Peasant Bread

I love fresh-baked bread! And while I have horrible luck baking with yeast, there are almost endless varieties of quick breads that soothe my cravings while still being possible or me to make. Peasant Bread is incredibly dense, mildly flavoured, and easily adaptable to other flours or flavours as you desire. And it's definitely quick and easy!

I made this loaf to go with a batch of Brown Ale and Cheddar Soup recently, and they complemented each other quite nicely.

There's really nothing much to it, which I love in a bread recipe. Flour (I used all-purpose, but you could easily substitute whole wheat or whatever your favourite flour may be), baking powder, baking soda, just a touch of sugar, and some vinegar. Again, you could easily use whatever other vinegar you prefer... You could also add some herbs and/or cheese if you'd like. There is also water in this recipe, in case you're looking at that thinking, "This woman has lost her mind! There's no way you can make bread out of that!"

In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients. In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine some water with the vinegar. The dry ingredients don't need to be sifted, but I've found a whisk works really well for making sure they're combined without causing any lumps.

Pour the water and vinegar into the bowl and stir until mostly combined. I made a well in the center before pouring in the water because that's what my grandma always did, but I truly have no idea if you have to or not. Pretty much every recipe says to, so that's how I'm writing mine.

At this point you can see the dough is mostly combined, but there's still a lot of flour to be mixed in and it's not at all smooth. You can choose to turn it out onto a floured surface, but I just leave it in the bowl to save on cleanup. This is where you put down the spoon and get your hands dirty.

Knead the dough for a couple of minutes until it's fairly smooth and all of the dry ingredients have been incorporated. You want to make sure it's combined, but don't overmix it or it'll come out tough. This is already a pretty dense bread, so you don't want to end up with something so dense you can't bite into it.

I shaped it into a circle about two inches thick right on my baking pan (after I coated it with nonstick cooking spray). If you're working on a floured surface instead of the bowl you can shape it there and then transfer to the pan, whatever works for you. Then I cut a cross in the top because again...grandma. You probably don't have to. It's not like it makes a difference in how the bread bakes. This bread doesn't spread like a round yeast loaf would.

After you've got it how you want it to look, into the oven it goes for about 40 minutes. You don't need to test with a toothpick; just knock on the loaf and if it feels hard but still gives, it's done.

Most important part! As soon as it comes out of the oven, brush the entire top with melted butter. You could also sprinkle on some fresh herbs or grated cheese at this point if you want. I just used salted butter this time around, since I was making a nice, simple, basic bread. Make sure you get butter in all the nooks and crannies.

Let it cool for at least 30 minutes, then slice into wedges and serve. With more butter, of course. Maybe some jam, depending on what else you're eating.

Peasant Bread

Serves 12

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 tablespoon baking soda

1 1/2 cups water

2 teaspoons vinegar

2 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat oven to 400F; coat a baking sheet (with or without edges) with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients until well-combined. Make a well in the center and set aside.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine water and vinegar. Pour mixture into well in dry ingredients and mix until almost completely combined.

Either in the bowl or on a floured surface, knead dough for 2-3 minutes until completely mixed and smooth. Don't over-work the dough or it will come out too tough. Shape loaf into a circle about two inches thick and place on prepared baking sheet.

Bake at 400F for 40 minutes, until lightly browned. Test for doneness by knocking on loaf. If it feels hard but still has a little give, it's done.

Immediately brush entire top of loaf with melted butter, making sure it gets into all the creases. Let cool at least 30 minutes before cutting into wedges and serving.

*Variations:

Substitute different flours and/or vinegars for different tastes.

Add 1-2 teaspoons of your favourite herb or mixture of herbs to the dry ingredients.

Add 1/2 cup shredded cheese to the dry ingredients.

Sprinkle the top with grated cheese, herbs, or seasonings after brushing with butter.

Serving Size: 77g

Calories: 173

Calories from Fat: 21

Total Fat: 2.3g

Saturated Fat: 1.3g

Trans Fat: 0.0g

Cholesterol: 5mg

Sodium: 175mg

Total Carbohydrates: 33.1g

Dietary Fiber: 1.1g

Protein: 4.3g