Don't you think it's about time that we create a Family Cookbook? Well, I DO! I've spent some time researching trying to come up with the easiest (free) way to get it going, and I believe this is it. Please post any of your favorite recipes, also any tips -- cooking, household, beauty, whatever -- and any inspirational thoughts (whether your own, or someone else's.) I would LOVE to have pictures to include as well. You could take pictures of the dishes/recipes you are submitting, or even just great pictures (or even below average pictures) of you and your family!

Please label each post with an appropriate label (i.e., salad, dessert, vegetarian, household tip, inspiration, etc.) Go ahead and add labels as needed; and it's ok to have more than one label per recipe/post.

My plan is to take what we assemble here, and put it into book form. I would love to have it ready for our Thanksgiving Extravaganza!

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Basic Artisan Bread

3 c. lukewarm water
1 1/2 Tbsp. granulated yeast (2 packets)
1 1/2 Tbsp. coarse salt
6 1/2 cups unsifted, all-purpose white flour
Cornmeal for surface where it will raise

This recipe makes (4) 1 lb. loaves.

The water should be just warm.  Add the yeast and salt to the water in a 5 quart,  resealable plastic food container.  Mix in the flour.  Add all of the flour at once.  Don't compress the flour, just gently scoop, and flatten the top with a knife.  Mix with a Danish Dough Whisk (totally the best tool for this).  Don't knead.  You're finished mixing when everything is uniformly moist, without dry patches.  Cover with a lid (not airtight).  
Allow mixture to rise at room temperature until it begins to collapse, usually about 2 hrs.  (Any where from 2-5 hours.  You can use part of the dough any time after this point. Place any portion not used into refrigerator, with lid on, but not airtight.  Dough will keep for up to 14 days.

Before baking: Prepare surface on which the dough will raise by sprinkling liberally with cornmeal.  This surface should be something from which the raised dough can easily slide onto baking stone in the oven.

Sprinkle the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour.  Cut off a 1 lb. (softball sized) piece of dough. Add more flour as needed to keep from sticking to your hands.  Form into a ball, until the top looks nice and smooth. Place on the corn-mealed surface to raise for 15-30 minutes.

To bake: Preheat oven to 450 degrees WITH baking stone inside on middle rack.  Place an empty broiler tray for holding water on lower oven rack.  Dust top of raised dough with flour, and slice 1/4 inch deep slits in top with a serrated knife.  Quickly, slide the dough onto the baking stone, then carefully pour about 1 cup hot water from tap into broiler tray, then close oven door to trap steam.  Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the crust is nicely browned and firm to the touch.  Cool on wire rack.

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