Artisan Bread

INGREDIENTS:

Number of servings

Servings: 8

List of ingredients

3 pounds (1.3 kilos) of wheat flour

2 ounces (50-60 gram) salt

1 pound (½ kilo) rye flour

5 cups (1.2 liter) lukewarm water

2 ounces (50 grams) fresh brewers yeast

1 bottle of pilsner beer

PREPARATION:

• On a table, mix the flour and salt with your hands and form it into a volcano shaped heap. Mix the water, beer and yeast. Mix the water mixture slowly into the flour mixture, pour slowly and work the water into the flour with your hands before adding more. Continue kneading slowly until you have smooth dough that is slowly firming up. Let it rest for 15 minutes.

• Now is the time to stretch the gluten in the dough. This is done my stretching the dough with your hands and folding it together several times. Cover the dough with plastic or a kitchen towel and let rest until it has doubled in size.

• Preheat the oven to 450ºF/225ºC. Divide the bread into 3. Let rest on a baking sheet for 45 minutes, covered with kitchen towel. Slash the breads with a sharp knife before baking, to allow them to expand in the oven. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes.

• Variations: When you bake your own bread, it is easy to experiment. I often make my own bread with herbs or a muesli bread with seeds and fruits.
  Bread with Herbs: 1 tablespoon rosemary, 1 tablespoon sage, 1 tablespoon oregano, 1 tablespoon thyme. Mix the herbs into one of the dough before baking.
  Muesli Bread: 1 teaspoon sunflower seeds, 1 teaspoon pumpkin seeds, 1 tablespoon Raisins, 1 dried apricot, 1 dried fig, 2 tablespoon mixed nuts.
  Chop all the ingredients and soak it in luke warm water for 30 minutes. Sieve the muesli mixture and work it into the dough.