Easiest Bread You Will Ever Bake

The Easiest Loaf of Bread You'll Ever Bake

• Servings: 10-12
• Time: 3 hours
• Difficulty: intermediate

4.5 cups of flour, plus extra for dusting

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 packet of yeast (or 2.25 Tablespoons)

2.5 teaspoons of salt (I used 1 Tablespoon)

1 and 2/3 cup of warm water (90 degrees to 110 degrees- use a thermometer)

cornmeal for dusting

Directions:

Place the ingredients in a deep bowl and stir until just mixed. 

Gently dump the mixture onto a lightly floured surface and knead with the heel of your hand, adding flour if dough or surface becomes sticky for approximately 8 minutes.  King Arthur Flour recommends a fold-press-rotate method.  I used a fold and push method.  When finished, the dough will be smooth and bouncy. 

Place the dough in the original bowl sprayed with Pam or oil.  Cover with plastic wrap or towel over the bowl.  Let rise for two hours.

After two hours, prepare a baking pan with parchment paper sprinkled  generously with cornmeal.  The cornmeal lifts the dough up a bit from the pan allowing air to creep underneath.  Split the dough into two.  Spread each into 6 X 8 oval.  Thenfold the dough, like a letter into thirds.  'Use the heel of your hand to seal edges and then gently shape dough into a 10 inch log.

Cover the loaves with greased plastic wrap. ( I cover with a towel on top of plastic wrap ) and let rest for 45 minutes.

Place a cast iron skillet on bottom rack of the oven.  Preheat oven to 450*F degrees.  Meanwhile boil 1 to 2 cups of water on stove.  When oven is preheated, wearing oven mitts, pour the boiled water into the cast iron pan, remove plastic from loaves and put loaves in oven.  Bake for 22 - 25 minutes,.  Loves will be brown and crusty.  Turn offf and let set for 5 minutes in the oven before removing.  Remove from pan immediately and transfer to cooling rack.  Cool completely before slicing.