The New Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day Master Recipe! (Back to Basics updated)
Since Zoe first published these photos a few years back, it’s become one of our most popular posts. Why? It answers many of the questions that you asked us here on the site, and we’ve incorporated that into our new book, The New Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. Thank you all for making this new edition possible–our readers are where the new ideas come from. If you’re having trouble getting this recipe to turn out the way you’d like, check out the troubleshooting tips on our FAQs page here.
For our Master Recipe:
If you’re new to our site, we’d like to say welcome, and thank you for trying the bread. Our new edition has lots of material that wasn’t in the original Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day:
—More color pictures, there are 40 now (compared with 8), and 100 B+W instructionals
—A gluten-free chapter
—An expanded Tips and Techniques section
—Weight equivalents for every dough–for those of you with digital scales at home (optional!)
—Instructions for adjusting yeast and salt to your taste. And we decreased our standard yeast amount to 1 tablespoon (used to use 1.5 tablespoons for four pounds of dough).
—And 30 new recipes, including crock pot bread, a whole wheat variation that lets you increase the whole grain, rolls, panini, and more. About 130 more pages than our first edition.
As we bake through the basic Master recipe from NewABin5 we’ll try to answer some of the most frequently asked questions. The goal is to create a large batch of dough that stores in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. That’s why our method saves you so much time– all the mixing and prep is divided over four one-pound loaves.
Master Recipe from The New Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking:
3 cups (1 1/2 pounds) lukewarm water (you can use cold water, but it will take the dough longer to rise. Just don’t use hot water or you may kill the yeast)
1 tablespoon granulated yeast ( you can use any kind of yeast including: instant, “quick,” rapid rise, bread machine, active dry, or fresh cake yeast*. We’ve always tested with Red Star Yeast and they have a new premium product called PLATINUM, which has worked beautifully in our recipes. You can also decrease the amount of yeast in the recipe by following the directions here. Or you can bake with a sour dough starter, see instructions here.)
*If you use cake yeast you will need 1.3 ounces (37g).
1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons Morton Kosher Salt (adjust to suit your taste or eliminate it all together. Find more information here)
6 1/2 cups (2 pounds) all-purpose flour (we’ve always tested our recipes with typical supermarket flour. If you use a higher protein flour check here)
Mixing the dough:
In a 5 or 6 quart bowl or lidded dough bucket (the lid is sold separately), dump in the water, and add the yeast and salt.
Because we are mixing in the flour so quickly it doesn’t matter that the salt and yeast are thrown in together.
Dump in the flour all at once and stir with a long handled wooden spoon or a Danish Dough Whisk
Stir it until all of the flour is incorporated into the dough, as you can see it will be a wet rough dough.
Put the lid on the container, but do not snap it shut. You want the gases from the yeast to escape. (you can put a little hole in the top of the lid so that you can close the lid and still allow the gases to get out. As you can see it doesn’t take much of a hole to accomplish this.)
Allow the dough to sit at room temperature for about 2 hours to rise. When you first mix the dough it will not occupy much of the container.
But, after the initial 2 hour rise it will pretty much fill it. (If you have decreased the yeast you will have to let it go longer than 2 hours.) DO NOT PUNCH DOWN THE DOUGH! Just let it settle by itself.
The dough will be flat on the top and some of the bubbles may even appear to be popping. (If you intend to refrigerate the dough after this stage it can be placed in the refrigerator even if the dough is not perfectly flat. The yeast will continue to work even in the refrigerator.) The dough can be used right after the initial 2 hour rise, but it is much easier to handle when it is chilled. It is intended for refrigeration and use over the next two weeks, ready for you anytime. The flavor will deepen over that time, developing sourdough characteristics.
The next day when you pull the dough out of the refrigerator you will notice that it has collapsed and this is totally normal for our dough. It will never rise up again in the container.
Dust the surface of the dough with a little flour, just enough to prevent it from sticking to your hands when you reach in to pull a piece out.
You should notice that the dough has a lot of stretch once it has rested. (If your dough breaks off instead of stretching like this your dough is probably too dry and you can just add a few tablespoons of water and let it sit again until the dough absorbs the additional water.)
