to me, there is nothing better than a really fantastic bakery. my favorite here in portland is standard baking co, right on commercial street. they have some of the best artisan bread i have ever had in my entire life. walking in there, is like going straight to heaven. their selection is amazing and it's of course, delicious. but, on the other end of that, obtaining their product is difficult. i have to drive thirty minutes for a loaf of bread, tackle the difficult task of parking, and then pay a ton of money for a premium product. so last summer i decided that i would try and make my own bread, since i was on a make my own mission. the first step was to do it with the bread maker. which i quickly realized was a lot more trouble than it was worth. you are severely limited when using a machine of this caliber and it takes twice as long but doesn't taste nearly as wonderful. to get myself ready for the real deal, i watched "cook your life" and instantly felt a connection to the art of making bread. i went to work. the result....pure magic. not only does your home smell like a high end bake shop but every one around you suddenly thinks very highly of you. make it for your neighbors and you are the new popular kid on the block. the trick is not to get daunted by the idea of bread. a lot of people seem to have this perception that it's easy to screw up. it's actually quite the opposite. this bread recipe is extremely user friendly, you just need to be patient and feel what the bread needs. don't rush the process.
hearth bread
1 tablespoon (1 packet) active dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon salt
2 cups warm water (not over 110°F)
5 1/2 to 6 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
boiling water
mix together the first four ingredients. let stand for about two minutes until the yeast dissolves. then slowly add the flour, you may not need all of it so do it a 1/2 cup at a time. remember, you can always add but you can't take away. do this until the mixture pulls away from the side of the bowl. then turn your dough out onto a floured surface, this part is going to be messy but it will get better and that's when you know your bread is going to be great. now, this is the most important part, for light and fluffy bread you can not add too much extra flour so do not go nuts with the non sticking notion. just a smidge at a time. to knead the bread, fold the far edge of the dough back over on itself towards you. press into the dough with the heels of your hands and push away. after each push, rotate the dough 90°. rrepeat this process in a rhythmic, rocking motion for 5 minutes, sprinkling only enough flour on your kneading surface to prevent sticking. let the dough rest while you scrape out and grease the mixing bowl. knead the dough again for 2 to 3 minutes. now, place back in the bowl after you grease it, then turn it over so the other side is greased as well. let sit for 1 to 2 hours, covered with a damp towel in a warm place or until doubled in bulk. then, take the dough out and punch it down to remove any air bubbles. knead again briefly and then shape into two french loaves. place the loaves on a greased cookie sheet and let rest an additional 5 minutes. lightly slash the tops of the loaves 3 or more times diagonally and brush them with cold water. place on rack in a cold oven with a roasting pan full of boiling water on the oven bottom. bake at 400 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and sounds hollow to the touch. then remove and enjoy!
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