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Artisan Bread In Five Minutes A Day

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Have You Ever Made Fresh Bread In Five Minutes?

There's nothing like the smell of fresh bread baking in the oven. Kids won't even let it cool down. I'm a little guilty of that also. There's nothing like warm challah with butter smeared on it. It's oh so yummy. I've tried baking bread before the five minutes a day method and it never turned out so good. The best I've done is pizza dough from scratch. It has great flavor, but it's just too much work but my friend recommended Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. If you want to know what it's all about then keep reading.

Artisan Bread In Five Minutes A Day

Jeff Hertzberg is a doctor and Zoe Francois is a pastry chef. They have teamed up to make great breads that are easy to create. Their book is a staple at my house now. I wouldn't be making bread if I had never found it. I've been working on bread baking without a machine and it just didn't turn out well at all. Now I can do it on my own with very little time spent. If you're interested in learning their method then check out their book Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day.
Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking

Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking

by: Jeff Hertzberg, Zoe Francois

Amazon Price: $13.97 (as of 05/28/2012)Buy Now

The book that started it all. They are also working on a book dedicated to flat breads and pizzas. The two main books have them in it, but mmm I can't wait for more pizza recipes.

Switch To Unbleached Flour.

King Arthur brand has a great all purpose flour that works well with this type of bread baking. You can find it at most grocery stores. Here's the link to give you an idea of what to look for. Using unbleached flour is a healthier alternative. Bleaching just sounds wrong and unhealthy. Less chemical processing is better for your body.

The Tools You'll Need.

Yes there are tools that will make things easier for you. You don't necessarily have to own each and every item, but I do and I've never looked back. I'll list items that I have found to be very useful for me and bread baking. It's up to you whether or not you want to use them, but I can honestly say I wouldn't be doing this without them.

The Master Recipe

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Bulk Bag Of Yeast.

You can pick up the packets at your local grocery store, but if you're anything like me you'll need it in bulk. Most if not all recipes calls for 2 packs of yeast. You know the three packs that are connected. Well you'll use two out of the three for each batch. So by buying in bulk you'll be saving money and having to go to the grocery store less when you run out.
Instant Yeast (Fleischmanns) 1lb

Instant Yeast (Fleischmanns) 1lb

Amazon Price: $2.96 (as of 05/28/2012)Buy Now

Save money and trips to the grocery store when buying in bulk.

Measuring Cups And Spoons.

When baking bread you'll definitely need something to measure with. Measuring flour can be tricky, but the best tip I can give you is to stay away from the big glass 2 cup measure. You'll need something like the one I've picked out. Using a big glass measuring cup will throw off your recipe by packing down the flour. Make sure you just slide over the top of a 1 cup metal or plastic measuring cup and slide a butter knife over the top to make it even.
Progressive GT-3520 International 19-Piece Measuring Cup and Spoon Set

Progressive GT-3520 International 19-Piece Measuring Cup and Spoon Set

Amazon Price: $6.99 (as of 05/28/2012)Buy Now

This set has all you'll need.

The Bucket They Use.

Cambro 6 quart food storage buckets.

I love these Cambro buckets. They are food grade and are NSF approved. I have tried different containers to make bread in and this is the one I recommend. I tried to get away from the whole "well you're buying it because they use it". Well I bought some cheap containers that weren't round and it just didn't work out as well. Yes the dough did just fine, but it was more work for me. The roundness makes it easier for me to use a big spoon to stir with. If you use square containers then you have to deal with the corners.

Another note on this set of containers. You get two of them and they both have a lid. Other containers on amazon don't have lids and you have to buy them separately and they cost more. Plus I also have the other book Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Dayand having two buckets lets me make a batch of wheat and a batch of white at the same time. This is important in my family since some of us prefer wheat instead.
Cambro RFS6PPSW2190 6-Quart Round Food-Storage Container with Lid, Set of 2

Cambro RFS6PPSW2190 6-Quart Round Food-Storage Container with Lid, Set of 2

Amazon Price: $16.99 (as of 05/28/2012)Buy Now

You get two for the price of one which is a great deal.

Pizza Stone For Pizzas And Bread Baking.

I got a pizza stone so I can cook pizzas and now it's going for my bread baking. These things are great and can be used on a grill. Which is a great idea when baking during the summer time. Nothing like a hot oven in a hot house to turn you away from baking. Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day has some recipes for pizza making and I plan on using my pizza stone to it's fullest.
Best Manufacturers 14-inch by 16-inch Pizza Stone

Best Manufacturers 14-inch by 16-inch Pizza Stone

Amazon Price: $43.95 (as of 05/28/2012)Buy Now

Pizza Peel For Getting Your Bread Off Of A Pizza Stone.