Cut off a 1-pound piece of dough using kitchen shears* and form it into a ball. This video shows the technique for shaping this very wet dough.
Place the ball on a sheet of parchment paper… (or rest it on a generous layer of corn meal on top of a pizza peel.)
*I actually use a pair of Sewing Shears because I like the long blade. I just dedicated a pair to the kitchen.
Let the dough rest for at least 40 minutes, (although letting it go 60 or even 90 minutes will give you a more open hole structure in the interior of the loaf. This may also improve the look of your loaf and prevent it from splitting on the bottom.) You will notice that the loaf does not rise much during this rest, in fact it may just spread sideways, this is normal for our dough.
You can also try our “refrigerator rise trick,” shaping the loaves and then immediately refrigerating them overnight. By morning, they’ll have risen and are ready for the oven after a brief room-temp rest while the oven preheats (click for instructions).
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees with a Baking Stone* on the center rack, with a metal broiler tray on the bottom (never use a glass vessel for this or it will shatter), which will be used to produce steam. (The tray needs to be at least 4 or 5 inches away from your stone to prevent it from cracking.)
*(or Cast Iron Pizza Pan– which will never crack and conducts heat really well. Be careful to dry it after rinsing with water or it will rust)
– which will never crack and conducts heat really well. Be careful to dry it after rinsing with water or it will rust)
Cut the loaf with 1/4-inch slashes using a very sharp serrated knife. (If your slashes are too shallow you will end up with an oddly shaped loaf and also prevent it from splitting on the bottom.) If your dough is collapsing when you make the slashes, it may be that the dough has overproofed or your knife it dull and dragging the dough too much.
Slide the loaf into the oven onto a preheated stone (the one I’m using is the cast iron) and add a cup of hot water to the broiler tray. Bake the bread for 30-35 minutes or until a deep brown color. As the bread bakes you should notice a nice oven spring in the dough. This is where the dough rises. To insure that you get the best results it is crucial to have an Oven Thermometer to make sure your oven is accurate.
If you used parchment paper you will want to remove it after about 20-25 minutes to crisp up the bottom crust. Continue baking the loaf directly on the stone for the last 5-10 minutes.
Allow the loaf to cool on a rack until it is room temperature. If you cut into a loaf before it is cooled you will have a tough crust and a gummy interior. It is hard to wait, but you will be happy you did! Make sure you have a nice sharp Bread Knife that will not crush the bread as you cut. Or you can tear it apart as they do in most of Europe.
If you have any leftover bread just let it sit, uncovered on the cutting board or counter with the cut side down. If you cover a bread that has a crust it will get soggy.
Enjoy, have fun baking, and check out our FAQs page if you’re having trouble getting the bread to turn out the way you’d like. Bread that is made with love and joy tastes better!
Note: Red Star Yeast is a sponsor of BreadIn5 LLC’s promotional activities.
Have you developed a sprouted bread recipe yet like Ezekiel Bread?
Hi. Here is some information about using them: https://artisanbreadinfive.com/2016/10/30/our-new-book-healthy-bread-in-five-minutes-a-day-is-released-tomorrow-get-yourself-some-vital-wheat-gluten-and-make-our-whole-grain-master-recipe/
Thanks, Zoë
You have changed my life….this is amazing…I am still learning the art of SHAPING which is key. I would like to know if I can transfer the wet dough after the initial rise to a smaller container to refrigerate it? I have a limited space and the 6L container is a struggle.
Hi Dyanna,
If the dough is still warm when it goes in the refrigerator it may continue to rise, so you want to make sure whatever container you transfer it to will allow it to do some rising.
Enjoy! Zoë
Let’s say that you do not refrigerate the dough after the initial 2 hour rise. After you shape it, do you then allow it to rise again (90 minutes) OR do you bake it right after it is shaped? Thank you.
Hi Victoria,
It should rise for about 45 minutes or half as long as the chilled dough. After you shape the bread, it needs to rest again.
Thanks, Zoë
Hi,
Just wondering if the master recipe can be used to make hamburger buns? If so, would it be a case of adding egg wash and sesame seeds on top? Or would the brioche work better?
