This is the basic dough. Try this first, and then you may want to venture into other grains and
recipes. My tip: because this is a very wet dough, I prefer to put it on a square of parchment
instead of using cornmeal. I just slide the parchment along with the dough off the pizza peel onto
the ceramic stone in the oven. About 10 minutes before it's ready to come out, I turn the bread
over and remove the parchment, which allows the bottom of the loaf to brown. The parchment is
reusable for a few loaves.
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Five-Minute Artisan Bread (Serves 4) Note: This recipe must be prepared in advance.
From Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery that Revolutionizes

1-1/2 tablespoons granulated yeast (about 1-1/2 packets)
1-1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
6-1/2 cups unbleached flour, plus extra for dusting dough
Cornmeal

In a large plastic resealable container, mix yeast and salt into 3 cups lukewarm (about 100
degrees) water. Using a large spoon, stir in flour, mixing until mixture is uniformly moist with no
dry patches. Do not knead. Dough will be wet and loose enough to conform to shape of plastic
container. Cover, but not with an airtight lid.

Let dough rise at room temperature, until dough begins to flatten on top or collapse, at least 2
hours and up to 5 hours. (At this point, dough can be refrigerated up to 2 weeks; refrigerated
dough is easier to work with than room-temperature dough, so the authors recommend that first-
time bakers refrigerate dough overnight or at least 3 hours.)

When ready to bake, sprinkle cornmeal on a pizza peel. Place a broiler pan on bottom rack of
oven. Place baking stone on middle rack and repeat oven to 450 degrees, preheating baking
stone for at least 20 minutes.

Sprinkle a little flour on dough and on your hands. Pull dough up and, using a serrated knife, cut
off a grapefruit-size piece (about 1 pound). Working for 30 to 60 seconds (and adding flour as
needed to prevent dough from sticking to hands; most dusting flour will fall off, it's not intended
to be incorporated into dough), turn dough in hands, gently stretching surface of dough, rotating
ball a quarter-turn as you go, creating a rounded top and a bunched bottom.

Place shaped dough on prepared pizza peel and let rest, uncovered, for 40 minutes. Repeat
with remaining dough or refrigerate it in lidded container. (Even one day's storage improves
flavor and texture of bread. Dough can also be frozen in 1-pound portions in airtight containers
and defrosted overnight in refrigerator prior to baking day.) Dust dough with flour.

Using a serrated knife, slash top of dough in three parallel, 1⁄4-inch deep, cuts (or in a tic-tac-toe
pattern). Slide dough onto preheated baking stone. Pour 1 cup hot tap water into broiler pan and
quickly close oven door to trap steam. Bake until crust is well-browned and firm to the touch,
about 30 minutes. Remove from oven to a wire rack and cool completely.

Video of bread making: http://video.aol.com/video-detail/artisan-bread-in-five-minutes-a-
day/334128272

 

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