The Easiest Yeast Bread Ever!

Just as I'm beginning to type this up, I'm thinking I may have already done a tutorial on this bread before but I'm too lazy to look back through the archives. So to a few of you loyal readers who've been with me from the very beginning, sorry you're reading this again. And to every one else, you're going to look like a baking goddess when this is over.

When I first had the desire to bake my own bread this is the recipe I started with because in big bold letters it said there was no kneading involved. For some reason working with yeast and kneading properly, scared me enough to keep me from baking bread. But this recipe gave me enough confidence as a beginner to tackle more complicated breads later.

So if you're new at bread baking or even well versed in the art of bread, I think you'll enjoy this recipe for...

Peasant Bread

2 1/4 teaspoons of active dry yeast (or one single serving package)

2 cups warm water, divided

4 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon butter, melted

Toppings: poppy seeds, garlic bread seasoning, Parmesan cheese, cinnamon/sugar mix, sesame seeds

To start off, dissolve yeast in one cup of warm (not hot) tap water.

Meanwhile in a large bowl combine flour, salt and sugar.

Add the yeast mixture and remaining 1 cup of warm water.



Stir until all the dry ingredients are mixed in and it forms a sticky ball.



Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place for an hour. (I usually heat my oven up until it's warm but I can still touch the side of the oven with my bare hands for 10 seconds. )

Grease two 1 quart round casserole or ovenproof bowls. Here's my recipe for a sure fire non-stick pan release.

Divide dough in half and place in bowls. Brush tops with butter and sprinkle with your topping of choice. I did one with poppy seed and the other with sesame seed today.

Cover and let rise again for about 45 minutes. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until tops are golden.

Remove from oven and pans and let cool on a wire rack. After cooled I freeze them in gallon size freezer bags but most of the time they get inhaled by the family.

If you look close at the finished product you'll see it has a nice light texture with a little bit of chewiness. It's very similar to an English muffin when toasted. It makes a rough looking artisan loaf that goes nicely with soup or stew in the fall.



And there you have it. It's about the easiest darn loaf of homemade yeast bread you'll ever make. If you try it come back and let me know what you think.