Thank you!
Hi Rashmini,
I prefer the brioche of challah dough for buns like that.
Enjoy, Zoë
Can I use the master recipe for pizza crust? If so, do I need to do anything else with it? Can I freeze pizza dough balls? How?
Hi Brad,
Yes, you can use the Master recipe for pizza. You can freeze it for up to a month, just divide it into 8-12ounce balls and freeze. You’ll find more information here: https://artisanbreadinfive.com/2011/01/03/freezing-the-dough-can-i-do-it/
Enjoy! Zoë
Thank you.. Now all I need is some new yeast (which seems to be hard to find right now) I tested mine and it was old. I haven’t baked in a while
Thanks for all the time you take to write out these recipes. I love all the detail, especially what to look for as you progress.
How many packets of yeast or do you measure to 1 T?
The picture is packets.
Have you ever used a cast iron dutch oven instead of the preheated stone and eliminate the water since it will hold the steam?
Hi Linda,
Thank you for the note. Yes, measure out 1 tablespoon from any yeast you have.
I have used a cast iron dutch oven and it is great. You can use any Dutch oven to get a nice bread.
Thanks, Zoë
1 “pkt” (sachet/envelope) of yeast = 2 1/4 tsp. so you’ll need most of 2 pkts. but do measure in a Tblsp. to be accurate.
This dough was so so wet compared to the master recipe in the holiday bread book. I really had trouble working it at all, even with the extra flour. Did I do something wrong
Hi Katie,
They are two very different types of dough, but it could be that it was a bit wetter than we intended. Here is a video on shaping wet dough, take a look and see if your dough is the same consistency.
https://artisanbreadinfive.com/2017/04/16/new-video-shaping-the-ball-from-a-very-wet-dough/
Thanks, Zoë
I’ve had the same issue, the dough was fully runny and impossible to handle. I ended up adding a good amount more flour and sticking it back in the fridge for a few hours. It was a bit better (I could reach in a pull out a chunk) but as I handled it it was still pretty goopy. I never managed to get an actual ball out of it. We’ll see how it bakes but it’s currently spreading rapidly on a parchment paper.
I would love to know why this is happening, since others seem to have perfectly normal doughs with the same measurements
How are you measuring the flour, and what brand of flour are you using?
Hi Jeff. I measured my flour in cups as I normally would, not scooping into a bag. I’m wondering if this recipe was designed more for those who dig into a bag of flour and therefore get too much/too compacted a cup? The flour itself is a T65 organic (French) flour which is generally the closest match to American AP flour
If you’re measuring flour by cup-measures rather than by weight, this is the method we used: https://artisanbreadinfive.com/2010/04/28/how-we-measure-our-flour-using-the-scoop-and-sweep-method — if you’re doing anything different than that, you won’t get the same result. Weights are definitely more reliable. Also, using T65 may be the problem, though since we don’t have access to that, I can’t say with any certainty. If you’re sure of your measurement, and you’re still having trouble with the flour that you have access to, go ahead and decrease the water a bit. A couple of spoons to start?
Hi, if I want to add sweet potatoes/ pumpkin purée into the bread, which recipe would you advise me to use? ( I have both books) and do I adjust the water? What is the baker percentage be for the purée? I do know that in your book, page 169, there is a oatmeal pumpkin bread, but I do not like oatmeal. Looking forward for your advise☺️ Thank you
Hi Ruth,
In our Healthy Bread book we have a pumpkin brioche dough you can use and a bread that has chunks of potato or pumpkin.
https://artisanbreadinfive.com/2009/11/18/pumpkin-pie-brioche-and-a-bobs-red-mill-vital-wheat-gluten-giveaway-just-in-time-for-thanksgiving/
Thanks, Zoë
Could you use a ditch oven to cook the bread in? And if so, what is the process of using a Dutch Oven for bread
Hi Kortnee,
Sure can: https://artisanbreadinfive.com/2009/03/11/baking-bread-in-a-dutch-oven/
Enjoy, Zoe
I wish I could show you how beautiful my baguettes look using this recipe. I used a perforated baguette pan and a separate sheet pan for the steam. OMG!
I’m on day two of my ferment.
