No Stress, No Mess Bread

Intro: No Stress, No Mess Bread

I really like homemade bread, but I HATE cleaning all that flour off the counter from kneading it. You use a sponge to clean it, but the flour just turns into a wet sticky mess and you ruin the sponge. If it dries on the counter it's practically impossible to get off. You get dough stuck in your ring and under your fingernails. etc. etc.  It drives me nuts!

This is a super easy Italian Style Bread you can make with a Stand Mixer and a dough hook. No kneading, no mess. Yay!

STEP 1: Gather Your Ingredients

Super simple: 4 ingredients!

6 1/2 C Flour
1T Salt
2T Yeast
3 C Hot Water (not boiling, just hot tap water. Not so hot it burns you though, because that will kill the yeast)


optional:

Garlic powder
Italian Seasoning
Parmesan Cheese


You also need a stand mixer with a dough hook, and a baking sheet.

STEP 2: Make the Dough

Pour the water into the bowl and add the yeast. Stir gently. Let sit for 5 minutes. The yeast will bubble up a bit. 

Put in the salt and stir. Then add the flour. Stir with the dough hook, about medium speed. Lock the neck of the mixer down, or it will jump. Just let it do it's thing. All of the flour will get incorporated, and the bowl will be clean. If not, add a dash more water. If it seems way to soft, won't form a ball, add a bit more flour. 

This is where you can add some extra ingredients if you want. I enjoy a bit of garlic powder, (2tsp.) and some Italian Seasoning (about 1-2 tsp. ) You could also add some grated hard cheese. Take it a different way and add a little cinnamon and sugar. Feel free to be creative. 

Lift up the dough hook, scrape off the dough. Take the bowl out, cover it with saran wrap, and let it rise for about 30 minutes. It should double in size.

NOTE: I use quick rise, or instant, or active dry yeast. It works well, and quickly. If you use regular yeast, it will take longer to rise. Just wait for the dough to fill up the bowl, then it will be done.  

STEP 3: Bake It

Take the Saran wrap off. Put a little bit of flour on your hands. Take the Dough out, and shape into 3 or 4 loaves. Make any shape you want: Round, Oval, Long and Skinny, etc. 

Put each loaf on the same greased cookie sheet. (Spray the pan with a little non stick spray)

Bake in the oven at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes. 

STEP 4: Mangia !

Take the bread out of the oven. The crust will be nice and brown. You can knock on the crust, and it's hard.  Let cool on a rack for at least 10 minutes. Then enjoy! The bread stays fresh for a day or two until it's cut. Once cut, it gets stale very fast. 

You can freeze any cooked loaves and enjoy them later. 

This bread goes great with Lasagna, Pasta with Red Sauce, Soup, or even PB&J. 
If it gets stale, it makes great bread pudding. It also makes great French toast.

Mangia!

Comments

[popeter]

I used to use a mixer until I discovered the EZ DOH dough maker. Before you say anything, let me just say that I have NO affiliation whatsoever with the make of this product. I saw it online one day and watched a demonstration on how to use it. You just throw the ingredients in and turn the crank back and forth until the dough ball comes together. When it is ready, there is nothing sticking to the sides of the bucket. Just cover it and let it rise right inside the bucket, then dump it out into a loaf pan, let it rise again and bake it. Simple... and NO MESS at all. I use it every time I make bread now, which is pretty much twice a week. Check it out: www.ezdoh.com and watch the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jT4heW6JNGU

[rippt530]

In the mixer, how long do you let it knead before the dough is ready?

[domestic_engineer]

I just do it until it forms dough, and all the flour is all absorbed. Then maybe one more minute after that.

[rippt530]

So I followed exactly, except the longer knead time and I brushed butter on the outside of the bread before baking also I baked on middle rack (none was specified).

I cut an end off after a 10 minute rest and it looks great on the first

There are small pockets of air throughout the bread, but it feels very dense compared to any supermarket baked white, rolls or even artisan breads I have purchased.

Unfortunately, I have nothing to compare it to, as this is the first loaf I have baked that wasn't gummy and uncooked inside. Kudos to the engineer in that regard.


I will be letting the second and third loaves set longer and post the results. I just really wanted a sandwich and we are snowed/iced in here near Philadelphia.

[domestic_engineer]

Oh good. Hope it's delicious!

[rippt530]

I'm doing it right now, and I think I kneaded it too long, It has proofed fine but I just wonder how it will affect consistency.
I left the mixer on for about 9-10 minutes and then added a little water to finish bringing it to a ball.