Peasant Bread

Total Time: 45 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup graham flour
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 cups luke-warm water
• 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 2 tablespoons butter (at room temp)

Recipe

• 1 in a mixing bowl whisk the flours and the salt. set aside.
• 2 grease a separate large bowl with butter or olive oil and set this aside. (this bowl will be used for the dough's initial rise).
• 3 in a standing-mixer's bowl, dissolve the sugar into the water. sprinkle the yeast over the top. (if you'd like . at this point . to ensure the yeast is active . you could let the mix stand for 10-15 minutes . or until it's foamy and/or bubbling just a bit. i typically don't).
• 4 add the flours and salt.
• 5 mix (**note: the original recipe outlines stirring with a wooden spoon, which works . but i like to use my mixer with the dough hook and let it go for 4 or 5 minutes on medium speed) note: the dough will be on the wet side. transfer the dough to the greased bowl from the preparation step.
• 6 cover bowl with a towel or plastic wrap and set aside in a warm spot to rise for at least an hour . or until it's about doubled in size.
• 7 ** typically, dough at our house takes 3 or 4 hours to double . point being . don't sweat the exact time.
• 8 grease 2 oven-safe bowls with about a tbsp of butter each.
• 9 preheat the oven to 425ºf.
• 10 punch down your dough . and divide it into 2 equal parts. one by one . place each half on a floured counter-top. quickly form a ball with each part & transfer them to your prepared bowls.
• 11 at this point . the original recipe calls for letting the dough rise until it's doubled again in size . and this certainly works. i've taken to putting the dough into the fridge overnight for its second rise. there's something that happens to dough when it ferments for a long period of time in a cool environment.
• 12 pre-heat oven to 425.
• 13 bake for 10 minutes at 425. reduce the heat to 375º and bake for 18-19 minutes longer. remove from the oven . letting the loaves sit for 5-10 minutes before turning them over onto cooling racks.
• 14 if the bowls have been greased well . the loaves should easily fall out out onto the cooling racks.
• 15 you'll have to gauge it based on taste . i cook the loaves on the lower end of the time the original calls for because we like them pale & soft. if that's not for you . they can always be placed back into the oven (outside their bowls) and baked for about 5 minutes longer.
• 16 remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before cutting.