Bread

I have to say I'm very fond of bread.  In spite of amazing advances in technology we still don't seem able to make bread that's easy to store and use over a long time.  Years ago I decided to try one of the bread machines they advertised on TV.  It wasn't bad and we took it out from time to time until it broke and I found out the company was no longer around.  Then about a year ago I saw a small article in the paper about how to make bread in five minutes a day from some very simple ingredients.  I decided to look further into it, and ever since I've been able to do just that.

The recipe is very easy.  6 level cups of flour
3 cups of warm water; 2 packets of yeast; 1 tablespoon of salt; one tablespoon of sugar; some corn meal to act as a lubricant on the baking sheet.

You pour the warm water into a bowl, add the salt, sugar and yeast.  Mix and then add the flour.  Using a wooden spoon or spatula, you make sure all the ingredients are well mixed, then set aside in a container with a lid but not airtight.  Leave it for about 2 hours to rise.  You can then take a piece about the size of a grapefruit and bake straight away, or keep it in the fridge for up to two weeks.  Yes, two weeks!

To bake, make sure the dough is at room temperature, and the flat bottomed baking tray/sheet is in the oven.  Put another baking dish in the bottom. Form dough into a loaf - any shape you want.  Dampen the top and then slash it for decoration, and you can add poppy seeds or sesame seeds.  Put into pre-heated oven at 450 degrees F and bake for 30 minutes.  Immediately pour a cup of lukewarm water into the bottom pan.  The steam helps the crust to form.   You can't go wrong!