Pizza peels are very useful if you use a pizza stone. You'll need one to slide under your pizzas or breads to get it on and off a pizza stone. It's not easy to get food off of a pizza stone without it. Pizza stones are very HOT when in the oven and you'll risk getting burned if you don't be careful. That's where the pizza peel comes in. You have a long handle that keeps your hand away from the hot stone. So if you have a pizza stone or are buying one make sure you have a pizza peel for safety reasons.
CounterArt Bamboo Pizza Peel

CounterArt Bamboo Pizza Peel

Amazon Price: $14.99 (as of 05/28/2012)Buy Now

Safely put breads and pizzas on your stone with a pizza peel.

Christmas Wreath Bread.

This video shows you how to make a Christmas Wreath Bread. This method is fast and very easy to do. Try this one out for the holidays and let your guest think you slaved away all day in front of the oven.
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Master Recipe And Showcasing Other Breads.

Zoe and Jeff show you the master recipe and how to shape a small free form loaf of bread.
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Braiding 3 Strand Challah.

I've tried braiding Challah without this video and it turns out ok, but not as beautiful as this. With this video tutorial you can easily learn how to braid a challah.
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Want A Healthier Bread? Need Gluten Free Recipes?

Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day is a healthier version of their first book Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. The book has 100 new recipes that are healthier for you. They use nuts and whole wheat to help boost the nutritional value of their breads. They also have a whole chapter dedicated to gluten free recipes.
Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day: 100 New Recipes Featuring Whole Grains, Fruits, Vegetables, and Gluten-Free Ingredients

Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day: 100 New Recipes Featuring Whole Grains, Fruits, Vegetables, and Gluten-Free Ingredients

by: Jeff Hertzberg, Zoë François

Amazon Price: $14.24 (as of 05/28/2012)Buy Now

A healthier version of their bread making.

Do You Bake Your Own Bread?

  • funcook Sep 15, 2010 @ 9:00 pm | delete
    I've used this book to make bread lots of times. I use the bowl of my salad spinner to hold the bread (with the colander and spinner parts taken out). It works great - it's big enough and I don't have to buy a new piece of kitchen equipment to store the dough.
  • WordCustard Feb 6, 2010 @ 5:38 am | delete
    You've made me hungry for fresh bread! I love the thought of just 5 minutes work. The Christmas Wreath bread is a nice idea and he makes it look so simple.
  • GroovyFinds Jan 23, 2010 @ 2:21 pm | delete
    I'm not much of a cook...I'm sure I'd screw it up! LOL
  • Kharadriisa Jan 23, 2010 @ 2:24 pm | delete
    It is so easy to do with this method. I use to screw up all the time. I can't even ice a cake right, but I just try again and eventually I can master things.
  • Ramkitten Jan 23, 2010 @ 2:18 pm | delete
    Well, I HELPED bake bread a couple of times, but I've never done it myself. Nothing like warm bread, fresh out of the oven, though. Maybe I SHOULD try it sometime. Then again, I'd just end up finishing off the whole loaf before day's end, I'm sure.
  • Kharadriisa Jan 23, 2010 @ 2:23 pm | delete
    We go through about a loaf a day here. My fave is the Challah. It's an enriched dough that is just WOW. My braiding skills is lacking, but I'm learning. My father can braid like a pro. Was thinking about making a video with him braiding he's that good. Going to be making two loaves tonight. One Challah and one whole wheat pan loaf like the ones you get at the grocery store.
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Artisan Bread In Five Minutes A Day. 

Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking

Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking

by: Jeff Hertzberg, Zoe Francois

Amazon Price: $13.97 (as of 05/28/2012)Buy Now

Who says bread baking has to take all day long? Simplify your life and learn the five minutes a day method. Once you master the technique you won't want to go back to the old way of labor intensive bread baking and get rid of that old bread machine. This is a simpler way to do what you love and you can get your kids involved which is great!

Healthy Bread In Five Minutes A Day. 

Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day: 100 New Recipes Featuring Whole Grains, Fruits, Vegetables, and Gluten-Free Ingredients (Hardcover)

Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day: 100 New Recipes Featuring Whole Grains, Fruits, Vegetables, and Gluten-Free Ingredients (Hardcover)

by: Jeff Hertzberg MD (Author)Zoe Francois (Auth (Photographer)

Amazon Price: $15.94 (as of 05/28/2012)Buy Now

Wheat bread is a healthier alternative to white bread, but I love using both. This books has some great healthy bread recipes that include fruits and nuts. You can also find gluten free recipes for those who have Celiac disease. I got this book for me and my dad since he loves wheat bread and has me eating it now. We make some really great whole wheat pizzas that are just so yummy! Even if you're not a huge fan of whole wheat why not give it a try? You never know you may love the taste of your own fresh homemade bread.

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