Bread and Veg

I would argue that there is nothing better than bread and butter.  Softened salted butter, obv.  But also, good, good bread.  And I am picky about bread.  If it lasts longer than a few days, I probably am not going to like it.

Bakeries aren't big in Boulder.  I mean there are a few.  There aren't any near me.  The best I can find is Panera, which is great, but it isn't on the bike ride home...so it is not convenient.  Therefore, I have been trying to see how hard it really is to bake bread.   Can I do it on a regular basis?  Is it worth it?  Do I have the skillz to make Panera quality bread?

I tried the No-Knead Artisan bread baked in the dutch oven a few weeks ago.  It was delicious.  BUT...it took about 24 hours.  And the dutch oven gets extremely hot (needed too layers of oven mitt).  And I got corn meal on about ever square inch of my kitchen.  I knew I would make it again, but not regularly.

So, I have been searching for something easier...and I think I found it!  EEEEE!!!!

I found this recipe that makes 4 1 lb. loaves of bread total.  The dough takes about 5 minutes to make. Then it rises for two hours.  Then you put in the fridge and can use it anytime after 3 hours up to 14 days.  All you do is cut of a piece of dough, shape, let rise for 40 minutes, bake for 30 minutes on a pizza stone.  Easiest thing ever!

I made the first loaf today.  It was so so so good.  I will wait to do a full post until I make the rest because they say that it gets better as it sits in the fridge.  But here is the recipe if you just can't wait.

It is a different texture than the other Artisan bread.  It was less holey.  I honestly liked both.  It was probably more moist.  The crust was still nice and crisp, but not has hard as the other.  Mostly because this one didn't have any corn meal.  Again, I really like both for different reasons.

The main point:  this bread was too easy.  It is almost easier than going to the store and buying it.  And it cost 40 cents a loaf to make.  Big fan.

We ate this bread for dinner with grilled veg and a caprese salad.  And I loved every second of it.