Easy Homemade Bread

As easy as it gets.  Makes for boules.

For the Bread:

3 cups lukewarm water

1 1/2 tablespoons granulated yeast (2 packets)

1 1/2 tablespoons kosher or other coarse salt

6 1/2 cups unsifted, unbleached, all-purpose white flour, measured with the scoop and sweep method

For Cooking:

cornmeal or parchment paper

1 cup water for steam in the oven

pizza peel or wooden cutting board

broiler pan

Preparing the Dough:

Combine the lukewarm water, salt and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. mix for a few seconds to combine.  Add flour and mix with the dough hook attachment until the mixture is uniform.  Pour dough into a large plastic container and cover (not air tight) and leave on the counter to rise for 2+ hours, until the dough starts to flatten or collapse on top.  Usually it is about double the size. Place in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks before using.

To Bake:

Dust the top of the dough in the bowl with a generous amount of flour.  Gently pull out 1/4 of the dough, add a bit more flour if need to keep it from sticking to your hands.  Fold the edges under the ball of dough, rotating the ball and repeating until you have a smooth boule of dough. Place the boule on a piece or parchment paper or cornmeal that has been sprinkled on a pizza peel or wooden cutting board.  This will allow the bread to slide off into the oven later.  Allow to rest for 40 minutes on the counter.  No need to cover.  After 20 minutes have passed, preheat the oven to 450 degrees, with a broiler pan placed below a pizza stone in the oven. After 40 minutes have passed and the oven is preheated, dust the boule with flour and cut 1/4 slashes into the top of the boule. Slide the boule onto the preheated pizza stone in the oven.  Then pour 1 cup of water into the broiler pan and quickly close the oven to trap the steam.  Cook for 30 minutes, until the loaf is nicely browned and hard to the touch.