Hi Cindy,
I am so thrilled they came out so well!
Enjoy, Zoë
While storing the dough from the master recipe for up to 14 days do you leave the top cracked the entire time? Or do you seal it at some point?
Thank you!
Jen
after two days you should be able to close it, but even then, it shouldn’t be completely airtight (generally, plastic vessels are not completely airtight, even when closed). With glass, this is very important–gasses accumulating can shatter the glass.
Hi Zöe! I was trying to do the same bread but using wholemeal flour. The dough was good at the begining but after the 2 hours resting out of the freeze the dough didnt rise, it was like a big pizza not a big fluffy dough like when you use normal flour. After we baked it, it actually didnt grow, was a 1,5 inch loaf… What Im doing wrong? I used less flour because it was too dry at the beginning but I used the same quantity of yeast, water and salt that I use with normal flour.
Well… you can’t just swap in wholemeal flour (btw, are you in the UK or Europe); those take a lot more water. Which of our books are you working from? I can direct you to how to find the adjustments…
I don’t have a lidded bowl. What would you recommend as a replacement?
So long as it’s big enough, it can be anything, including just putting plastic wrap over whatever you have on hand. A soup pot with a lid works fine too (non-reactive material). Or put a plate over whatever you’re using. So long as it’s not completely airtight.
Ho Zoe! Just discovered your master recipe and I love it! Made some Pan con Tomate for breakfast and it was SO good. My question is, I’m going to my mother’s house for the weekend and it is 3 hours away. Can I take your master dough out of the fridge for 3 hrs and then put it back in the fridge when we I get there? Thank u! I love everything you bake. Your Instagram account is such a joy! I’ve learned so much!
You sure can! An older dough might taste a little over-sour to some tastes since the warm temp accelerates that process. I do this for visits to friends cabins…
And FYI, this website is the place to come for questions about our recipes–it’s too cumbersome to answer questions on our Instagram identities (@BreadIn5 and @ZoeBakes). Zoe and I alternate months “on-duty” for website questions here.
Of course! I totally understand. Thank you so much for answering! Can’t wait to show my mom your recipe! And sorry about the typos. 🙂
np!
Hi there, I left the dough out to rise for about 10 hours. Is it still ok to use?
That’s fine, though it’s going to get a head start on sour flavor, and may not store is long. Check out our FAQ s page, we have more on this
Hi, I have the older Kindle version of ABi5. Page 26, master recipe. However I used 1tbl. active dry yeast per this post.
Has anyone seen a separation of Some of the water from the dough after a week?
Is this ok? Can I just add flour and knead?
That’s perfectly normal and expectable. If it’s a lot, pour it off. In any case, dust with a lot of flour to absorb the liquid when you shape, but don’t knead a this stage or you’ll knock residual gas out of the dough, and you need it for a nice rise.
Thank you Jeff!
I’d guess it was about a tablespoon or two of water max. I added two to four tablespoons of flour until the dough was pliant but still moist. I then did the fold method every half hour or so for about two hours while it rested and developed a slight rise. Just pulled it out of the oven, and it’s just as awesome as the baguettes I made a week ago.
Thanks again! I’m looking at your holiday book for my next baking investment.
Fantastic!
I just bought a used copy of the first edition of the book, not realizing that there were 2.
Are there different: techniques, ingredients, measurements?
As I really like to weigh ingredients, are these available anywhere?
Anything else that I should know about that’s n the 2nd edition and not in the 1st?
ents?
Hi Debra,
Yes, the second edition has weights, more photos, more recipes and is slightly updated from the one you bought. Those recipes still work and are great, but we just added some information to make the process even easier, like weights.
Thanks, Zoë
Thanks for the reply, Zoe. So the measurement by cups for water and flour have not changed?
Hi Debra,
No, the recipes haven’t changed, we just added some new recipes and added weights.
Thanks, Zoë
Hi I’m about to make this dough is there any sugar in it at all or did I miss that?
No sugar needed!
What happens if my dough doesn’t really rise. It doubled in size but doesn’t look flat on top and there’s no bubbles. I used pink Himalayan salt because that’s all I had on hand. Is this okay?
If it’s doubled, no problem! And the salt-type shouldn’t matter either.
I would like to make the bread that is on the cover of The New Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day. I have the book, but cannot seem to find a reference to what recipe is shown on the cover.
TIA!
It’s just the master recipe, shaped as for the whole grain rye on page 167, and liberally covered with a seed mixture.
We are purchasing a steam oven. How can that be used for the baking. By the way I love the book and recommended it to many friends and family members.
Thank you,
Best bet will be the manual that comes with your new oven, but if it’s vague, I’d say that you want the steam to be “on” for the first 10 minutes of baking, and then off.
Hi, I would like to know if the Oliver oil dispenser/crudest on copper color that use use in the pizza episode of you tube is available for purchase? If so please send me the link. Thank you.
That’s not sounding familiar. Can you send the link to the YouTube video that you’re looking at?
Hi,
How could you make this a multigrain loaf? Would you need to change any of the ratios or could you just add sesame, flax, sunflower seeds etc to the dough with flour?
We add whole grains in all of our books, but especially in The New Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day (https://artisanbreadinfive.com/healthy)–though it doesn’t have a classic multi-grain recipe. That said, you can type various ingredients into our Search Bar above and see if we cover that ingredient somewhere on the website. We don’t have a traditional multi-grain loaf here on the website.
But if all you really want is to put some seeds in your batch, you can just add them to the mixture, up to, let’s say, a quarter-cup.
Love your bread. I discovered it in Mother Earth News mag about 2009.
It makes the best pizza, crusts. I cooked it in the oven, made pizzas out of it andcooked it in a charcosl BBQ. My son does the same with it but he also uses it for a stromboli.
Thanks for the kind words Dori!
How do I adjust the baking time for a 2# loaf?
Hi Barb,
Here is a post that may help: https://artisanbreadinfive.com/2012/03/20/how-to-make-a-2-pound-loaf/
Thanks, Zoë
Hello! I just got your book and want to try my first “master” recipe. The 6QT tub doesn’t fit in my fridge but a 3.5 QT does. Can the recipe be cut in half ok? I assume it makes two one pound loaves? Thank you!
Hi Maria,
Yes, you absolutely can cut it in half.
Enjoy! Zoë
In the “refrigerator rise trick” do you mean to shape the dough immediately after the 2 hour rise, place in a banneton and refrigerate overnight or to shape the ball after the dough has been in the refrigerator overnight and then refrigerate again.
I am assuming the first but is the dough not too wet to shape at that point?
Your assumption is correct, it’s the first option. that said you may find that using a benatone for this is a little risky. It might stick.
I would like to use the master recipe to make loaves of bread in a loaf pan rather than free form like a boule. Can I do this? If so, was is the weight I should use in a standard loaf pan, the oven temperature and baking time. Thank you!
Which of our “Master” recipes, from which of our books and what page number? We have many “Master” recipes
I followed the recipe from your website; 3 cups water, 1 tbl yeast, 1-11/2 tbl salt , 6 1/2 cups flour. Thank you.
Ah– type “loaf pan” into our Search Bar above… many options, scroll though the list
I’m having a problem with the gluen-free bread from the Healthy Bread book not rising *at all.* The master recipe worked marvelously, and I know my yeast is good. For the gf version I used a scale to measure, a Kitchenaid mixer to combine ingredients, a pizza stone for baking, I tried both psyllium and xanthan gum, and 4 different batches. The flavor is terrific and crust is good, but a grapefruit size ball of dough bakes into a very dense grapefruit size “loaf.” The cookbook picture looks risen. Can you help?
Which edition of Healthy Bread? 2009 or 2016, and what page? Most important question… What brands of GF flours did you use?
Thanks for your quick reply! My recipe is from the 2016 edition p. 299. Regarding the brand of flours:
– Tapioca, Bob’s Red Mill
– Sorghum, Bob’s Red Mill
– Xanthan Gum, Bob’s Red Mill
– Brown Rice Flour, Arrowhead Mills was the most recent batch. I don’t recall the previous brand.
We did find any substitutions from what we tested with which was Bob’s red Mill change the recipe is completely and required new testing to fix problems with texture, rise, or flavor. That said it seems a little far-fetched to think that this brown rice substitution is the entire problem, although maybe that’s worth changing over to Bob’s. Be sure you’re using warm-ish water, and that your yeast is fresh. Finally we found that the best rise was obtained when it was mixed very very well, and the very best results were made using a stand mixer so that the ingredients emulsified completely. If I had to guess, that’s the problem.
Thanks, Jeff. I sure am baffled, because I did use a Kitchenaid mixer, as the recipe recommends and used water that was warmer than lukewarm. Is there a temperature you’d recommend? I mixed until all the flours were incorporated. Is that the same as “completely emulsified?” I’ll try it with Bob’s Red Mill rice flour just to be sure that’s not the problem, and I’ll mix it somewhat longer. I’d really like to make it work!
If you have a thermometer, you can go for 100° F. I don’t think that’s the problem now. Completely emulsified means, in this case, that it’s smooth. Go longer than just fully incorporated, and see what happens when you switch brands. The Dough you’re describing will still work pretty well as flatbread, by the way.
Hi there!
I only have one oven rack…. can I make this without the steam??
Hi K.L.,
You can, but the crust won’t be as nice without it. Here are other ways to create steam: https://artisanbreadinfive.com/2010/12/27/three-ways-to-get-steam-into-your-oven-for-a-great-crust-new-video/
Hope that helps! Zoë
Thank you very much!!!! This will be my first attempt at bread =] I’ll let you know how it goes <3
That’s terrific Kristin,
Enjoy all the bread! Zoë
I don’t have room in my refrigerator for a 6 quart container. If I cut the recipe in half, would a 4 quart container be sufficient for it to rise and not overflow my container? Thanks!
Hi Chris,
Yes, that would work just fine.
Enjoy! Zoë
This looks good and it is
Have you guys ever gone to Peru (Lima)? What we call “french bread buns” are a kind of bread that I have never been able to find anywhere in the USA. One of the Peruvian foods I (and most (most Peruvians that live outside of Peru) miss the most that I have not been able to replicate. I am hoping you include Lima in your future (after covid) travels and try the bread if only to find a way to use your method to replicate it.
I’ve spent time in Equador, Chile, and Bolivia, with Peru on the wish-list. I’ve had all kinds of short baguettes in South America, and I’d say you can re-create them by cutting shaped baguettes into segments… At an angle, then separating them onto the baking sheet…
I’ve been doing this method for awhile and I love it. The last few times, the dough has started to turn gray on top within a day or two and I’m wondering if anyone else has had that happen or has a theory as to why. I haven’t changed anything and the dough is fine (although the color is not appealing and stays gray with baking).
Betsy, at the top of the website, click on Questions/FAQs and choose #10 on that list…
I cannot get the stretch that you have. I pull and the dough comes apart. I am using whole wheat flour that I grind and the Master Recipe from your book “The New Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day.” I make triple sure my water is no warmer than 100 degrees F. My house is colder than normal—67 degrees F. Other than that I followed instructions to the letter. What could I be doing wrong, or how do I experiment and adjust?
By the way I absolutely love this. I just can’t seem to get it to work.
Hi Kelly,
The freshly home ground flour is so delicious, but it isn’t as finely ground as commercially milled flour, so it doesn’t develop gluten (stretch and structure) as well. You can try adding a bit more vital wheat gluten (you’ll also need to increase the water) to get more stretch. The cold refrigerator can also cause the dough to break, instead of stretch when you pull it. You’ll just want to let the dough rest a bit longer to make up for the difference in temperature.
Thanks, Zoë
Hi Zoe and Jeff
Love your book and love your method. My kids say my bread is better than any other bread out there thanks to you.
However, I do have a problem with older dough. Loaves baked from the dough 3 days in the fridge comes out perfect. But after a week, I fail to shape the dough and it goes sideways and stickier no matter how I fold or gluten cloak it. It still tasted good but the texture was dense and gummy and there was no oven spring so it was a sad looking loaf. I’m guessing it’s because it continues to ferment in the fridge that the dough over fermented? What should I do to salvage the remaining dough? Are there other steps I can add to help shape them properly?
Thank you!
Which of our recipes are you using (which book and page number)?
I used the Master Recipe of p.53 from “The New Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day”
If you’re committed to using the dough after 7d, it sounds like it’ll be more to your liking if you work some flour into it, until it gets back to the consistency you like at the beginning. You’ll need to let it re-ferment on the counter for a couple of hours after doing that, since you’re knocking gas out of the dough in this process. Then you can refrigerate again, and start using it with your usual rest time after shaping (I’d go longer the first loaf, 90 min let’s say).
Ok thanks! I’ll do that!
Then how many more days do you think I can leave in the fridge? Do I count from day 1 or add another 14 since adding flour again?
Since it’s already developed significant sourdough character, many people will find it over-sour after about 5 days, but that’s a matter of taste. You can freeze it as well, which arrests the development. I’d count the mix-in day as Day 0, then start counting the next day.
I am so happy that my cousin recommended your book to me. I love being able to make fresh bread on a whim. Last weekend I took some dough up to the resort where we have our seasonal camp site. I made a loaf in my cast iron dutch oven in the fire ring. We shared it with a group of friends and I told them about the book. Thank you!
Hi Tami,
This is so fantastic! Thank you for baking the bread and the wonderful note!
Zoë
I used this dough to make pizza. I had to increase the quantity of flour while shaping because it was impossible to handle. The final result was very good and tasted great but I was only able to handle to the dough after increasing the flour.
Hi Aminta,
What kind of flour are you using and what method of measuring (cups or scale)?
Thanks, Zoë
wow, its been 11 years since i purchased your very first book! i read that from front to back many times as well as asked hundreds of questions on this very site haha. I even had baking parties at my house, taught my highschool students how to make the bread, and then taught all my friends. However, i had to stop due to school. I was doing a degree in medical and aerospace engineering, and that took all my time. Then covid hit and since i am a first responder at my job, i was busy with that. i also volunteered many many many hours and resources to 3D print and make PPE for alot of other first responders.
im now only 1 year away from graduating, and have time to start baking again. I just purchased the newest book and its on its way. im excited to see the new changes. hopefully my engineering and chemistry brain wont over complicate things.. arg, i need to remember this is supposed to be simple and enjoyable haha
ohh, almost forgot. can table salt be used rather than kosher?
thanks
Thanks for the kind words. About salt check out our post on this, scroll down a bit for correcting for table salts and other fine salts, and the difference between Morton and diamond crystal: https://artisanbreadinfive.com/2008/02/10/qa-salt/
perfect thank you. I followed the guide lines and now have some dough proofing.
what is the best way to make a 2 or 3 lb free form loaf and keep its shape so it doesnt just go flat?I want to make them this large so i can have larger slices of bread for sandwiches or French toast
thanks
Matt
Sounds like your dough is maybe a touch too moist. If using volumes for flour, be sure you’re doing this: https://artisanbreadinfive.com/scoopandsweep, not spooning and sweeping as other methods advocate. First choice is to weigh the ingredients as we talk about in our later books (sounds like you only have the 2007 book). All else fails… just decrease the water in 1/8-cup increments until you have a dough consistency that’s still storable, but keeps its shape in big loaves.
What should we do if we don’t have a husband to poke holes through plastic lids?
Well, fair enough. There’s been a slight edit.
I warmly welcome! I have a question. Can I prepare and store a rye leaven dough instead of yeast as described here? Will good bread come out of it? Thank you very much for your answer. Regards!
Sure– type “Easy Sourdough Starter” in our search bar above…
Does anyone know how to bake these breads in a Miele Steam oven?
Thank you.
Neither of us has an oven that automatically delivers steam. I’m guessing that the oven came with directions on this, do you still have the manual? If not, I’m guessing that using the steam function for the first 5 to 10 minutes of baking will work well.
Hello, I am using the Master Recipe on p.53 from “The New Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day” October 2013. I am following it exactly. I’ve tried it twice now and I’m not getting the stretch that you show in pictures and the video. I pull and the dough just comes apart. It rises great at room temperature, then I put it in the refrigerator for a day. When I bake it – it comes out very dense and heavy. Not the nice airy loaf I am looking for. I live at an altitude of about 5000 ft – should I be making changes due to this??? PLEASE Help – I really want to be successful.
Hmmm. If you’re not weighing the ingredients (the most accurate), are you using cup-measures this way: https://artisanbreadinfive.com/2010/04/28/how-we-measure-our-flour-using-the-scoop-and-sweep-method
Sounds like a measuring problem–the dough’s too dry. Next… be sure you’re using all-purpose (not bread) flour. What brand?
I tried the master recipe it was awesome, the next day I used the dough to make buns they were terrible didn’t really rise and hard as a rock I also made the brioche recipe and those buns didn’t turn out either. Any tips on baking or the rising time would be appreciate. I do have the book do you recommend any other make ahead dough that would make good buns?
Hi Jackie,
Here is a post that may help: https://artisanbreadinfive.com/2017/01/17/easy-dinner-rolls/
I like to use the brioche or challah for dinner rolls.
Thanks, Zoë
Hello. I love this recipe so much. I am finding the first loaf I bake on the day I make the dough it shapes and rises beautifully. The rest of the dough I keep in the container in the fridge as the recipe suggest. However when I take those pieces of dough out they never rise once I shape them. They are also much harder for me to shape after they’ve been in the fridge. When I bake them they aren’t rising and coming out flat and dense. What could be causing this?
Hi Emmy,
How long would you say it is between loaves? A day or several days?
Thanks, Zoë
Hi Zoë,
It’s usually a few days or a week in between
Hi Emmy,
What kind of flour are you using? I wonder if your dough is a bit too slack to begin with, so it doesn’t hold its shape well? have you watched our shaping wet dough video, it could be as simple as the way you are shaping the loaf: https://artisanbreadinfive.com/2017/04/16/new-video-shaping-the-ball-from-a-very-wet-dough/
Thanks, Zoë
That’s definitely not what I am doing. I am going to try this next time. Thank you so much. In the video are you using the grapefruit size and is your bucket full of one or two batches of dough. Yours seem so much fuller and bigger than mine.
I use King Arthur unbleached flour.
Hi Emmy,
That is about 1 pound of dough, although I didn’t weigh it, so it may be a touch more. That is one batch of dough. If you are using King Arthur Flour, you may need to add a couple of tablespoons more water, because it is a very high protein flour and will absorb more water. Are you weighing or using cups to measure your flour?
Thanks, Zoë
Hello. I have been using cups.
Hi Emmy,
When you measure in the cups, do you scoop and sweep or spoon the flour in? Our recipes are based on scooping, and if you spoon, you’ll get less flour, so I wouldn’t want you to adjust the water in the recipe until we know you have the right amount of flour.
Thanks, Zoë
Yes. I scoop and level.
I measured. I weighed. I waited 3 days. The rise before it went into the frig. was great. Fell as predicted after it was in the frig. BUT….
I tried to take out a portion to bake bread and it was too loose and too sticky to to hold any shape at all even with a flour coating.
I’m in southern AZ. Hardly anything here is ever wet. It’s wetter than the ciabatta bread I usually make twice a week.
What happened? How can I fix it or do I through out the mess? Hate to waste all that flour.
Hi Pam,
What kind of flour (type and brand) are you using and how do you measure (cups or scale)?
Have you watched the video about shaping wet dough? Does your dough look considerably wetter? https://artisanbreadinfive.com/2017/04/16/new-video-shaping-the-ball-from-a-very-wet-dough/
You can always add more flour, then you need to let it rest an hour before using again.
Thanks< Zoë
MUCH too wet to form anything. Spreads out like a puddle. Rises slightly when baked but taste is excellent. I weigh the flour. It’s all purpose flour and bought within the month. Works just fine for the usual ciabatta I make often.
I think I might try to make the dough again but with 1/4th cup less water. And store it in a glass container instead of plastic.
Any other suggestions?
Hi Pam,
When you try the next batch you can try less water, but it may have just been a fluky mistake. Is there anything unusual about the flour you are using? Is it freshly ground? The material of the bucket won’t change the dough, but glass is great too.
Thanks, Zoë