Basic Bread

A flexible, fail-safe bread recipe, that can be adjusted for however much time you happen to have that day. You don't need to be too precise about measuring or about timing. If you have lots of time, use less yeast; if you are in a rush, use more. The flavor will be a little different -- a little better if you use a little less yeast and a little more time -- but either way it's still homemade bread, so who's to complain?

The only unusual things it calls for are (a) vital wheat gluten and (b) a large, covered cast iron pot or Dutch oven. Vital wheat gluten is available at any grocery store. It's helpful because it improves the gluten structure of the bread, which isn't ideal otherwise because of the whole-wheat flour. If you don't have it, you can substitute an equal amount of flour, although the bread may rise a bit less or be a bit denser. The Dutch oven helps create a crisp crust with a tender interior. You can always bake it in a regular oven, but the crisp/tender distinction will be less apparent -- you may want to brush the dough with water first.

This makes a rustic, crisp-crusted loaf, good for eating with soup and making sandwiches.

Basic Bread

1 3/4 cups whole-wheat flour
1 3/4 cups white flour
1/4 cup vital wheat gluten
1 1/2 cups warm water
1/2 to 1 tsp active dry yeast (use less if you have more time; use more if you have less time)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar if desired

Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Combine the yeast and warm water; stir until dissolved. Add the liquid to the dry ingredients and stir until it's as combined as you can get it with a wooden spoon. Then use your hands to work in the remainder of the flour. (If you can't work it all in, don't worry.) Turn onto a clean, lightly-floured surface and knead about 10 minutes, until it passes the "windowpane test" (if you stretch a small amount between your fingers, you should be able to see light through it). If you're new to bread making, it can be hard to know how long to knead it; in time you'll figure out how to recognize it's done without doing the test. 10 minutes should be fine.

Put the bread into a large clean bowl you've dribbled a tiny bit of oil into, and turn to coat evenly. Cover with plastic wrap or a cloth and leave alone for a while, anywhere from an hour to a few hours, depending on your schedule. Punch down and let rise again for however long you have. When you're ready, punch it down again, shape into an oval loaf that will fit into your Dutch oven, set on a large piece of aluminum foil, and let proof (rise) for about a half hour.

Meanwhile, put your Dutch oven (uncovered) into the real oven and preheat to 450 degrees. After your bread's done proofing, slash 3 or 4 slashes on the top. (Deeper than in the photo.) Carefully remove the Dutch oven from the oven and set the foil and bread inside. (The foil makes it easy to put the bread in the blazing-hot pot without burning yourself.) Cover the Dutch oven and return to the oven. Bake, covered, about 25 minutes at 450. Uncover. Bake another 5 minutes at 450, then turn the heat down to 425 for another 5-15 minutes. This will depend on the exact size of your loaf, the humidity of the day, etc. Bread is done when it is lightly brown and sounds hollow if you thump the bottom.

Let cool, slice, and eat!