Outrageously Easy BIG Bread
2 (1/4 ounce) packets yeast
1/4 cup warm water
2 cups hot water
3 tablespoons turbinado
1 tablespoon salt
3 cups + 3 cups flour, divided
1/3 cup vegetable or corn oil
1. To proof yeast, pour warm water into a small ceramic bowl and add the yeast, but do not stir. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, pour hot water over the turbinado and salt; stir with a wooden spoon to completely dissolve. Combine 3 cups flour with the hot water mixture. Pour the oil on top of the dough mixture then add the yeast mixture on top of that, but do not stir.
2. Top with the remaining 3 cups flour and mix well. (I begin mixing with the wooden spoon but I very quickly have to move into squishing the dough with my hands.) At this point, the dough should be pliant and moist, but not gooey. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and set aside to rise for at least 45 minutes. (I've left it for almost two hours.)
3. On a lightly floured cutting board or countertop, divide the dough into half. (This is when I recruit someone to knead the dough, but the recipe actually calls for no kneading; I've done this recipe many times without kneading anything, and it always turns out really good.) Flatten each half into roughly an oval/rounded rectangular shape, about 1/2-3/4" thickness.
4. Roll the dough lengthwise and place on an ungreased, but very BIG, cookie sheet. (If you don't have a very large cookie sheet, use two cookie sheets, one for each half of the dough.) Cover the dough with a moist towel and set aside to rise again for another 45 minutes (or longer).
5. After the dough has risen the second time, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and bake for exactly 23 minutes. If you can keep everyone from digging in right away, allow to cool for about 15 minutes and then enjoy. (Also, before the bread bakes, you can slit the top of each lump of dough a couple of times and brush lightly with some kind of egg substitute. The glaze helps the bread come out with a slightly crunchier crust. I don't usually bother.)
Source of recipe: Whenever I go to potlucks, I bake this bread and it disappears within minutes. I've even had special requests for it. At a family Christmas, after I found out that store-bought rolls (ick!) would be served with the Christmas Eve dinner, I announced that I would make homemade bread. Since dinner would be served in a little less than two hours and since my family knows how much I absolutely detest cooking, my mother thought I was lying. She couldn't believe that I could make "respectable" bread without any kneading and in time for dinner. I made this bread and, as usual, it vanished almost instantly. My mother got this bread recipe from me. I think the dogs got the store-bought rolls.
SO HOW'D IT GO?
how hot should be the water? Thanks! :)
My rule of thumb is warm, but not hot enough where it's uncomfortable to touch. If it's too hot, it will kill the yeast. I always dip the tip of my (clean) finger in, and if it feels pleasantly warm, it's good; if it's too hot, let it cool until you can touch it comfortably.
how hot should be the water? Thanks! :)
Must be the easiest bread I've ever made... only one I've attempted without a bread maker! It taste fantastic and fluffy inside. I brushed it with soy milk to give it a nice crust. Also a tip I learned on tv, have a pan ( she just threw it into her oven, the lady on TV) heating when the oven is heating up. before you put your bread in, place a cup of water into the hot pan and the steam helps your bread to be soft on the inside. Thanks. I will try one half sweet and the other half savoury next!
Oh my gosh!!!! I absolutely love love love this recipe!!! Thank you so much for being wonderful and posting it! I followed the recipe exactly and only had to add about 1/2 cup of flour at the end (it was a bit gooey and sticky). The loaves came out beautifully (not aesthetically, but taste-wise). I made a plain one, a cinnamon raisin one, and one with jalapenos and nutritional yeast mixed through it (my favorite)...mmmm....
Never made bread before and didn't know what to expect. One thing it was very gooey. Figure that was a problem beings it said its not suppose to be that way. It didn't rise that much and the taste was soso. I did follow the recipe but apparently I did something wrong with so many raves about it.
Did anybody else's not rise? Mine didn't- probably just because the yeast is old. Oh wells. I still baked it and it tasted lovely, if dense. If you ask me, it's because of the ratio of oil to flour, when the oil content is usually much lower.
Yay! This was my first experience making vegan bread with yeast and it came out fabulous! I halved the recipe but probably shouldn't have, everyone gobbled it up quick. It was gone in an hour with some of our yummy sprouted sunflower seed hummus.
We reduced the salt, the sugar, and I stirred the yeast in the warm water, because it looked at me longingly, asking me to please let it disburse equally. I'm glad I did, based on everyone's reviews, and my finished product. Rose perfectly.
This'll be my new standard bread recipe. Can't wait to start experimenting with spices and herbs!
It was really easy, and it came out tasty enough, but overall I'm not as happy with the results as I hoped.
My "BIG Bread" didn't get very big. It rose enough to taste alright, but it didn't rise like other breads I've made. I think part of it was usually at first I mix the yeast into the warm water. For this one, I followed the instructions and didn't stir the yeast/water, and it ended up that when I needed to pour that into the dough, there was still a bunch of yeast floating on the top that was basically dry. I thought this seemed off, but I did it anyway. Next time, I'll prep the yeast like I do for other breads, adding a little bit of sugar to give the yeast something to start munching on.
Also, like someone else mentioned in their post, I thought it was a little on the salty side. I'll probably try two teaspoons next time.
For one of my loaves, I wanted to try artichaut's cinnamon roll recipe, but didn't have everything I needed, so I just rolled it out, sprinkled cininamon and raisins all over it, and then rolled it up and called it done. I didn't turn it into gooey yummy cinnamon rolls, but I ended up with a good flavor of bread for breakfasting. ::)
Thanks for the recipe, I'll keep tweaking it. I wish I'd been as successful the first shot out of the barrel as everyone else was!
I really like this recipe, and I make it at least once every week or so. I haven't tried any of the fun variations that other people have posted.
I did want to add: this recipe has NEVER worked as well for me if I use more than 2 cups total of whole wheat flour. The loaves get heavy and soggy if I exceed that amount. But if I stick with white flour, the product is perfect every time!
Just my 2 cents.
I made this yesterday, and it came out perfect again. This recipe is foolproof, really. I added to the salt: thyme, rosemary, basil, and poppyseeds. It gave it just the right amount of herb flavor. It is absolutely delicious every time I make it, and I have to hide it from my husband, since bread is his favorite food. :)
Pages