Or, an easy freezer-to-toaster loaf for busy weekends.
I like to have a nice loaf of sliced bread in the freezer for moments when only toast will do. There is something incredibly comforting about having the capacity to produce really good toast – by which I mean toast that has crunchy crust, craggy interior chew, and the ability to make you feel better fast.
I won’t turn down a good but trendy avocado toast, nor will I sniff at the brioche toast with ricotta and rhubarb jam I had at L.A.’s Squirl last weekend (mmm ricotta….). However, the best stuff is basic, found at home, and usually eaten either over the kitchen counter or carefully balanced between cups of tea and my kindle on the sofa. I have a dear friend who actually claims toast as her favorite food, purely based on the reliably delicious comfort factor. Toast got us through many painful grad school study sessions, among other things.
This recipe is for those folks who are intimidated by making bread, mostly because it does not require kneading. It is less intense than Jim Lahey’s famous no-knead bread, in terms of oven temps and pan requirements. It develops flavor through a slow rise, but not a super long slow rise, so you can still go from flour to loaf in an afternoon or evening. I made this with some tasty sprouted wheat flour, but you can, of course, make this entirely with all-purpose or whatever you have on your shelf. I defy you not to be pleased with the results. And then you slice and bank them in the freezer for many toasty moments to come, and all is right with the world.
Recipe loosely inspired by this one from Minimalist Baker.
- 1½ cups warm water
- 1 package of active dry yeast (2¼ teaspoons or about 7 g)
- 2 tablespoons honey
- ½ tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon ground flax
- 2 cups sprouted wheat flour
- 1½ cups all purpose flour (or 3.5 cups of your own combo of flours)
- mix the water, yeast, and honey in a large bowl and let sit until the yeast blooms
- add the salt, flax, and flours and stir to combine. Add a handful more flour if the dough is too sticky - it should form a ball and not stick easily to the sides of the bowl.
- remove the dough ball from the bowl and oil the sides of the bowl; place dough back in oiled bowl and cover loosely. Let dough rise for about 2 hours (or until doubled in size) in a warm place.
- Grease a loaf pan. Deflate dough, shape it into a rough loaf, and let rise in pan for another hour or two, depending on how warm it is in your place.
- Heat the oven to 400F. Bake the loaf for 30-35 minutes.
- Cool, slice, and store what you don't immediately devour in a re-sealable freezer bag. Toast at will.