OK folks, bread baking can’t get much easier than this. So, if you have been holding off baking bread that looks and tastes like it came from a fancy bakery, there is no time like the present to put on an apron and have at it! And I know, this bread could contain one less ingredient if the recipe didn’t call for added yeast. But I believe I have mentioned before that I hardly ever plan-ahead on the type of bread I am going to bake. It’s more of a spontaneous result of realizing while I am making breakfast that we are almost out of bread. See how that works. Running low on bread equals, get your tush in gear and make more! Simple. OK, in my own defense, I do think ahead sometimes. But not nearly as often as I would like. Thus, the added yeast in this recipe. (I never claimed to be a kitchen goddess. But I do qualify for a B+ on consistent behavior. Pavlov would be so proud.)

Anyway – this recipe makes a really great loaf of bread. Perfect for sandwiches, smothered with Garlic Herb Butter (see recipe below) as an accompaniment for Italian food or soup, made into crostini, as the base for bruschetta, or any time a lovely slice of bread is warranted. This recipe basically produces an all-around, delicious, lightly flavored, firm textured, chewy crusted sourdough bread. And super easy to build.

Well, that’s it for today. As usual I have a protagonist to accompany as (in this case) he unravels the mystery of who killed Cock Robin? Not really Cock Robin. But you catch my drift!

Plus, I’m making meat loaf for dinner. And I still haven’t figured out what side dish to serve. Also, salad or veggie? Sometimes it boggles my mind how many choices I make each day that are mostly insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Will my dinner choices have any impact on world peace, for example? Of course not. Will my choices affect our continued good health? You bet your bippy my choices make a difference! So, no pressure Patti! But make the right choices.

And yes, I know. Preparing the menu for every stinkin’ meal, every stinkin’ day takes a lot of thoughtful decision making. But good, healthy food can make all the difference in the world to your family when it comes time to sit down together and share a meal.

So, keep preparing delicious, healthy food for the enjoyment of every person at table. Your reward will be the smile on their face(s). And the knowledge that you are not alone! Every meal planner around the world shares the same predicament!

Peace and love to all.  

1½ c. warm water

¾ c. sourdough starter discard, room temperature

2 tsp. active dry yeast

1½ tsp. kosher salt

4 – 4½ c. bread flour, or as much as needed

extra virgin olive oil 

Place the warm water, sourdough starter, and yeast in the bowl of your stand mixer. Let sit for 5 minutes. Add the salt and 1½ cups of the bread flour. Mix together with your bread hook. Let sit for 5 minutes.

Add enough remaining bread flour to make a soft, elastic dough. Dough should ball up around the bread hook, leaving just a bit stuck to the bottom of the bowl. The dough should be a bit sticky, but not tacky. Pour a bit of oil in the bowl and using your hands and a stiff rubber spatula, form the dough into a ball, completely greased with the oil.

Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise until doubled in volume, 60-90 minutes. Punch down once during this rising.

Cover a cookie sheet with a rectangle of parchment paper. Use enough parchment paper to allow for lifting the dough into a Dutch oven or clay baker (bread cloche). Gently shape the dough into a ball but avoid kneading. Place the dough ball on the parchment paper. Cover with the same piece of plastic wrap that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Place in a warm, draft free spot for an hour.

In the last half hour of rising, preheat oven to 500 degrees. Place your clay baker or Dutch oven on the middle rack of the oven at the same time you turn it on. You want your clay baker or Dutch oven to get hot right along with the oven.

Once the oven comes to temperature, slash an “X” on the top of the dough. (Don’t use too much force or you will deflate the bread.) Just let the weight of the knife do the work.

Remove the Dutch oven or clay baker from the oven being very careful not to burn yourself. Carefully, using the sides of the parchment paper, lower the dough into the hot Dutch oven or clay baker. Cover the Dutch oven or clay baker and place in the oven.

Bake covered for 30 minutes, then uncover and allow to finish baking. Total baking time is about 35-40 minutes. (Mine is perfect after a total of 35 minutes.) The top should be dark golden brown. The internal temperature should reach at least 205 degrees.

Remove from oven and carefully lift the parchment paper and bread out of the clay baker or Dutch oven onto a wire rack to cool. Cool completely before slicing.

Please note: A trick I use to make lifting my clay baker in and out of the oven, is to place it on a low sided baking sheet before it ever goes into the oven. It’s much easier to lift a baking sheet in and out of the oven than a clay baker. Much less likely to burn yourself. Dutch ovens – no problem. They have nice handles made for the purpose.

Also, if you don’t own a clay baker or a Dutch oven, simply bake the bread as is. It may take longer to bake then the time given above, so to be certain, take the breads temperature to make sure it is done to perfection.

GARLIC HERB BUTTER

½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temp. 

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

2 tsp. chopped flat-leaf parsley

½ tsp. Italian seasoning

¼ tsp. dried oregano

¼ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

Mush all together and serve at room temperature. Let people slather the butter on themselves, or place sliced bread on a baking sheet and spread liberally with the butter mixture. Bake in a pre-heated 375-degree oven for 8-10 minutes or until the bread is crusty around the edges and the butter topping is very hot. Serve either piping hot or at room temperature.