This is the simplest way I know to make yeast bread. Four ingredients: flour, water, yeast, salt.
Here I have used 3 cups all purpose flour, 1 1/2 cups warm water, 3/4 tbsp regular granulated yeast, 3/4 tbsp coarse salt. The amounts are approximate; go with what 'feels right'; bread is a living thing that 'converses' quite nicely.
I swish some hot water around in the stainless steel bowl to take off the chill, then put in the warm water and dangle my fingers through it, testing the temperature. If it feels too warm then I continue to finger comb it until it feels right; if it is too cool I tend to pour that water out and start again; it is easier to cool down and keep the amount than try to add water to warm it up. Next I'll put in the salt and give it a bit of a stir with the intent of starting to dissolve it; other times I add it together with the yeast and flour. And stir it all up.
Until it looks like this. Takes about a minute. The dough gets scraped off the spoon and a cover put on the bowl.
Now it gets left on the counter for an hour or two. It feels as if I am giving it time to rest rather than trying for a specific rising. At times I have gone out on errands and left it.
If I don't intend to use any of it after this resting period I will punch it down, set it on the counter while I wash out the bowl, return it to the bowl and put it in the frig.
This day I did use half of it.
I wet my hands with water, scooped the dough off the counter, divided it roughly in half, put one half back in a smaller bowl and put it in the frig, oiled an eight inch baking pan and put the other half in it like this, pressing it down with wet fingers.
I grated some garlic and sprinkled it on top, sprinkled on some coarse salt, scattered some dried French tarragon over all. I poked a few dimples into the dough at this point and dribbled a bit of fragrant olive oil into the hollows.
Then I let it rise on the counter for thirty minutes or so and baked it in a 450 degree oven for about half an hour.
I had to cut it while it was just baked - the kitchen smelled great - the texture reminded me of ciabatta - but it was definitely foccacia, which is what I had wanted.
With a mixed green salad and some Irish cheddar it made a very nice dinner.
The remainder got cut into rectangles and put into the freezer. Popped into the toaster oven for half a minute or so they are as good as just baked.
Here is what the second half of the dough looked like after a week in the frig. At times I have glanced into the bowl of dough and used a wet hand to deflate it, turn it over, return it to frig - once I did this three times in a week for some reason. This time it just sat from day one to day seven (it may have even been eight or nine).
I wanted buns. Crusty plain buns.
With wet hands I scooped dough out of bowl and began to divide it in half, then half again. Four was the number of buns I was going to get dictated by the size. I oiled the muffin tins and popped them in, using a few motions to round the dough first.
Here is how they looked after about forty minutes of rising and just before being put into a 400 degree oven for half an hour.
I put some hot water into the empty spaces.
Dah dah. Some delightful sculpture occurred.
They have more a dense bread texture and are quite heavy. Without the addition of the salt and spices and oil as in the foccacia the simple flavour of the bread is offered. And a wonderful aroma. They are delicious and again freeze and reheat as if fresh.
