Very Basic Bread

Alton Brown

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2005

Show: Good EatsEpisode: Dr. Strangeloaf

Rated 5 stars out of 5
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Total Time:
13 hr 30 min
Prep
30 min
Inactive
12 hr 0 min
Cook
1 hr 0 min
Yield:
1 loaf bread
Level:
Intermediate
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Ingredients

  • 1 pound bread flour, plus extra for shaping
  • 1 teaspoon instant rapid rise yeast
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • 10 ounces bottled or filtered water
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 2 quarts hot water
  • Vegetable oil, for greasing the rising container
  • 2 tablespoons cornmeal
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Directions

Combine 5 ounces of the flour, 1/4 teaspoon of the yeast, all of the honey, and all of the bottled water in a straight-sided container; cover loosely and refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours.

Place the remaining 11 ounces of flour, remaining yeast, and all the salt into the bowl of a stand mixer, and add the pre-ferment from the refrigerator. Using the dough hook attachment, knead the mixture on low for 2 to 3 minutes just until it comes together. Cover the dough in the bowl with a kitchen towel and allow to rest for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, knead the dough on medium speed for 5 to 10 minutes or until you are able to gently pull the dough into a thin sheet that light will pass through. The dough will be sticky, but not so sticky that you can't handle it.

While the dough is kneading, pour half of the hot water into a shallow pan and place on the bottom rack of your oven.

Grease the inside of a large straight-sided container with the vegetable oil. Place the dough ball into the container and set on the rack above the pan of water. Allow to rise until doubled in size, approximately 1 to 2 hours.

Once the dough has doubled in size, turn it onto a counter top, lightly dust your hands with flour, and press the dough out with your knuckles; then fold 1 side in towards the middle of the mass and then the other, as if you were making a tri-fold wallet. Repeat the folding a second time. Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and allow to rest for another 10 minutes.

Flatten dough again with your knuckles and then fold the dough in onto itself, like you are shaping something that looks like a jellyfish. Turn the dough over and squeeze the bottom together so that the top surface of the dough is smooth. Place the dough back onto the counter and begin to roll gently between your hands. Do not grab the dough but allow it to move gently back and forth between your hands, moving in a circular motion. Move the dough ball to a pizza peel or the bottom of a sheet pan that has been sprinkled with the cornmeal. Cover with the kitchen towel and allow to bench proof for 1 hour, or until you poke the dough and it quickly fills back in where you poked it.

Place an unglazed terra cotta dish upside down into the oven and heat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine the 1/3 cup of water and the cornstarch in a small bowl. Uncover the dough and brush the surface with this mixture. Gently slash the top surface of the dough ball in several places, approximately 1/3 to 1/2-inch deep. Add more of the hot water to the shallow pan if it has evaporated. Slide the bread onto the terra cotta dish in the oven and bake for 50 to 60 minutes. Once the bread has reached an internal temperature of 205 to 210 degrees F, remove to a cooling rack and allow to sit for 30 minutes before slicing.

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Newest Ratings and Reviews

Read all 110 reviews

  • on December 26, 2011

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    the best bread I have ever made. Made some mistakes and did not have the terra cotta base (its winter and the local hardware is out dah but it still had an excellent chew. The youtube videos (pt 1-2 is invaluable in helping to explain the steps. Alton was/is always spot on with his cooking instructions

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  • on November 12, 2011

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    Tastes good, but yes it's basic. This was my first bread and it was probably a good starter recipe, but I'll likely look for something more adventurous for next time.

    I didn't have a pizza stone or ceramic pot base, so mine baked on the bottom of a large cast iron skillet turned upside down. I also don't have a pizza peel, so I did the final rise on parchment and slid it off a poly cutting board. Both of these substitutions worked out quite well.

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  • on August 11, 2011

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    Tastes good, as far as basic bread goes. I agree with Alton on soaking the flour overnight as a preferment, to help hydrate the gluten, instead of using the straight dough method. But he is really over complicating a simple bread recipe.

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