Bread, like cowboys and sarcasm, is best when hot and fresh.
With a tiny bit of patience. And your own two hands – you can have piping hot, made with love, bread in no time at all.
This recipe comes from the Chicken Farmer’s brother. He goes by Wholesome Steve. He’s funny, takes thrifty to a whole new level and is genuinely interested in other people.
This bread has two thumbs up from the Chicken Farmer. And the man knows his bread.
A little mixing. A little waiting. A hot oven. That’s all it takes.
Flour, bread yeast, salt and water. Tasty nom noms begin with simple things.
All your dry ingredients get mixed. Water is added. You’ll make a sticky, thick dough.
Tuck it in. Set aside. Somewhere where it won’t get knocked off the counter or your dog can’t paw at it like it’s an alien life form.
Leave it alone for 12 – 18 hours. It doesn’t need distraction. It has to focus. Without focus it cannot fulfill its potential. Go watch Downtown Abby. Or hunt for lost socks.
When you come back, you’ll see it’s a bit bigger. Puffed up. Almost boastful. This bread knows its own awesomeness. The surface will have tiny air bubbles. That’s yeast gas. Not bad manners. Just science.
Take a bread pan. Mine’s a standard size ( 9 x 5 x 3). Grease it with olive oil or butter. Dust it with flour. Scrape the dough from the bowl to the pan.
Brush the top with butter. It’ll make the bread all golden. Pop it in the oven for 35 minutes. Pace. Because I know you’ll be anxious. Check the fridge. Make sure you have plenty of butter. The smell of home will be wafting from the oven. People may wander wide-eyed onto your front lawn wanting to know what you’ve got cooking.
Be ready when the timer dings.
Take your bread from the oven. You’ll have to let it cool a minute or two. Then gently flip your pan upside down. You may have to give it an assertive tap on the bottom. You’d be a bit reluctant too if you knew someone was going to be coming at you with a knife.
As the maker of magic, you get the first slice. Thick crust. Warm and chewy center. All it needs is a schmear of butter. Eat your piece quietly. With your eyes closed.
I keep mine in small linen bag and stash it in our bread box. It gets eaten within a day or 2 so doesn’t have time to go bad. Girl Wonder has been using it for her lunch, and it fits in at any dinner table. If you’re not going to eat it right away, first make sure you don’t have a fever, then wrap it in plastic wrap. Put the wrapped bread in a Ziploc bag and stash it in the freezer.
- 4 cups of flour
- 2 teaspoons of salt
- ¼ teaspoon of dry yeast
- 2 cups of luke warm water
- For the bread pan:
- Olive Oil
- Butter
- Flour
- Mix the flour,salt and yeast in a medium sized bowl.
- Add in the water and stir until everything is well combined
- Cover bowl with a kitchen towel. Set aside for 12 – 18 hours.
- Dough will rise and develop tiny air bubbles on the surface.
- Preheat oven to 425.
- Grease the bread pan (9 x 5 x 3) with olive oil or butter. Dust with flour.
- Scrape the dough from the bowl into the pan.
- If you like, melt a tablespoon of butter and brush it across the top of the bread using a pastry brush.
- Bake bread for 35 minutes or until top is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let bread stand for 2 – 3 minutes before removing it from the loaf pan.
