Artisan bread has been considered one of the best breads
ever invented, made without any chemicals and very few
basic ingredients, these breads are by far superior to
most. Flour, water, salt and yeast are the main
ingredients in making bread. Although other ingredients
may be added according to what type of artisan bread you
wish to make. Some have added onions, cheeses. Artisan
breads are found to be more flavorful, since bakers use
only the best ingredients, but they do have a short shelf
life and should be eaten within a couple of days or you can
put it in your freezer immediately after purchase, for use
at a later date.
There are many types of artisan breads; you have French
bread, fococcia, deli rye and more. One of the secrets of
artisan bread is the way it is prepared and baked. Artisan
bread is handmade; you may use a mixer for the kneading
process but the rest, like shaping or dividing the dough,
must be done by hand. Artisan breads are not made in
conventional ovens but are baked on a stone, which helps to
give it that delicious crispy crust everyone loves.
Artisan breads have been used to make pizzas, submarine
sandwiches, croissants and Italian loafs stuffed with
cheeses, olives, and Italian herbs. Another example of
delicious Artisan bread is the fabulous chocolate bread,
filled with chocolate chips and cocoa.
If you're not lucky enough to have a bakery close by that
bakes artisan breads, there is a way you can enjoy this
wonderfully tasteful bread at home. You can make it
yourself, right in your own kitchen. Start with your basic
bread recipe, and you may add ingredients of your choosing,
such as olive oil, honey, etc. But remember, if you add a
liquid ingredient this adds hydration to your dough, but
this could make your dough easier to handle when it comes
to the kneading process. If you want firmer dough to work
with let it set for 15 or 20 minutes. Knead and fold dough
several times until the proper consistency, then place it
in an oiled bowl and be sure dough is slightly oiled all
over, and then place in a warm area, cover with a clean
cloth and let it rise until it is twice its size. But if
you want to experience its full flavor, let the dough rise
slowly, by putting it in a cooler area. After it has
risen, remove from bowl and separate into the amount of
loaves you prefer, place in baking pans and cover to let it
rise once more to twice its size.
Now you're ready to bake your loaves of delicious homemade
artisan bread. Preheat your oven and bake as directed on
the recipe you chose. After bread is done baking, remove
from oven and set out to cool before slicing. The internet
has many varieties of bread recipes at your disposal, and
all you have to do is click on the web and you'll find some
of the most delicious bread recipes to make for your
family. Homemade breads have so much more flavor than the
packaged breads we purchase at our local grocers. There
may be a bit of work to preparing bread at home in our own
kitchens, but once you bite into that delicious loaf of
artisan bread, you'll see it was worth the extra effort.
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For more information on bread making, please visit
http://bread-making.net
For tips on baking great bread, and other baking resources,
please visit
http://breadbaking.net
