Peasant Bread

Ya gotta love Pinterest! I know I sure do. Speaking of Pinterest, that's where I found this amazing bread recipe. It's called "Peasant Bread" and it's from Alexandra's Kitchen. The amazing thing about this bread is how simple it is. No kneadin', it's quick, and it bakes in bowls. What more could ya want? Not much, my friend. Not much. 

Are you ready to get started? Me too. I'm starved.

*Note - The recipe calls for 4 cups of all-purpose flour, I use 2 cups all-purpose and 2 cups whole wheat. If you decide to use whole wheat, be sure to include the gluten. 

**Note - To get lukewarm water, I found that if you run 1 cup of water through the coffee pot and then add it to 1 cup of cold water, the temperature is perfect!

***Note - If you want a warm spot for your dough to rise, turn the oven on to 350* and let it preheat for 1 minute. Turn it off and pop the dough in and let it rise in the dark, quiet, warm, little oven.. Speaking of dark, quiet, and warm.. I think I might just jump right in there with it! (I'm just kidding!)

You'll need:

4 cups all-purpose flour* 

2 t. salt

2 cups lukewarm water**

1 T. sugar

2 t. active-dry yeast

Room temperature butter

Whisk together the flour and salt in a large bowl. Set this aside.

Dissolve the sugar into the lukewarm water (see note **) and then sprinkle the yeast over the water. Let sit for a few minutes until it's foaming and bubbly.

Once the yeast has started foaming, add it to the flour and salt. Stir together until the flour is absorbed and the little flour patches are gone around the bowl.

Refer back to note*** and pop your dough in the warm oven with a damp tea towel draped over the bowl. Leave it there for 1 - 2 hours to rise; if you let it sit for 2 hours, this will make the second rising go faster.

As soon as the first rising is over, take the room temperature butter and grease the inside of a 1 L and 1.5 L glass (Pyrex) bowl. You can use these two bowls for a loaf each (2 loaves from this batch) or use a 2 L bowl for the whole batch.

Use a couple of forks and separate the dough (if using two bowls) or plop it all in the one 2 L bowl.

Let the dough rise for 20 - 30 minutes and then bake at 425* for 15 minutes. After those 15 minutes, drop the temperature down to 375* and bake for another 15 minutes.

Once the loaves are cooked, plop them out onto a wire rack and cool or you can cool them for 10 minutes and then slice and serve warm. 

After cooled, slice the loaves and enjoy!

Ashleigh

Copy, Paste, and Print for the recipe below:

Peasant Bread

(prairiegalcookin.blogspot.com)

*Note - The recipe calls for 4 cups of all-purpose flour, I use 2 cups all-purpose and 2 cups whole wheat. If you decide to use whole wheat, be sure to include the gluten. 

**Note - To get lukewarm water, I found that if you run 1 cup of water through the coffee pot and then add it to 1 cup of cold water, the temperature is perfect!

***Note - If you want a warm spot for your dough to rise, turn the oven on to 350* and let it preheat for 1 minute. Turn it off and pop the dough in and let it rise in the dark, quiet, warm, little oven.. Speaking of dark, quiet, and warm.. I think I might jump there with it! (I'm just kidding!)

You'll need:

4 cups all-purpose flour* 

2 t. salt

2 cups lukewarm water**

1 T. sugar

2 t. active-dry yeast

Room temperature butter

- Whisk together the flour and salt; set this aside.

- Dissolve the sugar in the lukewarm water and then sprinkle over it the yeast.

- Once the yeast is foaming and bubbly, add it to the flour and salt mixture. 

- Refer back to note*** and pop your dough in the warm oven to rise for 1 - 2 hours with a damp tea towel over the bowl. If you let it rise 2 hours, it'll make the second rising go faster. 

- Take the room temperature butter and grease a 1 L and a 1.5 L bowl (if you want two loaves from this batch) or a 2 L bowl for one loaf.

- If making two loaves, split the dough and plop it into the bowls. If not, go ahead and plop all of the dough in the 2 L bowl.

- Let the dough rise in the bowls 20 - 30 minutes and then bake the loaf at 425* for 15 minutes. Then drop the temperature down to 375* and bake for another 15 minutes. 

- Once the loaves are baked, plop them out of the bowls onto wire racks and cool at least 10 minutes before slicing. 

Enjoy!