I hesitate to even reveal this secret, because it feels like cheating. It has only a tenuous connection to the grand history of breadmaking. The title of the book (and, by extension, the technique) sounds like a scam. But mostly: it’s just way too easy.
After buying a baking stone and pizza peel on Amazon, I kept clicking around, browsing the related items. A title jumped out at me: Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. Sounds impossible, right? Thankfully, there’s a preview on Amazon, and I skimmed through a few pages. They admin fairly early on that the math is a stretch, but it is a simplified process that produces great loaves of bread.
The basic idea? You don’t need to knead the dough, and you only need one timed rising. Mix everything together, let it rise for two hours, then stick it in the fridge. Any time over the next week and a half or so, cut off a chunk, shape it, let it rest for 40 minutes, then bake it. The end.
The following loaves were baked using this method, and they’re some of my personal favorites so far. As it sits in the fridge, the dough matures, gaining more sourdough-like qualities.
These are the early loaves. (I forgot to slash the first one, which is why it looks kinda funny.) I’ve made a few more, recently, and they’re a little easier on the eyes. Just to prove we don’t just eat bread and pizza, I’ve included photos of a few of the meals, too. Brady gets the credit for the beet and carrot salad.
