Marjoram Bread

Total Time: 2 hrs 50 mins Preparation Time: 2 hrs 30 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon rendered bacon fat or 1 tablespoon lard
• 1 teaspoon marjoram

Recipe

• 1 in a large bowl, mix the yeast, warm water, and sugar and leave sit 5 minutes until the mixture appears frothy.
• 2 add in the flour, 1 cup water, salt and bacon fat or lard. mix thoroughly with your hands until it all comes together.
• 3 pour dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes.
• 4 sprinkle the marjoram evenly over the the dough and knead for another 10 minutes, until the dough is slightly sticky.
• 5 pull the dough into a ball and place in a greased bowl, turning to coat the dough. cover and let rise for 2 hours or until the dough is doubled.
• 6 punch the dough down and divide into two equal pieces. if it feels too sticky to work with, sprinkle lightly with flour.
• 7 shape each piece of dough into a log about 10 inches in length. cover loosely with a kitchen towel and let rise for 1 and a half hours. about 20 minutes before the rise time is done, put the bottom part of broiler tray in the oven on the bottom rack and preheat to 450 degrees.
• 8 when the logs have risen, quickly cut the tops of the bread with a sharp knife and immediately put in the oven. now quickly pour 1 cup of hot water into the broiler tray and quickly shut the oven door. bake for about 25 minutes or until the crust is golden.
• 9 after the bread is done, cool on a cooling rack and enjoy. bon appétit!