Three fresh-from-the-oven artisan breads that are perfect for Fall and super easy to make!
The cooler it gets around here the more I want to spend an afternoon baking. Not just any kind of baking, mind you. I’m in the mood for fresh-baked bread. If I can find a recipe with minimal ingredients and labor involved, even better. As a child, and the youngest of six, I often woke up on Saturday mornings to the smell of fresh baked bread. Mom baked our bread for as long as I can remember and, let me tell you, that smell, first thing in the morning will get even the laziest kid out of bed. She may have had me trained come to think of it, because I was often rewarded with a freshly buttered “heel” and a glass of orange juice after making my way downstairs. Not a bad deal all in all, and likely the reason the heel is still my favorite part of the loaf.
I really love the artisanal or rustic loaves with the crunchy tops and the flour-dusted bottoms. These loaves tend to be a bit more (ok a LOT more) dense than the Wonder White Bread you find in the grocery store, but they are SO good. Plus, they make for really tasty sandwiches along side a bowl of piping hot soup. YUM!
Today, I’m going to share three different recipes that I found on my never-ending stroll through Pinterest and have tested myself. They’re all winners, so I hope you will give them a try. Please note however, because these are not my recipes, and because the folks who were kind enough to share them have some great stories and tips to share along with the recipe, I am only going to share the links. If I tweak the recipes at all in future, I will post those in my recipe section. I make all of these breads in my Dutch oven because it has a lid and is the perfect size for that nice, round artisanal loaf shape. However, in a pinch, you can use the insert and lid to a crockpot if you don’t have a Dutch oven.
Foolproof Raisin Pecan Artisan Bread
This first recipe is for Foolproof Raisin Pecan Artisan Bread from Life Made Simple.
This recipe does take a little time to “prep” but only because you need to give it ample time to proof and ferment. Yes, I said ferment. Depending upon the temperature of your kitchen this could be anywhere from 12 to 24 hours. Plan ahead. That’s all I’m saying.
As for the actual assembly time, it is minimal because all you do is whisk together the dry ingredients, add a little water, raisins and pecans and then cover and let it sit overnight or until the top is all bubbly. No kneading required. Remember what I said about minimal labor?
If that beautiful golden, crusty top doesn’t make you reach for the butter, I’m not sure what will.
Also, you can substitute dried cranberries for the raisins if you are not a raisin fan, and of course, omit the nuts if there are allergy concerns.
Roasted Garlic & Herb No-Knead Bread
This recipe is from Meghan Splawn over at kitchn.com and is a little more “involved”, but more than worth the extra effort because it is not your standard garlic bread. For this tasty delight, the garlic and herbs are baked right in! Of course, you can slather it with garlic butter once it’s baked, but you may decide you can “make do” with plain butter. *wink*
Serve this up with a zesty pasta dish (mmmmmmm pasta….) or some hearty Autumn soup and call it dinner.
Easy, No-Knead Dutch Oven Crusty Bread
Finally, this last beauty is from Mary Ellen’s Cooking Creations. It’s a simpler loaf in that it doesn’t have a bunch of nuts, herbs or dried anything in it. Mary Ellen actually curated the recipe from The Comfort of Cooking if you feel like checking that out. It’s just a basic crusty loaf that you can serve with any number of different flavored butters and Lord knows how many different dishes. Hmmm. Note to self: research recipes for flavored butters.
Like the others, you will need to allow time for this one to rise, but your ingredient list is short. Like, 4-ingredients-short. I bet you have half of them on hand already! If you are looking for a simple loaf to test your skills on, this is the one to try.
Note also that Mary Ellen shows how you can tie your loaf with string before you bake it to create a fancy pumpkin-shaped loaf. How’s that for a little Autumn tie-in?
Have a fantastic weekend everyone and let me know how your bread turns out!
