The New Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day Review

I have two weaknesses when it comes to food. Chocolate and bread. I keep a little stash of chocolate hidden in my secret drawer. Bread, on the other hand, is a little bit harder to come by when I have a craving for it. This past year I have been experimenting with making my own breads. While I do love to be in the kitchen, I have found that bread making can be a time consuming and tedious process. The kneading, rising, waiting... It can quickly turn into a chore. But thanks to a new cookbook I have discovered, I am able to make delicious breads in as little as 5 minutes a day.

 

The New Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day is a revised version of Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg, M.D. and Zoë François. The original book, published in 2007, immediately became one of the the classic books about bread making, with over a half a million copies in print! Hertzberg and François proved that people want to make their own bread, provided they can do it easily and quickly. The New Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day has added a gluten free chapter, 40 all new color images, and one hundred black-and-white how-to photos. The Tips and Tricks and Ingredients sections have been expanded to touch on some of the most frequent questions they have received from their readers.

When I first received the book, I was tearing through the pages, popping little bookmarks on all the recipes I just couldn’t wait to try. Recipes for Vermont Cheddar Bread, Bruschetta, and Beignets had my mouth watering. But when I got to the recipe for Chocolate Chocolate-Chip Bread, my heart did a little flip. Combining my two food loves- chocolate and bread together? Yes, please!

Ingredients

2 1/2 c lukewarm water (100 degrees F or below) / Weight U.S. 1 pound, 4 ounces / Metric- 565 grams

3/4 c Vegetable oil/ Weight  U.S. 6 ounces / Metric 170 grams

1 tbs granulated yeast / Weight U.S. 0.35 ounce / Metric 10 grams

1 to 1 1/2 tbs Kosher Salt / Weight U.S. 0.6 to 0.9 ounce / Metric 17 to 25 grams

1 cup sugar / Weight U.S. 7 ounces / Metric 200 grams

5 1/2 c All-purpose flour / Weight U.S. 1 pound, 11.5 ounces / Metric 780 grams

3/4 c Unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably dark / Weight U.S. 3 ounces / Metric 85 grams

1 1/2 c Bittersweet or Semisweet chocolate chips / Weight U.S. 6 ounces / Metric 170 grams

Unsalted butter, melted, for greasing loaf pan and brushing top of loaf

Sugar, for sprinkling over top of loaf

Directions

1- Mixing and storing the dough: Mix the oil, yeast, salt, and sugar with the water in a 6-quart bowl or a lidded (not air tight) food container

2- Mix in the flour, cocoa powder, and the chocolate chips without kneading, using a spoon or a heavy-duty stand mixer (with paddle). If you’re not using a a machine, you may need to use wet hands to incorporate the last bit of flour.

3- Cover (not airtight) and allow to rest at room temperature until the dough rises and collapses (or flattens on top), approximately 2 hours

4- The dough can be used immediately after the initial rise , though it is easier to handle when cold. Refrigerate the container of dough and use over the next 5 days. Beyond 5 days, freeze the dough in 1-pound portions in an airtight container for up to 4 weeks. When using frozen dough, thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours before using , then allow the usual rest and rise time.

5- On baking day, grease and 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch nonstick loaf pan. Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a 2-pound piece. Dust the piece with ore flour and quickly shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go. Elongate the ball into an oval. Drop the dough into the prepared pan.

6- Allow the dough to rest for 90 minutes, loosely covered  with plastic wrap.

7- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

8- Using a pastry brush, paint the top surface with melted butter, and sprinkle with sugar. Bake the bread in the center of the oven for about 50 to 60 minutes, or until set firm when you press on the top of the loaf.

9- Remove the bread from the pan and allow to cool completely before slicing.

This bread wasn’t overly sweet, but had a nice, rich flavor. It came out moist and soft, and was very tasty. My house smelled so good while it was baking too!

Another favorite were these soft dinner rolls. I whipped up the dough in under 5 minutes without having to knead it at all! Super easy and they really were soft as claimed!

What I like about The New Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day is how simple the instructions are to follow. The print is spaced out well, so it is easy to read. I love that there are weight measurements, instead of just volume. I can use my kitchen scale to ensure accurate results every time.

This book is perfect for seasoned bakers and novices alike. Whether you have been bread baking for years, or just getting your feet wet, this book has scrumptious bread recipes that suit every taste.

More about the book:

ISBN Number- 978-1-250-01828-1

Pages- 382 printed on smooth glossy paper, and black and white pages

MSRP $29.99

Distributed by St. Martin’s Press

The New Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day can be purchased at all major bookstores, as well as Amazon. Amazon has the hard copy for $19.34, or you can purchase the Kindle version for $12.29.

The authors are happy to answer all your questions at http://www.artisanbreadinfive.com/


*Disclosure- I received the above mentioned product courtesy of the sponsor for the purpose of this review. No monetary compensation was provided. All opinions are genuine, based on my experience with the product, and have not been influenced by promotional items.