The Master Recipe: Boule (Artisan Free-Form Loaf)

Its not really just 5 minutes a day, but it is a very quick approach to preparation of yeast bread.

This master recipe serves as a template for a host of variations. The idea is that one prepares a very simple no-knead dough (similar to those of Bittman, Cooks Illustrated, Sullivan St. Bakery, etc), and prepares a large batch. It is then aged in the refrigerator, where is is supposed to take on better (sourdough-like) flavors.

Because we were almost out of yeast, my first dough was for a single loaf, and it was refrigerated only one night. The resulting bread was beautiful, with a great bounce in the oven, but it wasn't as flavorful as I would like.

I now have a 3-loaf batch in the refrigerator, prepared with the addition of malt, and will report back if I learn anything unexpected.

update: the extra malt does contribute to a higher rise! This bread is delicious, and much appreciated by my family. My daughter also suggested that I should buy the book - its that good.