Peasant Bread

Yesterday we made peasant bread. We were looking for something we could take to a neighbor that just had surgery and Adria remembered we made this awhile ago and suggested it again. It's really easy and the kids all love it. Probably because it's white bread! And we never buy white bread. We ate it warm with butter, honey and cheese. Adria called it "junk food dinner" but it is so yummy! We made 2 loaves and took one to our neighbor (with some peach cobbler).

The original recipe is VERY wordy, so I reposted it, with a few minor changes.

4 cups warm water
1 heaping Tbsp sugar
1 heaping Tbsp yeast
8 cups flour
2 teaspoons salt

In a large bowl, mix the water, sugar and yeast. Let sit for  about 10 mins until foamy and bubbly. Add salt and flour. Mix well. The dough will still be VERY wet and not like typical bread dough.  Cover with plastic wrap sprayed with non-stick spray and let raise in a warm place until double - about an hour.

Use butter to grease two (2 quart or 2.5 liter) Pyrex bowls. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Using 2 forks or spoons, pull the dough away from sides of bowl to punch down. Divide dough in half with a spoon or fork and scoop each half into a bowl. I used a spoon in each hand and tried to pick up half the dough and quickly put it into the bowl. I didn't get it all on the first try. Allow the bread to rise 20 to 30 minutes until it is just over the top of the bowl.

Bake for 15 min at 425 degrees, then turn the oven down to 375 degrees and back for another 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Dump the bread out of bowl onto a cooking rack. If they looks a little pale when they are turned out, you can put them back into the oven without the bowl, bottom side up for another few minutes. I've never done that part - mine always looked ok. Serve warm with your favorite butter, jam, honey or cheese.