This is a bread recipe for artisan bread, and while I eat mostly meat, I do occasionally like a good sandwich on homemade bread.
Ingredients:
3-1/2 cups of flour (I have better for bread flour that is pre-sifted, $5 for 5 lbs. you can make 4 loaves.
1-1/2 cups of warm water
2 teaspoons Yeast (I buy it and keep it in the freezer)
1 tablespoon Japanese white roasted sesame seeds
1 tablespoon Japanese black roasted sesame seeds
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
The first thing you do is create a volcano in the center of the flour, and put the yeast inside of it. My wife likes to say, it keeps the yeast from running away from the water. I let that sit a bit so it dissolves. It's better if you mix the water is slowly.
This is the longest part, you need to wait about 1-1/2 hours for the first rise. This depends on weather, when it's warmer, it takes less time. If it's cold in the winter, it takes longer. You want it to get about 2x in size from when it starts. Then you take it out and fold the sides over to pull the dough and make it look like an artisan loaf. You cover it with parchment paper and let it rise to about 1.5x what it was after first rise. This is ready to go into the oven. You cook this at 450 degrees for 30 minutes. If you keep some water under the baking sheet it will help keep it from burning. I use a 2nd baking sheet, and pour about 4 cups of water in just before I put it in the oven. The water will burn away after you cook it. I like to flour a knife and slice a criss-cross on the top, it's easier to use a sharp knife with flour so it doesn't stick. NOTE: use flour on hands and/or utensils so that the dough doesn't stick, but it will stick no matter what...
Out of the oven:
It is important to let it cool, otherwise it will fall apart when you cut it. I slice it with a serrated knife as thin as I can and put it in a ziploc and store in freezer. When I want it, I toss the frozen slices in the toaster. Because I don't eat very much bread, a loaf will last me a while. This is a great compliment to eggs, for me, I like scrambled, over easy, omelettes, hard boiled either sliced or deviled, homemade bread is one of the secrets to life.
