let me take the mystery out of breadmaking

This is the easiest bread recipe I've ever tried. It was first told to me through an article in Mother Earth News and breadmaking for me has been great in result. As a busy mother you'd think I wouldn't be able to have fresh bread made everyday, but alas , it's so easy ! All you need is 5 minutes , really !

If you can remember these number you'll never be without the recipe

6-3-3-13

for 6 cups water, 3 tablespoos salt, 3 tablespoons yeast, and 13 cups flour (whoa)

If you divide this in half , you will have two very nice loaves. Or you can make the whole thing and save some dough in the fridge for later use. The longer it sits the more sour the dough becomes.

I'm at the point where I know  how to make bread dough just by using my eyes. Though this takes time and practice.

Here's what you do:

In a large mixing bowl pour in your all purpose flour. (I use a mixture of 1/4-1/3 all-purpose and  the rest  spelt. I also add 1/3 cup of ground flax seeds... just get creative!)

Add your salt and yeast ( I use Red Star yeast and kosher sea salt)

Next make a well in the center, add your hot water (hot to your touch) and with you wooden spoon mix the dough until completely wet. Cover with a clean damp towel and let it sit for a couple hours. 

Now, I've experimented with kneading vs.  not kneading and the results are in -

it makes no difference in the end product. Seriously.

Soo, butter up a couple loaf pans and pour in the dough with a 2 inch space left in the pans. The dough will rise considerably. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about an hour or so. My method is when I can smell it , it's usually done . I also turn it once to make sure all sides are golden brown. You can also knock on it for that hollow sound - it's done then.

I also really like making round ones . So I use my trusty pyrex mixing bowl- the small size. Leaving a 1 inch head room I scatter sesame/ flax seeds on top and bake it til golden brown . These pictures show the end result...tasty , wonderfully wholesome homemade bread.

This dough also works great for pizza crusts. I'll post on pizza at a later date.