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Ze Frenchie... As I deemed this loaf, was so delicious, I ate the ENTIRE thing.

Made from a fantastic recipe from butter and air blog!

High Altitude Crusty French Bread

November 6, 2018/ By Butter & Air/ 17 Comments
You? Bake a delicious loaf of crusty, chewy homemade french bread? At 9,000 – 10,000 feet? YES. You can. You totally can! Don’t shake your head at me. All you need to make this High Altitude Crusty French Bread – this delightful loaf of yum – is five ingredients, a few hours, and a little faith.
Bread is one of the simplest, most basic foods, right? We, and our ancestors before us, have made and eaten it, in some form or another, for centuries. But in our current century, bread has suddenly gotten kind of complicated. Or rather, we’ve made it complicated. Artisan techniques, hand-milled flours, wild harvested yeast … it’s a bona fide gourmet thing now.
Today’s world of bread contains many deep, lengthy rabbit holes peppered with words like barm and poolish and couche, and for the unseasoned baker, it’s intimidating, if not totally overwhelming. And for us mountain folk, there’s also altitude to consider.
But please, don’t be skerred. I’ve done the work for you! It’s actually quite simple.
This high-altitude recipe is actually not dramatically different from its sea level counterpart. The main differences are two: 1) we use bread flour exclusively for its higher protein content, which helps create a stronger structure to support the quicker rise we tend to get at altitude, and 2) there’s a little less yeast to help control said crazy rise. (Sea-level friends, feel free to try using all-purpose flour instead and an extra half-teaspoon of yeast – a standard packet of commercial yeast is about 2.5 teaspoons, so you can just use the whole thing).
The dough comes together very easily. Simply mix yeast and a dab of sugar in warm water and let it get nice and foamy, add it to your flour and salt, and stir until it begins to come together in a ball. Then spend a little more time kneading it to develop nice strong strands of gluten, which trap the gases produced by the yeast and created the little airy pockets found in artisan bread.
Kneading is particularly important at altitude because you need those strands of gluten to be strong in order to stand up to the enthusiastic amount of gas yeast produces when unencumbered by atmospheric pressure. Those popular no-knead bread recipes you see everywhere? Yeah, they’ll technically work at altitude, but generally will result in a loaf with a dense, heavy crumb and a brittle, rather than chewy crust. Take the time to knead, folks.
I enjoy kneading by hand, which entails folding the dough over itself toward you, then pushing it away with the heel of your hand, turning a quarter-turn and repeating (want a visual?). It takes a while – 10-12 minutes, typically, until the dough is smooth and elastic – but once you get the hang of it and get a rhythm going, the motion becomes rather soothing and meditative (especially if you complement it with a mantra: I need to knead!). Plus, I think it’s good to get a feeling for the dough under your hands – after a few times you’ll instinctively know when it feels done.
If you’re pressed for time and want to get other things done, a mixer with a bread hook will do a perfectly fine job, too. Either way, plop your pretty little dough ball in an oiled bowl, let it rise for an hour or two, and you’ll end up with a beautiful big poofy dough ball:
After this initial rise, you’ll want to prep your dough for its second rise (proofing). Here, carefully remove the dough from the bowl to a floured surface, gently stretch and fold it, envelope-style (see photo below), flip over, and pat into a circle.
At this point, you can return it to the bowl (seam side down) to rise again in preparation for baking, or, if you’re not ready to bake the bread yet, refrigerate it overnight (or even up to a couple of days). Chilling the dough slows down the rise but allows flavor to continue developing, so it’s actually a really good thing to do if you have the time to plan ahead. Just remember to take the dough out of the fridge a couple of hours before you bake it.
When you’re ready to bake, gently remove the dough from its bowl and carefully pat it into shape. I like a round boule shape but you can make an oblong or football-shaped loaf instead, if you choose. Score it with a very sharp knife or razor blade, which will allow the bread to expand easily in the oven and result in an aesthetically pleasing final product. Be sure not to use a dull blade, which can drag the dough down, deflating it. You can make a single long swoop, about a quarter-inch deep, across the length of the dough, or make a pretty pattern (leaves, wheat stalk, Bowie-style lightning bolt?). You do you.
So, our baking vessel is the coolest part about this recipe, I think. Instead of baking on a sheet or baking stone, we’re using a dutch oven with a lid (this is the one I use). Why a dutch oven, you ask? Simply put, it creates the perfect baking environment by trapping the steam created by the liquid in the dough. Which we like, because steam is a fast track to creating a perfect, golden brown, crispy-chewy crust.
If you don’t own a dutch oven, don’t be discouraged – the process works the same in any heavy-bottomed pot with a tight-fitting lid. As long as it’s tall enough to accommodate the rising bread and is oven-safe, you’re golden (literally). If you don’t want to deal with a container at all, that’s ok too. You can bake your bread on a baking stone, or a parchment-lined baking sheet. If you go this route, you’ll have to create steam a different way. Just before baking, place a roasting pan filled with an inch of hot water on the bottom rack of your oven (don’t use cold water, which can lower your oven temp). You can also spray your oven walls with water.
I mean. Just look at that. Now, is this a super fancy loaf that’s been proofed eleven times over seventeen days using artisanal flour from heirloom wheat harvested under a full moon? No. Be glad it’s not that complicated.
This is back-to-basic bread: clean-tasting, quick, and easy, yet still impressive-looking, and most importantly, delicious. It’s got a perfectly crispy-chewy crust and a substantial yet airy texture inside. Perfect for dipping in soup (try this one or this one), making the ultimate grilled cheese, or just eating on its own. Pass the butter.

