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Food: A love affair

I love food.  A LOT.  So I'll post the latest and greatest recipes here in my food page, but they will be archived in the home page blog for future reference.  Be sure to check back from time to time, you definitely don't want to miss what I'm cooking!


I love bread.  A little too much I think.  So I decided to take a stab at my first boule, looking for something super simple of course!  It turned out great!!  A little too great, as the recipe made two medium loaves and we are down to only one (less than an hour out of the oven that is).  So here you go, it really is simple, give it a try!



Ingredients:
1 T salt
1 T sugar
2 1/2 t yeast (I used the kind for bread machines)
1 1/2 cups water, between 100-115 degrees (temperature really does matter so the yeast will activate properly)
4 cups all purpose flour
butter to brush on top after baking

Directions:
Mix salt, sugar, yeast, and water and let stand for about 5 minutes.  You will see it be a little foamy on top, something like the head of a beer.  THIS IS GOOD!  If there is no foam your yeast is no good, so discard and try again, making sure water is right temp.

I threw the flour in my kitchenaid mixer with a dough hook attached, turned it on "stir" speed, and poured the yeast water in slowly.  If you don't have a mixer you'll get some good arm muscles kneading all of this by hand, but it is SO worth it!  Leave it on the mixer on stir speed for about 5 minutes, or for those of you hand kneading go about the same amount of time, just push past the forearm soreness =)

Place in a bowl and cover with a clean towel for about 45 minutes, until dough appears to have doubled.  Punch down and let rise again, I let the second time be about 30 minutes.  I can be impatient sometimes.

Preheat over to 400.  Split dough in half and on a floured surface, one at a time, shape dough into a nice round dome shape.  Cover with oiled plastic wrap for five minutes.  Grease two round cake pans (or casserole dishes, pretty much anything round will do) and place dough forms inside each dish.  Bake for about 30 minutes, or until golden.  You know it's ready when you take it out and tap on the crust and it makes a hollow sound.

Rub butter on the top of each boule and allow to cool for about 10 minutes before taking them out of their pans.  Then enjoy!!!  My youngest daughter certainly loved them, and she's only 10 months old, so she can't lie.  Yet...