Master Artisan Bread Dough Recipe

By Vanetta

This master recipe for Artisan Bread Dough can be shaped however you want before baking, or combined with sweet and savory ingredients.

This recipe makes enough for four 1-pound loaves and can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, so you can have fresh bread any time you want. Bake it unadorned as a Crusty Boule, or roll ingredients into the refrigerated dough to create sweet and savory loaves such as Nutella Ring, Olive-Rosemary Buns or Cinnamon-Raisin Bread. It makes a fantastic loaf. I made it by the book the first time and then modified the recipe the next time to 1/3 all purpose, 1/3 bread flour and 1/3 whole wheat . It rose so high I had to put it in 2 containers!

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups lukewarm water
• 4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 4 teaspoons coarse salt
• 7 1/4 cups (2 pounds 4 ounces; 1027.67 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

Combine water, yeast and salt in large bowl. With spoon (or in mixer with paddle attachment), stir in flour (dough will be wet).

Place dough in 5-quart lidded container; cover with lid (do not snap airtight). Let rise at room temperature 2 hours. Refrigerate overnight or up to 14 days.


HINTS:
If your bread is moist or sticky sprinkle more flour until it becomes manageable. Letting it rest for a few minutes to allow the water to absorb into the flour before kneading helps too.

Use only unbleached flour; otherwise the dough is much looser & stickier than it should be.

This is a NO-KNEAD method for bread baking. Remember, the book reminds us to gently handle the dough and DON'T DEFLATE OR PUNCH DOWN DOUGH.

You can modified the recipe the next time to 1/3 all purpose, 1/3 bread flour and 1/3 whole wheat . It rose so high I had to put it in 2 containers!

Let the dough sit in the fridge for at least 2 days - it allows time for the gluten to relax and the flour to absorb more of the water and it is much less sticky.