High Altitude Crusty French Bread

Author: Butter & Air Prep Time: 15 mins + rising Cook Time: 45-55 mins Total Time: approx 1 hr + rise time Yield: 1 loaf 1x

Description

Perfect french bread is possible at high altitude! This rustic loaf comes together quickly and easily, sporting a crackly, chewy crust with a light, airy interior.
Scale

Ingredients

2 tsp dry active yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 1/4 cups warm (not hot) water
2.5 cups bread flour
2 tsp kosher salt

Instructions

In a small bowl, combine water, yeast, and sugar.
In a separate medium bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine flour and salt and stir to mix. Add liquid and stir until the dough begins to come together in a ball. If it seems too dry, add a little more water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Mix until all the flour is incorporated and the dough is craggy and sticky, then tip the dough out onto a floured surface for kneading (or leave in stand mixer to knead with bread hook).
Knead for 10-15 minutes, until dough is smooth, and elastic, and slightly tacky to the touch. Form into a ball and place in a medium bowl that’s been lightly oiled. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and allow dough to rise at room temperature 1-2 hours, until doubled in size.
Remove the dough to a floured surface and give it a pull-and-stretch: Stretch about a quarter of the dough ball away from you, then fold it back on top of itself, ending in the middle. Turn the dough a quarter-turn and repeat three more times, so all sides have been folded in. Flip the dough upside down, pat into a ball, and place on a piece of parchment paper.
(At this point, if you do not plan to bake the bread the same day, you can place it in a bowl, cover it tightly, and refrigerate it overnight, or up to 18 hours. Remove the bread and allow it to come to room temperature, about one hour, before baking).
Cover dough loosely with plastic wrap or a tea towel and allow to rise about 30-45 minutes, until it has reached approximately 1.5 times its size.
While the dough is proofing, place dutch oven or other large lidded, oven-proof pot on the middle rack of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees (alternatively, if you are baking in the open oven without a container, place a roasting pan on the bottom rack and add one inch of hot water just before baking the bread).
When the dough is ready to bake, score it. Using a very sharp knife or razor blade, quickly and gently make a quarter-inch deep slash in the dough, from one end of the loaf to the other (or other design of your choice). Be sure not to press too hard and deflate the dough.
Using heat-proof gloves or oven mitts, carefully remove the dutch oven from the oven and remove the lid. Pick up the edges of the parchment paper and gently lift the dough into the dutch oven, parchment and all (if not using a dutch oven, place on a baking sheet or stone). Replace lid and put the pot back in the oven.
Bake for 25 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 400 degrees and bake another 30 minutes. Check after a total of 40 minutes or so; if the loaf has not browned much, remove the lid and continue baking uncovered.
The bread is done when the crust is hard and has a hollow sound when rapped with a knuckle. You can also use an instant-read thermometer to check the internal temp – if it’s between 190 and 205 degrees, it’s done.
Cool the loaf on a baking rack for at least 20 minutes, or until it is fully cooled. Slice at room temperature. Store leftover bread tightly wrapped in plastic wrap.

