Easy Italian crusty/chewy bread

This is the yummiest and easiest bread.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup tepid water plus 1 tablespoon
• 1 tsp dry active yeast
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 cups all-purpose flour

Add the water, yeast, salt, and flour into a mixing bowl. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, stir well to form a wet, very sticky dough. Do not try to knead with your hands, as it is too sticky to handle. Once mixed, cover the bowl with a towel, and leave out at room temperature for 24 hours.

Preheat oven to 450. Place Dutch oven, or other oven proof, lidded pot in the oven. Let it heat up with the oven until it’s very hot. Open oven and take off lid. Spray interior of pot with cooking spray, then ladle out the sticky dough with a spatula into the Dutch oven. Cover. Lower oven temperature to 400 degrees. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove cover. Bake for 35 additional minutes until golden brown. This recipe is easily doubled.

 

Italian Dinner rolls

1 ¼ cup warm water

1 Tbs. yeast (I buy mine in bulk at Costco and store it in the freezer. Much cheaper)

1 tsp. sugar

1 Tbs. flour

You can also add (instead of the flour) high gluten flour.

Set aside in a clear glass container (so you can see it when the yeast proofs) until it becomes bubbly (about 5 minutes). Dump into mixer bowl (with dough hook).

Add:

4+ cups flour

¼ cup softened or melted butter

1 egg

1/3 cup sugar

¼ cup powdered milk

½ tsp. salt

Process 5+ minutes until the bread is fully kneaded and you can spank it like a baby’s bottom. Let rise one hour in covered, sprayed bowl. Punch down. Grab a small handful of dough, roll into a worm, then tie it. Place on greased cookie sheet. Makes A LOT of rolls. Let rise 1 hour. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.

Combine:

1/3 cup melted butter

several dashes of garlic powder

1-2 Tbs. dried parsley

With paintbrush, paint the tops of the hot rolls with butter mixture. Serve with marinara sauce.

Country wheat bread

1 ¼ cup warm water

1 Tbs. yeast

1 tsp. sugar

1 Tbs. flour

 

Proof the yeast (as in above). Drop into bowl, then add:

3 cups white flour

1 cup+ whole wheat flour. (You can make this 50/50 or with 100% whole wheat flour if you want a more dense bread. King Arthur Flour now makes a white 100% whole wheat flour now!)

1/3 cup softened or melted butter

1 egg

1/4 cup honey

2 Tbs. molasses

¼ cup brown sugar

¼ cup powdered milk

½ tsp. salt

Place in greased bowl and let rise one hour. Punch down. Form into two long loaves; let rise one hour. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes until golden brown.

Easy non-yeast bread:

Wheat Bread with a Kick

1 cup wheat flour
2 cups white flour
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp. salt
4 tsp. baking powder
1 cup light-colored beer
1/2 cup milk

Throw all ingredients in large bowl. Stir until combined. Pour into a greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 for one hour. Simple! To make cheese bread: Omit wheat flour (3 cups white instead). Add 1 cup grated cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup chopped green onions, several dashes of pepper, and (if interested), 1/2 cup crumbled bacon.