Fresh Baked Boules
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 (1/4-ounce) packet fresh fast-acting yeast
- 1 1/2 cups warm water, between 100 and 115 degrees F, as measured with a candy thermometer (any hotter will kill the yeast - an organic leavener; too cool and the yeast won't be activated)
- 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus some extra for kneading
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- Dissolve salt, sugar, and yeast in the warm water and allow the yeast to proof.
- ("Proofing" the yeast is testing it for viability.
- It will develop a foam which looks like the head of a beer.
- If it doesn't proof, the yeast is dead and should be discarded.)
- Proofing takes about 15 minutes.
- Place flour in a food processor fitted with a dough blade, and through the feed tube with the food processor running, slowly pour the proofed yeast mixture, until the dough comes together and is a cohesive mass.
- Transfer the dough to a floured board, and knead for about 5 minutes.
- Place in a bowl, cover with a clean dish towel and allow dough to rise, so that it roughly doubles in volume.
- (This will take about 30 minutes to 1 hour).
- The dough has risen enough if you make an indentation with your finger and it does not spring back.)
- Punch the dough down and allow it to rise again.
- (Allowing the dough to rise a second time gives it a finer texture.)
- Note: It will not rise as much the second time.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Divide the dough in half, and transfer half to a floured board and keeping the balance covered with the towel.
- Shape the dough into a circle by pulling from the side and pushing the dough under and up from the bottom to form a dome, rotating to make it circular.
- Cover with a piece of oiled plastic wrap and let rest 10 minutes.
- Repeat for each section of dough.
- Grease a round cake pan for each loaf and transfer dough to the pans.
- (This shape will keep the dough from flattening out while it bakes.)
- Brush with melted butter and bake until the crust is golden brown and crispy.
- When done, the bread should sound hollow when tapped, approximately 30 to 35 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let rest 10 minutes in pan.
- Remove from pan and serve warm or room temperature with butter.
salt, sugar, fastacting yeast, warm water, allpurpose, butter
Taken from www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/fresh-baked-boules-recipe.html (may not work)