Resolution Day #2 ~ Liz's Artisan Bread

My dear friend Liz always has wonderful, healthy recipes that she sends my way! So, today I decided to make her Artisan Bread recipe to go with our Chicken Cacciatore over Rice. Ryan made the cacciatore because that is beyond my cooking skills at this moment (someday...ha ha) and it is his specialty (it was my FAVORITE when I was pregnant with Connor...hence my 55 lb weight gain...ha ha). I made the rice in my rice cooker, so no need for explanation there!! :)

Artisan Bread
Ingredients:
6 1/2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 tablespoons of salt
1 1/2 tablespoons (2 packets) of granulated yeast
3 cups of lukewarm water

I don't have pictures to go with steps 1-3 because I made the dough on Sunday before I decided to do this cooking resolution. 

1. Combine the yeast & water. The water should feel slightly warmer than room temp. With colder water, the bread will need more time to rise.

2. Combine the flour & salt and then add to water/yeast mixture all at once.

3. Mix until the mixture is uniform. It will be thick & very wet. You do not need to knead the dough.

4. Next you just cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise for 2 hours.

This is what my dough looked like after 3 days in the refrigerator. It doesn't look very good, but don't let that fool you!

5. When you are ready to make the bread, preheat your oven to 450 degrees. During the preheat, place a oven safe container in the bottom of the oven, so that it becomes hot.

6. Bake the dough on a cookie sheet. You cut a grapefruit sized chunk of dough off, spray it with oil, and cut an "X" onto the top of the dough.

7. Put the dough in the oven and at the same time pour cold water into the pan in the bottom of the oven. Shut the oven door as quickly as possible. This creates steam that will give the bread a chewy crust.

8. Bake dough for approx. 30 minutes. You know it is done when it has a hollow sound when tapped.

The best part: You can put the remaining dough back in the refrigerator for up to 14 days! When you are ready to make another loaf, cut a chunk off and bake away! This recipes makes about 3 loaves.

Steamy!! Yum!

The verdict: We LOVE this bread. Not only is it yummy, but it is also easy & cheap to make! I made it for a Christmas dinner with my family and everyone loved it and asked for the recipe.

THANKS LIZ!:) Keep sending the good recipes my way!

Our Wednesday night meal: