Peasant Bread

What you will need:

• 2 teaspoons of dry activated yeast

• 2 teaspoons of sugar

• 2 teaspoons of salt

• 4 cups of unbleached, all purpose flour

• 2 cups of lukewarm water

• 2 tablespoons of butter

Directions:

1. Add all dry ingredients to a bowl and mix together
2. Add the water to the bowl and mix until fully incorporated (must be lukewarm to activate the yeast).
3. Preheat oven to 100 degrees, then turn your oven off and place the bowl with the dough in it in the oven and loosely cover it with a cloth and allow to rise for 2 hours or until it doubles in size.
4. Once it has doubled in size, use two forks to release the dough from the edges of the bowl then use the forks to separate the dough into two equal parts.
5. Place them in heavily-buttered glass bowls and allow to rise uncovered (at room temperature- not in the oven) for 35 minutes.
6. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
7. Bake the bread for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, without opening the oven door, turn the temperature down to 375 degrees. Bake for an additional 17 minutes.
8. Remove from the bowls and allow to rest on a cooling rack for 20 minutes.