Notes

i
… don’t be tempted to cut into the loaf while it’s still warm. Cooling continues to both develop flavor and allow some of the moisture in the warm bread to evaporate. If you cut into the loaf too early, it will flatten and become soggy. If you want to serve warm bread, slice it when cool and warm the slices, wrapped in foil, in a moderate oven for about 10 minutes.
i
… it’s important to note here that flour, water, rise times, and baking temps (and times) can all vary a bit depending on the temperature in your kitchen, your particular oven, the weather, and whether the moon’s in Scorpio that week (not really, but you get what I mean). Point is, it takes time to get a feel for how everything works together, so be patient with yourself and use your instinct if something seems too wet, dry, under/overbaked, etc.

Did you make this recipe?

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My First Loaf




I love ryan so much! He got me the KitchenAid mixer for Christmas 2019 and this will be the first receipee i make1

Artisan Bread

3 hours 15 minutes
4.75 from 112 votes
08.17.11

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

4 Ingredient No Fail No Knead Artisan Bread that’s easy and delicious! Perfect for those who love freshly home baked bread right out of the oven.

Long ago, I discovered that it’s more fun to make bread myself without a bread machine. I do have my good old trusted KitchenAid mixer which I cannot live without and for this bread, I made the dough with the mixer. You don’t have to but it’s a lot easier.

Now I cannot tell you how easy this bread is to make, and with only 4 ingredients. Beat that!

I have had this recipe for a while now, at least a couple years and I personally got the recipe from a friend of mine. Apparently this is the same as the recipe in Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking (See all Bread Baking Books), however I don’t own the book, so I’m not sure, but if it is their recipe I’d like to give them credit for it.

This is very simple, no kneading required. In a medium bowl add the lukewarm water, it has to be a bit warmer than body temperature, add the salt and the yeast and stir together. In the bowl of your mixer add all the flour and the pour the yeast mixture over the flour. Using the dough hook mix it all together. The dough will be sticky so don’t be tempted to add more flour.

Now you can place the dough in a big plastic container with a lid, but do not close the lid completely, leave one corner open a bit. Or you can just place it in a big bowl and wrap it up really well with plastic wrap and poke a couple small holes with a toothpick so that the gases can escape a little. Let it rise in a warm place for a good two hours.

Since there’s no kneading required, all you have to do is shape your bread, but because the dough is really sticky you need to flour your hands really well. Basically you have to divide the dough in two and shape each piece. Again add as much flour as necessary to your hands to avoid dough from sticking. It is ideal to bake this bread on a stone, but if you do not have a stone you can just use a regular baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Shape the dough and place it seam down on the baking sheet or stone. Sprinkle some more flour on top. You need to let the bread rest for another 30 minutes so that it rises a bit more.

Preheat the oven to 450 F degrees. Before placing the bread in the oven, slash the top of your bread with a knife, it will make your bread look pretty, plus it will allow for the trapped gases to escape. Also place a pan with a cup of water in it and slide it in the bottom rack and the bread on the middle rack. As the water heats up in the oven, it will create steam which will give the bread that nice crusty top. Trust me, you will want to do this. Bake the bread for 30 to 35 minutes and let it cool completely before cutting into it. I know it’s hard, I love hot bread, just the thought of it now, makes me crave it.

If you love this bread, give this No Knead Bread a try!

If you try this recipe, please let us know! Leave a comment, rate it and tag a photo #jocooks on Instagram so we can see it. I always love to see what you guys come up with!

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Artisan Bread

4.75 from 112 votes
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 3 hrs 5 mins
Total: 3 hrs 15 mins
Serves: 20
4 Ingredient No Fail No Knead Artisan Bread that's easy and delicious! Perfect for those who love freshly home baked bread right out of the oven.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups water lukewarm
  • 1 1/2 tbsp active dry yeast
  • 1 1/2 tbsp salt
  • 6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Instructions

  • 1
    In a medium bowl add the warm water, salt and yeast and stir together.
  • 2
    In the bowl of your mixer add all the flour, then pour the yeast mixture over the flour and mix using the dough hook of your mixer, until it's all well incorporated.
  • 3
    Place the dough in a large plastic container, it needs room to rise, and put the lid on it, but do not close completely, there needs to be one corner left open to let the gases escape. Alternatively, you can use a large bowl, covered well with plastic wrap and poke a couple small holes in the top using toothpicks.
  • 4
    Let the dough rise for 2 hours.
  • 5
    The dough will be very sticky and elastic. It is recommended to bake this on a stone, however a regular baking sheet will work just fine. Cover the baking sheet, or stone with parchment paper.
  • 6
    Add flour to your hands, and divide the dough in two pieces. Add more flour to your hands as necessary. Shape the dough into the desired shape for your bread and place it seam down on the baking sheet. Sprinkle some more flour on top of the loaves. Let the loaves rest for another 30 minutes so that they can rise a bit.
  • 7
    Preheat oven to 450 F degrees. Before placing the bread in the oven, add a pan with a cup of water and place it in the bottom rack. Slash the top of your bread, to allow gases to escape.
  • 8
    Bake the bread for 30 to 35 minutes. The water will allow for the bread to form a nice crusty top.
  • 9
    Cool on a rack before serving.

Recipe Notes

  1. 1Always check the expiration date on your yeast and make sure it hasn't expired. All your yeast products whether it’s in a jar or a package should be stamped with a "Best if Used by" date. Always make sure you check this date, even when you purchase the yeast, who knows it could have been on the shelf past its expiry date.
  2. 2To keep your yeast fresh and longer lasting, unopened yeast packages or jars should be stored in a cool or dry place such as your cupboard. However, you can also store your yeast in the fridge or freezer. If you do store it in the freezer and need to use yeast for your baking, make sure you take out the amount you need and let it sit at room temperature for at least half hour before using.
  3. 3Once your yeast package or jar has been opened, you must refrigerate the yeast or freeze it in an airtight container.
  4. 4One thing to remember about your yeast, is that it is a living organism and over time it will lose activity, even if you’ve never opened the jar or package. So if you don’t bake often, buy the smaller yeast packages rather than a big jar of yeast.
  5. 5How do I know when my bread is done baking: Tap the bottom! Turn the bread upside down and give the bottom a firm thump with your thumb, or a knock and if it sounds hollow it's done.
  6. 6Recipe will yield 2 loaves. Nutritional information assumes 10 slices per loaf and is per slice.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 150kcal (8%)Carbohydrates: 31g (10%)Protein: 4g (8%)Sodium: 526mg (23%)Potassium: 52mg (1%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Calcium: 7mg (1%)Iron: 1.9mg (11%)
Course:Bread
Cuisine:American
Keyword:artisan bread
Tried this recipe? Rate it belowtag @jocooks on instagram and hashtag it #jocooks!
Nutrition Facts
Artisan Bread
Amount Per Serving (1 slice)
Calories 150
% Daily Value*
Sodium 526mg23%
Potassium 52mg1%
Carbohydrates 31g10%
Fiber 1g4%
Protein 4g8%
Calcium 7mg1%
Iron 1.9mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

wahoo!! its 12/17/19 and im making this bread!!!!
here we go!

"KaKa" the Kitchen Aid Ryan Got me for Christmas 2019!


The bread is goooood!
Its way heavier than I expected but I used whole wheat flour instead of white which the recipe calls for. Next time I will aim for more light fluffiness and will have to do some research.

The crust is lovely. The bread is beautiful and smells divine. I cooked it with a pot of lavender water in the oven. I also buttered the bigger loaf with Kerrygold unsalted butter which resulted in a deep golden brown crust.



The oven was at 455 due to altitude adjustment and it was getting pretty dark and crisp at 25 minutes so I took it out to cool. I also split it into three loaves instead of two.

According to FablFlour here is a solution for Dense Bread:

My bread is like a brick – it has a dense, heavy texture

If the bread has a heavy, close texture and hasn’t risen very well then there are a number of reasons for this. The flour could have too low a protein content, there could be too much salt in the bread recipe, you did not knead it or leave it to prove for long enough or you could have killed the yeast by leaving the dough to rise in a place that was too hot.




I will get better flour....ancient grains matter and I have written to the the Noble Grains Alliance https://www.noblegrainalliance.org/about and joined Oldworld https://wholegrainscouncil.org/about-us for more resources.

#ancientgrainsmatter

I did let the bread rise on the hot oven after shaping. Next time I will not do this. The altitude definitely affects the density.

Bread Quote:
M.F.K. Fisher
"The smell of good bread baking, like the sound of lightly flowing water, is indescribable in its evocation of innocence and delight...

[Breadmaking is] one of those almost hypnotic businesses, like a dance from some ancient ceremony. It leaves you filled with one of the world's sweetest smells... there is no chiropractic treatment, no Yoga exercise, no hour of
meditation in a music-throbbing chapel. that will leave you emptier of bad thoughts than this homely ceremony of making bread."
― M.F.K. Fisher, The Art of Eating

Artisan Bread - Jo Cooks

I love this new bread life!

Posted on December 18th, 2019