Classic Crusty Bread For The Win!

Yeah the title sounds weird but I am excited that I made my own bread today. I didn't plan on baking bread this week but I found a bunch of pear preserves that my dad canned like 4 years ago. I opened a jar and the sweet aroma of spices hit me. I then tasted a spoonful and it was so amazing, I'm still thinking of the taste. I remember eating pear and plum preserves as a kid at my grandma's house. She had a giant pear and plum tree. I think he got the recipe from her when he decided to can these 4 years ago. Anyway I decided to bake a large loaf of crusty bread to go along with the pear preserves. Here's how it turned out.

I also figured I could make like garlic toast or something with the leftovers.

Here's what you will need to make this lovely loaf of bread

Classic Crusty Bread

• 4 cups bread flour, plus extra for dusting
• 2 tsp instant dry yeast
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 cups of warm water
• 2 tbsp oil, plus extra for greasing

First combine your bread flour, yeast, sugar, and salt together in a large bowl

Combine your water with the oil. The water should be warm, not hot (excess heat can kill the yeast).

Now mix the dry ingredients together and , while stirring, pour in the water and oil mixture. Keep working everything together until most of the dry flour has disappeared. The dough will be a little sticky.

I placed my dough with the dough hook attachment to my kitchen aid stand mixer and let it mix for about 5-7 minutes. If you don't have a dough hook you can knead your dough the old fashion way. Just dust your work surface with flour, then turn the dough out onto it. flout the top of the dough and your hands, then begin to knead. ( just keep stretching and folding the dough enough to make it springy and smooth).

Keep going until the dough feels very springy or elastic and silky smooth. To test if it's ready, gather it into a ball, tucking all the edges into the middle. Turn the ball over to reveal the smooth side. press into it with your hand. If the indent made by your finger stays there, it's not ready. If it springs out again, you're ready to move on.

Now let the dough rise, Grease a large bowl with 1 tablespoon of oil, add the dough, then turn it around in the oil a few times to coat. Cover with plastic wrap, or a dish towel.

Leave the dough in a warm (but not hot) place for about an hour, or until doubled in size.

Turn out the dough onto a floured surface, then press it out into a rectangle that's about 8x11 inches (the size of a piece of paper). Do not knead it, or it will become stretchy again, and difficult to shape. 

Fold the bottom of the rectangle up, and the bottom half down, to make a sort of sausage. Pinch the edges together firmly. Like this

Dust a baking sheet with flour, then lift the dough onto it, smooth side up. Loosely cover with oiled plastic wrap or the dish towel, then let rise again for 30 minutes or until almost doubled in size (this is called proofing). 

Poke the side of the dough: it doesn't spring back it's read to bake.

Preheat the oven to 425F

Sprinkle the top of the bread with more flour, then slash the top with a sharp knife (this is important, as it gives the brad somewhere to "grow" in the oven).

Bake the bread for 25-30 minutes, or until well risen, golden, and crisp. When you think it's ready, double check by carefully turning the bread over. Tap the base: it should sound hollow. If not , return to the oven and check in 10 minutes. Let cool, open to the air for a crusty crust, or wrapped in a clean dish towel for a soft crust.

Later I cut a slice and it looks, and smells great. 

I ate my bread with some of the 4 year old pear preserves and it was amazing. Thanks Grandma, and Glenn Glenn for their contribution with the pear preserves. The things you can do with the bread is endless, think sandwiches, homemade croutons, bread puddings, french toast, garlic toast, grilled cheese, dunk it in soup. You can do a lot of things with this loaf. The biggest thing is that you made your own bread from scratch, that's cool right?

1800's style