Finally a consistent bread recipe!

Most anyone who knows me, knows I am a bread maker. Or at least that I attempt to make a lot of bread. I make a mean jalapeno cheddar bread and a  favorite herb and cheese bread that pretty much always comes out good but for the last year I have been looking for a recipe that I can add stuff too, and change up every time but that gives me not just tasty bread but a bread with that rich chewy rustic crust! I have finally found a recipe I am in love with! I have made it several times and every time it comes out with a nice crust, good crumb and lots of flavor even when I didn't add anything!

Beware it does require some time but you just have to be around you don't have to be watching it the whole time!

Basic Bread Recipe

3 1/2 cups flour (I think the quality of flour is everything for baked goods, and swear is the secret to my cookies. I use Montana Wheat but King Arthur is also good)
2 1/2 TSP yeast
2 1/4 TSP salt
1 1/3 cup cold water plus 1/3 additional

Optional healthy add ins: I pretty much always use at least half wheat flour when I bake. If you do it is good to also add vital wheat gluten since it is lower in gluten it doesn't always rise as well. I also usually always add in a 1/4 - 1/3 cup of ground flax as well as wheat germ.

So you may start this bread in two different ways. I usually mix all the dry ingredients including the yeast in my mixer then make a well and pour in the 1 1/3 cups cold water with the dough hook mixing at speed 1. You could also dissolve the yeast in the water first and then put in the dry ingredients. This is a multiple rise/slow rise recipe that is why the cold water works. I mix in the mixer until the dough gets cleaned off the sides and starts to have an elastic texture. It is ok if it is still sticky as long as you can handle it. If it is too sticky and does not clean the sides of the mixing bowl then add flour a Tbs at a time. If it is too dry and never incorporates all the flour into a nice wet elastic ball add a little of the extra water again only a Tbs at a time. I then pick up the ball spray the sides of the bowl with a little spray gently turn the dough in it once so it won't stick to the sides so bad and cover and allow to rise for usually about 2 hours the dough should be double in size.  Then take the bread and put it on a work surface with a good dusting of flour, flatten it by patting and lightly stretching into a rectangle then fold it into thirds long ways and then take each end and fold it under. This helps distribute the yeast even more. Put it back in the bowl, cover and let rise until it has doubled in size again. This rise is usually a little quicker. Once it has risen I split the dough in half and gently pull the sides under to form a round ball and put in a sprayed cake pan. Bake in an oven preheated to 400 for 15 minutes then turn down the oven to 375 and bake an additional 20-30 mins. Now to achieve that crust I described put a tray/bowl etc. on the wrack below the bread and throw in a couple of ice cubes when you put the bread in the oven refresh with a couple of more ice cubes every 10-15 mins. When the bread is out of the oven it is delicious hot but it is always best to allow the bread to cool all the way first before cutting into it so all the steam doesn't escape.

This loaf came out slightly low probably because I didn't allow it to rise all the way the first time. It still had all the good bread properties though. Also I find that usually when I shape my bread round it holds its shape better and rises better then when I do it long like french bread.

Now as I mentioned above I like to add stuff! The possibilities are wonderfully endless! This batch is a Parmesan, basil, sun dried tomato bread.

Cheese - it makes everything better

Nuts

Herbs (I like to use fresh but dried could work too)

Jalapenos

Apples

Cinnamon

Raisins

Most of these things I add when mixing in the mixer however when you flatten out the bread and fold it is also a good time to put add ins on especially jalapenos, apples, cinnamon sugar etc.