There are 3,546,561 bread recipes on the web. (It was a loose count. I could be off by one or two.) Why so many? It’s just flour, water and yeast, right? How many variations do we need? It makes me wonder if this baking thing is just a hoax, like the moon landings. I just have one recipe. I worked on it for a while, figured it out and it’s bullet proof. I use it for my pizza dough, bread dough and foccacia. Why stray? I could use that time for more productive things, like finally cracking that keychain Rubix Cube I got in sixth grade. And, no, I didn’t just peel off the stickers and put them back on in the right order.
Today’s loaf is Rosemary Garlic. After whipping up my standard dough recipe, I mix in (wait for it…) minced garlic and rosemary. Let it rise for a couple hours, covered with an upside down mixing bowl. The dough should double in size. Then, I carefully transfer it to a parchment lined baking sheet, slash an X in the top and into a 375 degree oven it goes. I have a second baking sheet on the bottom oven shelf that I pour a couple cups of water in and slam the door shut. If all goes to plan, the water will give an initial steam, helping the bread to rise. An hour and a half later the neighbors will be knocking on the door trying to figure out what smells so good. Now, back to that damn Rubix Cube.
Yep. This is what I’ve been looking for. Thank you.
(One question. What kind of storage do you use for the dough while it’s in the fridge? A bowl? Plastic wrap on top? Humid kitchen towel? Baking sheet? My dad has a great pizza dough recipe but he lets his pizza sit out on the counter in a bowl, lightly covered by a humid kitchen towel. I’ve never made dough that goes in the fridge for this long.)
Laura – anything will work. I purchased a clear place food container with a lid from Ace Restaurant Supply.
As the very fortunate recipient of a loaf of this bread, I can vouch for its greatness. Thanks again!