Artisan Bread
Quick and easy artisan bread loaf.
Ingredients
- 1 handful dough from artisan bread dough recipe
Instructions
- When the dough has risen (it should be at least doubled in size), it is ready to use. Prepare a wooden cutting board and dust a loaf-sized space with flour. Take a handful of dough from the bowl or bucket and pinch to separate it from the rest of the dough.
- Place the dough in the flour on the cutting board and turn the dough to cover it with flour.
- Handle the dough as little as possible while you shape it into a loaf. Do not knead or squish the dough because this would push out the air bubbles that keep the bread nice and light. Stretch the dough slightly to pull the sides down underneath and shape into a loaf shape. Place on the cutting board to sit while you preheat the oven to 400F. If using a baking stone, preheat it with the oven. A baking sheet or loaf pan works fine, too; do not preheat these.
- When the oven reaches 400F, use a serrated knife to make a few shallow slashes in the top of the loaf. This helps it expand more evenly as it rises during baking. Sprinkle a layer of cornmeal on the baking stone or baking sheet, and place the uncooked loaf on the cornmeal to keep it from sticking.
- Bake the loaf for 20 - 35 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped with a spoon or knife. Take the loaf out of the oven and allow it to cool for a few minutes before serving. The loaf will stay fresh for about a day. Store a partial loaf cut side down on the wooden cutting board or in a paper bag.