Sunflower Seed & Rosemary Five Minute Artisan Bread

Shhhhhhhhhh! don't say it........... you know ................. the Y-word ................. You know the one I mean......... like a foreign language, impossible to master, destining you to failure -  run as fast as you can when you hear that word ........ as if it's the plague! ...................

If you're one of those with YIP (Yeast Intimidation Phobia), you know exactly what I'm talking about! But guess what? I've got wonderful news for you!  Five minute artisan breads like this delicious Sunflower Seed & Rosemary Bread seriously break all yeast rules! What am I talking about?

I'm talking about literally throwing together warm water (no measuring the temperature), yeast, salt, sugar, olive oil and flour in a big tub, stirring it up with a wooden spoon till it's mixed (no kneading!) - in five minutes or less! Cover the mess dough, let it sit and .............. MAGIC happens!............... In an hour or so you'll come back and your little mass of dough will be beautifully risen and fragrant, anxiously waiting to be either formed into beautiful loaves of delicious bread or refrigerated for use a day or two (or three or four!) down the road.

This is the third five-minute bread recipe I've posted and, if you haven't tried any of them yet, this is your time to shine (or should I say rise?). This bread is fantastic for dipping in yummy olive oil, perfect for the bread basket and makes incredible sandwiches with layers of deli meats, cheese, veggies, hummus, spreads ........... whatever you love on your sandwiches! Oh, and your family/friends will be begging you for more. Watch out though - once you spoil them with these simple but sumptuous breads, there's no more loafing around! (at least when it comes to baking bread!) :)

Sunflower Seed & Rosemary Five Minute Artisan Bread

Ingredients:
2-¾ cups hot water, I use the hottest water from my tap - by the time it hits the bowl and I add the other ingredients it cools off a bit and is the perfect temperature
1-½ tablespoon granulated yeast, I like to buy mine in bulk at the big box stores like Sam's or Costco, it can also be purchased here
1 ¼ tablespoon sea salt
1 tablespoon sugar
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 cup roasted, salted sunflower seeds
6-½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
egg white wash - 1 large egg white, beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water
toasted sesame seeds or flax seeds

Directions:

1. Use some type of large (6-quart) bowl or bucket, for mixing and storing dough in the fridge.

Place the water directly into the bowl or other large container. Add the oil, yeast, sugar, salt, rosemary and sunflower seeds and stir to combine.

2. Add the dry ingredients to the water and mix until well incorporated and there are no dry spots; the texture of the dough should be fairly soft and shaggy looking. You can do this with a large, sturdy wooden spoon or with your stand mixer. I do it by hand with one of these wonderful whisks (thanks again, Annie!) but a strong wooden spoon would work just great also. Cover (not airtight), and allow to rest at room temperature until dough rises and begins to collapse (or flatten on top), approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

3. The dough can be used immediately after the initial rise, though it is a little easier to handle when cold. If not using right away, refrigerate in a lidded (not airtight) container and use over the next 4-5 days.

4. To bake baguettes; scoop as many pieces of dough as you want - If you want a large, traditional baguette scoop up a scant 1 pound pieces of dough (about 14 ounces or ¼ of the batch). Place on a generously floured work surface and turn over to coat both sides of the dough with flour then pat and shape into a rough, slightly flattened oval.

5. Fold the dough in half lengthwise, and seal the edges with the heel of your hand. Flatten slightly, and fold lengthwise and seal again. With the seam side down, cup your fingers and gently roll the dough into approximately 15" logs for traditional baguettes.

6. Place the log(s) seam-side down onto a greased baking sheet that has been sprinkled lightly with cornmeal. (I bake 2 on each sheet.)  Cover and allow the baguette(s) to rise till very puffy, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat oven to 450°F.

7.When the bread is puffy and doubled in size, slash the baguette several times on the diagonal with a very sharp knife. (I slash about every two inches). Brush with egg white wash and sprinkle generously with sesame or flax seed.

12. With a spray bottle spritz the baguette generously with warm water, (this will make the crust super crisp and crackly) and bake until a very deep golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. (I like to spritz them once or twice while baking also.) Remove from the oven and cool on a rack.

Adapted from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes and the King Arthur website (which has some great instructional pictures!)

Makes 4 approximately 14 ounce baguettes

PRINTABLE RECIPE