Bake This: Easy Homemade Bread

Fun fact about me? I made breadmaking one of my goals this past year and it’s been quite the journey. Some loaves have been crunchy, chewy and bakery-worthy while others have literally fallen flat. My friend Soula kindly gifted me my very first batch of sourdough starter (the life force of sourdough bread comprised of fermented flour and water) and I’ve learned so many tricks along the way. Sadly, said starter died while I was away and while its untimely death was indeed tragic, I learned this truth: You DO NOT need fussy sourdough starter to make bread. IN FACT, You DO NOT need 23 utensils such as proofing basket, Dutch oven, food scale, fancy bread knife, bread scraper and bread whisk to make bread. Mind blowing.

Now, forgive me if  lacking the aforementioned are cardinal sourdough bread making sins BUT I feel it’s imperative to share this fact because SO many people fear starter and all the things and won’t even attempt making bred because it feels daunting. This is where instant yeast comes into play. Once my starer died (RIP), I started adding one packet of no-fuss instant yeast to my weekly loaves and it’s been SO MUCH EASIER to make bread. So if you, too, find sourdough intimidating, try this recipe which does NOT require finicky starter or 123 accoutrements. Consider it the lazy gal’s guide to breadmaking:

INGREDIENTS:

4 cups of sourdough flour (you can use gluten-free flour too)

1 1/2 cups warm water

2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix with a spatula OR use a stand mixer
2. Knead the dough for 5 minutes. The dough will be slightly sticky
3. Cover the bowl with a damp towel OR plastic wrap and allow to stand for 15 minutes
4. Remove the towel/plastic wrap and continue mixing for a few minutes and allow dough to double in size. Add water or flour for a pizza dough-ish texture 
5. Gently transfer the dough into a baking loaf pan (I spray with olive oil)
6. Cover the dough again and allow to “proof” again for 45 minutes
7. Uncover the dough and make X-shaped slashes on the top of the loaf with a blade or sharp serrated knife 
8. Bake at 375°F for 30 minutes (or more). Check in at the 30-minute mark and cook until top is a golden and crusty brown. (The quick answer to how long to bake bread in the oven is typically around 20 to 45 minutes at 375°F to 450°F)
9. Take out of oven and let bread cool one hour. Enjoy!