Easy Artisan Bread Recipe

If you're looking for a recipe for fresh baked bread like you get at Panera, give this recipe a try. It works best on the weekend since the dough takes considerable time to rest. Mix the dough Friday night, rest it overnight, then bake at 3 pm on Saturday and you have a fresh loaf of artisan bread to serve with dinner. The only thing easier than this recipe is using a bread maker but the end result doesn't look anything like this. We made this last weekend and used a couple of toasted slices to make the mole in the pork tenderloin in chipotle mole recipe. We also used the warm Dutch oven with the residue from the bread to roast the tenderloin.

Recommended Equipment:
Dutch oven
Stand mixer
2 cotton kitchen towels

Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour + flour for dusting
1 1/4 tspn kosher salt
1/2 tspn active dry yeast
1 5/8 cup water
Preparation:

1. In the mixer’s bowl, add the flour, salt, and yeast. Using the hook attachment, mix the dry ingredients then slowly add the water. The dough should be sticky.
2. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 18 hours at room temperature (between 70 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit). The dough will have small bubbles formed at the top when it is ready for the next step.
   
3. Dust a counter top or other flat surface with flour. Turn the dough out of the mixing bowl onto the flour dusted surface. Sprinkle a little flour on the top of the dough. Then fold the dough once or twice upon itself. Cover it loosely with the plastic wrap and let it sit for 20 minutes.
4. Using just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking, shape the dough into a ball with the seams facing down. Place one of the cotton towels on the counter and cover it with a thin layer of flour. Place the dough in the center of the towel. Dust the top of the dough with a thin layer of flour. Place the second towel over the dough. Let the dough rest again at room temperature (70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit) for 2 hours. The dough should nearly double in size.
5. A half an hour before the dough has finished resting, place a Dutch oven with lid in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
6. When the dough has finished resting, carefully remove the hot Dutch oven from the oven and place it on the stove top. Remove the top towel from the dough. Place your hand under the bottom towel and turn the dough out into the Dutch oven so that the seams are now facing up. You may have to shake the dough a little to get it to slide to the center of the Dutch oven. Place the lid on the Dutch oven and the return it to the oven for 30 minutes. Carefully remove the lid to the Dutch oven and then bake the bread for another 15 minutes. Bread is done when it turns golden brown.
   
7. Let the bread cool on a rack and then serve.

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