5 minute bread

There are a few books that have changed my life.  Artisan Bread in Five Minutes is quickly making it's way on to that list and from the reviews on Amazon you can see that a number of other home bakers have been equally impressed.

The recipe is based off of no knead techniques which requires a very wet dough and a very long first rise.  The really brilliant step that this book takes is to create a larger batch of dough that lives in the refrigerator after it first rises.  By doing this, you can remove a bit of dough from the fridge every time you want to make bread and, depending on the variety you are making, you will have fresh bread in as little time as a hour.  The other thing the book points out is that most bread dough is similar in make up, no matter the type of bread you are making.  The differences in bread often come from shaping, rising, and cooking time.  So with the dough in your fridge you could make a french loaf, a baguette, or a pizza.

My only real complaint with the book is that I feel like it could have been a pamphlet that gave me almost all the same information.  The basic technique is described in just a few steps with the rest of the book being very subtle variations.  The book also includes recipes for salads and sandwiches that use specific breads that seem unnecessary.  I understand the desire to stretch the material to fill a whole book but you can also find a lot of the information on their website.

I've made a lot of loaves of bread over the past few years and the breads produced by this technique are the most enjoyable.  I've been able to consistently produce a crispy crust, chewy crumb, and beautiful holes when sliced.

The only ingredients are flour, salt, yeast, and water for most recipes

Just mix everything together and that is all the real work

After rising

After shaping

First standard loaf

Attempted a baguette

As a side, if you are looking for storage containers for bread rising or storing dry ingredients you should check out a restaurant supply store.  Prices at restaurant supply stores are usually much less expensive, they have impressive selection, and quality items.  Though these stores are designed for restaurants and businesses to place wholesale orders, most stores are open to the public.