Make Ahead Bread Dough

I LOVE fresh bread, you know that chewy crusted, warm buttery goodness bread? So I was looking for a way to make it that wouldn't require a boatload of my time.  Then I came across a great book and knew I had to try their method.  Try I did, and I loved it!

The whole concept is making a big  batch of bread dough on one day and baking the dough throughout the next two weeks.
I never dreamed you could store raised bread dough for up to two weeks...but you can and it honestly gets yummier as the days go by.
The dough is simple to make.  All you need is:
3 cups lukewarm water
1 1/2 tablespoons yeast
1 1/4 tablespoons salt
6 1/2 cups all purpose flour
Now, all you do is mix the water, yeast, and salt together.
Add the flour and mix until everything is uniformly moist.  There is no need to knead the dough.  You can mix it with a wooden spoon, a mixer with the dough hook attachment, or I use my hand.
The dough will be a bit wet...that's how it should be.
Finally, cover with a  lid (NOT AIRTIGHT...I use my largest Tupperware bowl) and let raise for 2 hours.  You can let it raise for up to 5 hours if need be.

Then push down the dough and store it airtight in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Anytime you want fresh bread, take out one pound of dough (this batch should make 4 - 1 pound loaves of bread), shape (using a bit of flour)  into whatever kind of loaf you would like...regular loaf or more like an artisan loaf and then let raise for 1 hour and 40 minutes in your greased pan.
Preheat your over to 450 degrees and then bake your loaf for 25 minutes or until loaf is brown and firm.
I usually double this recipe and bake two loaves at a time.

This is a very chewy crusted bread that is dense on the inside.  It is SUPER yummy and easy once you make up your dough.

The book that I got this idea from is Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day.

 It offers many pointers and other recipes for some delicious breads.  I'm not trying to sell the book, I just really liked the book and the bread and thought you might like this time saving, delicious idea.

Blessings,

Don't miss out on any of my upcoming posts...Follow along!

Sunday: 

 Under the Table and Dreaming ,  DIY Showoff ,  Nifty Thrifty Things,  Homemaker on a Dime , Embellishing Life, Sumo's Sweet Stuff, DIY Home Sweet Home, Blissful Domestic  
Monday:

The Better Mom   Skip to my Lou ,  Craft O Maniac ,  It's so Very Cheri ,  Keeping it Simple,  Creating Really Awesome Free Things,  Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms  Between Naps on the Porch ,  The Girl Creative      Singing Three Little Birds ,  Mad in Crafts , Organize with Sandy ,  Ask Anna, I'm An Organizing Junkie,  A Southern Fairytale, Polly Want a Crafter, Sew Can Do, I Should Be Mopping the Floor,Cherished Bliss, Making the World Cuter, The Gunny Sack, 

Tuesday: 

  Coastal Charm,  A Bowl Full of Lemons ,  Tip Junkie ,  Sugar Bee Crafts ,  Not Just a Housewife ,  Today's Creative Blog ,  Balancing Beauty and Bedlam ,  5 Minutes for Mom ,  Funky Polkadot Giraffe ,  DIY by Design    Hope Studios ,  Reasons to Skip the Housework , Time Warp Wife , Chef in Training

Home Stories A to Z, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Vintage Wanna Bee,The Blackberry Vine, Carolyn's Homework, The Kurtz Corner, 

Wednesday: 

 Raising Homemakers , Crystal & Co. ,  We Are THAT Family , SNAP,  Lil Luna,   Women Living Well , The Trendy Treehouse , Passionately Artistic ,  Night Owl Crafting ,  Handy Man, Crafty Woman  Someday Crafts ,  Fabric Bows and More ,    Seven Thirty Three,  Sugar & Dots A Creative Princess ,  Dragonfly Designs ,  The Thrifty Home ,  Creations by Kara, Gingersnap Crafts ,  A Little Tipsy ,  Uncommonly Yours, My Girlish Whims, Oopsey Daisy  

 Thursday:

 A Little Knick Knack  Shabby Creek Cottage  ,  Delightful Order ,  Somewhat Simple ,  House of Hepworths,  Saved by Love Creations ,  It's a Keeper ,  Thrifty Decorating ,  The Frugal Girls ,  Miz Helen's Country Cottage ,  The Thirty Sixth Avenue,   Raising Mighty Arrows, Thrifty 101, Diary of a Stay at Home Mom, Beyond the Picket Fence, A Glimpse Inside, Something Swanky

Friday:

The Shabby Nest ,  Lolly Jane,    Fingerprints on the Fridge ,  Chic on a Shoestring, Life as Mom ,  Miss Mustard Seed ,  Tidy Mom , Whipperberry ,  At the Picket Fence ,  French Country Cottage  30 Handmade Days ,   Finding Fabulous ,  Just a Girl ,  Stuff and Nonsense , Naptime Crafters Tatertots and Jello, My Romantic Home , While He was Napping , Comfy in the Kitchen,  Bacon Time with the Hungry, Hungry Hippo,  The Country Cook, Pocket Full of Pink Six Sister's Stuff, Kitchen Fun With My Three Sons, Ann Kroeker Writer, Grocery Cart Challenge, Remodelaholic, Kojo Designs, Simply Sweet Home, Craft Junkie Too, Simply Designing, Happy Hour Projects  Five Days Five Ways

 Saturday:

  Funky Junk Interiors,  Young and Crafty ,  Be Different, Act Normal ,  A Vision to Remember, Sweet as Sugar Cookies, I Heart Naptime,Positively Splendid, It's Overflowing, The Artsy Girl Connection, Craft Envy, Too Much Time On My Hands