and let it rise for 50 minutes this morning, then baked it 25 minutes.  Well worth getting the book, but the recipe here will do for a sample.  I would love to hear about any variations or tips if you have made this recipe before.  I love that you don't need to knead it, and that you can keep it in your fridge for 2 weeks at a time.  Fantastically simple for a mom of a demanding babe.