Ruth Study: Peasant Bread Recipe

Hello Beautifully Made readers!  As we have been studying Ruth I have a special treat for you today for all your hard work!  We have been learning about barley and wheat and the threshing floor, so what would better go along with that than an easy homemade bread recipe?  Leesa Mead from Save a Skillet is guest blogging today, you're gonna love her!  When you are done reading today's blog, hop over and subscribe to her's, it's seriously one of my favorite blogs! 

Peasant Bread

But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.

                                                             Psalm 3:3

 Good morning!  My name is Leesa, and I write a blog over at Save a Skillet where we delve into how food and fellowship are intertwined and how to get back to having a love relationship with food. 

I am very excited to write this guest post today for Chrystan and the Beautifully Made readers.  Today I am going to share my favorite bread recipe – Peasant Bread.  Bread… so simple, yet so daunting to most cooks due to kneading it, letting it rise and then after all that hard work (and dirty dishes) it turns out tough or it falls in the middle (the worst!). 

But not today fellow readers, nope today is going to be your best bread experience ever. You are going to start being known as the Bread Baker (or Mr/Ms BB for short) in your friend circle.  You will walk in the door and people are going to be in awe of where you learned such a talent.

Not a fan of bread you say? Not impressed, huh?  I would go on a limb and say everyone’s favorite food is a good homemade bread.  Don’t believe me… what is your favorite food?  Lasagna?  Nothing pairs better with lasagna than delicious bread to sop of the leftover cheesy sauce.  Turkey with Mashed potatoes and gravy?  How are you going to clean all the leftover gravy off your plate without a fresh squishy roll?  I feel I have made my point.  J

Seriously though, this bread is pretty awesome. It always turns out perfect AND no kneading!  You mix ingredients, toss them in the bowl and wa-lah, let it rise and toss it in the oven.  Done.

Peasant Bread

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit       Total cooking time 30 minutes

Ingredients

·         2 cups warm water

·         2 teaspoons active dry yeast

·         3 teaspoons sugar

·         4 cups of all-purpose flour

·         2 teaspoons kosher salt

·         2 tablespoons softened butter - greasing bowls

Directions

Mix water, sugar, and yeast in a small bowl. Let this sit for 10 -15 minutes until mixture is foamy.

In a large bowl whisk together flour and salt.

Now stir in the yeast mixture.

Mix until all flour is absorbed. Dough will be very wet.

Cover bowl with a tea towel and let rise for 1 hour.

Tip :  For a good rising temperature, turn oven on 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 minute, then turn oven back off. The oven is now a good temperature for bread to rise.

Take bread from oven

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit

Grease 2 oven safe 1 liter size bowls with softened butter (Pyrex, Corningware)

Using two forks punch down dough, scraping from sides.  Dough will still be very wet.

Using two forks (due to wet dough, this is not easy) divide dough down the middle and separate into equal portions.

Scoop up half of dough into one of the greased bowls, and then the other half of dough into the other greased bowl.

Let the dough rise again for 20-30 min on countertop.

Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and cook for an additional 15 minutes.

Remove bread from oven and turn loaves onto a cooling rack.  If the loaves are not as golden as desired place back into oven for an additional 5 minutes, not in bowls.

Cool for 10 minutes prior to cutting bread.

(Recipe adapted from Alexandra's Kitchen - My mother's Peasant Bread)

www.saveaskillet.com (seriously, go check her out!)

Much Love,

Chrystan & Leesa

PS- The final chapter in Ruth coming next time!!! Can't wait to give you a BIG announcement! Sit tight!!!