One of the things I most remember about my younger growing up years was the scent of my mom’s bread baking. My brother and I attended an elementary school less than a block from our house, so there were many days we’d go home for lunch. I remember rounding the corner and being engulfed in that warm freshly baked bread aroma before even getting the back door open! To this day that aroma takes me right back to third grade!
Unfortunately I didn’t inherit my mom’s proclivity for making bread. In fact – I pretty much suck at it. I’ve tried over and over, but the perfect loaf of bread from my oven was ever elusive…that is until I discovered this method of making bread! There are versions of this recipe all over the internet, but for this particular recipe I’ve switched out regular all purpose flour for all purpose Einkorn flour. I’ve also added roasted garlic and rosemary. I sure wish you could have smelled it baking this morning…oh my…certainly not the childhood bread baking aroma I remember, but pretty enticing nonetheless!
The real beauty of this bread lies in it’s simplicity. A little flour, yeast, salt, and water makes the basic loaf. I’ve added roasted garlic and rosemary to this particular loaf, but I’ve made many different versions. My husband loves it when I add cheddar and jalapeños. I quite like the cinnamon raisin version I made because it made fabulous toast…had to quit making it for that very reason! 😉
Tip: To roast garlic, cut off the top about 1/4 of a bulb of garlic. Drizzle with olive oil and wrap it tightly in 2 layers of aluminum foil. Place garlic in a 375 degree oven for approximately 30 minutes, or until the garlic yields to gentle pressure when squeezed with an oven mitt. Remove from the oven, and when cool enough to handle, remove garlic cloves from the bulb by squeezing gently from the root end. I typically roast 3 or 4 bulbs at a time and store extra in the refrigerator so I always have it on hand for recipes.
So by now you might be wondering how this bread can be part of my CEBH Lifestyle. It’s simple really – I’ve substituted regular all purpose flour for 100% Organic Einkorn Flour as one major change. Plus – I’ve made it a point to completely eliminate very little from my diet. Having said that, however, I do limit myself to certain things only if they are homemade! And for the most part, regular bread falls into that category. I do eat sprouted grain bread, but that’s about it. So when I’m craving something special, the only way I allow myself to eat it is if I make it myself. I control the ingredients so I’m always certain of exactly what I’m getting. This philosophy has served me well and by choosing to eat this way, I know when I’m willing to put in the extra effort to make a treat – whether it’s bread, ice cream, or brownies – that it’s something I really want. Otherwise it’s not worth the effort!
So back to the simplicity of this recipe…the ingredients are combined in a large bowl, and stirred by hand until well mixed. It will be a kind of shaggy looking dough so don’t panic! That’s basically all there is to it! Amazing, right?! Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and ignore it for 12 to 18 hours. When you’re ready to bake the bread, place a covered cast iron Dutch oven or other large heavy duty pot in the oven to warm as you preheat the oven to 450 degrees. When the oven and your pot are hot, turn the dough onto a floured surface and shape it into a round ball. If it’s quite sticky, as mine usually is, I knead in just a little flour so it’s easier to handle. Then plop the ball of dough into the preheated pan, replace the lid, and pop it back into the oven. Bake, covered, for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake an additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven, carefully transfer bread to a rack to cool. Then just try – I dare ya – to be patient while it cools enough to slice!
See….shaggy looking dough!
Here’s what it looks like after sitting on the counter overnight!
Formed into a ball, and plopped into a screaming hot Dutch oven!
All done baking…cooling…waiting…drooling…
Finally…cool enough to slice and enjoy! This particular loaf is for dinner with homemade Chicken and Herbed Noodle Soup…but those are a couple upcoming posts. For now, go ahead and make this to enjoy with your favorite soup, or for your Thanksgiving table!
I’ll leave you with a quote that pretty much sums up how I feel about homemade bread…”The smell of good bread baking, like the sound of lightly flowing water, is indescribable in its evocation of innocence and delight.” – M.F.K. Fischer. Just give this recipe a try – the world needs a little more innocence and delight! 😀
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 1 bulb roasted garlic
- Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir by hand to combine.
- Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 12-18 hours. I typically mix it up in the evening to bake the next morning, or first thing in the morning to bake in the evening.
- Place covered cast iron Dutch oven or other heavy duty covered pan in oven, and preheat to 450 degrees Farenheit.
- Once the oven and pan are preheated, turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface.
- Knead in a little flour if the dough is too sticky - I nearly always need to do this.
- Form dough into a ball and plop on the bottom of the hot pan. Replace lid and return to oven.
- Bake, covered, 30 minutes. Then remove lid and bake another 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven and carefully transfer loaf to rack to cool.
- Slice when completely cooled.
- Instructions for roasting garlic in the post. Alternatively you could purchase roasted garlic, or use regular garlic instead. However, if substituting regular garlic, reduce amount to 2 or 3 cloves so as not to overpower the bread!
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