Trading Recipes

I planned to post this bread recipe this week, after several requests. Meanwhile, yesterday I visited Janice's blog and she had posted a stew recipe from me. Definitely random but ideal for readers because my stew on her blog and her bread on my blog are perfect together for a Fall dinner.

ARTISAN CRUSTY BREAD

1 5/8 c. warm water (just make it the same temp. as your wrist)
1 tsp yeast
1 1/4 tsp salt
3 c. flour
In large bowl, stir together water, yeast and salt, then add flour. Stir until ingredients are mixed. Place lid on bowl and let rise 6-24 hours (it doesn't raise to be huge). One to two hours before baking, scrape dough out onto floured surface (it will be very sticky) and cover with flour and shape into ball. Let sit on counter 1-2 hours.

Place glass casserole dish with lid in oven and heat to 450 degrees. The key is in heating up the dish before you put the dough in it. When oven reaches temp, take the dish out and spray w/oil and drop dough into dish, you will hear it sizzle. Put lid on dish and bake 30 min. with lid on, then remove lid and bake another 15 min. The hotter the bread the crustier it is. It is best if you can wait at least 30 min.-1 hr. It is even better if you can have it done 1-2 hours before - then the crust isn't so hard. But still crusty.

The bread leftovers make delicious French Toast the next morning for game day breakfast.