Bread Shortage? - Not Here

No I really am a pretty lazy person when it comes to cooking and baking so ever since my favourite domestic diva posted this recipe I have been wanting to try it out. So here is my attempt and results. It's so good and so easy I haven't been able to stop making it.

Some time after dinner or before I go to bed I throw this together. Basically I just mix up 3 cups of flour, and 2 teaspoons of salt. I sprinkle 1 generous teaspoon of yeast on top of this and add
1 1/2 cups of room temperature water. I stir this up for a couple of minutes (its soft and shaggy looking), cover with some plastic wrap and put it somewhere warm for 12 to 18 hours.

The next day it looks like this (below), all nice and bubbly. I sprinkle flour generously on the counter and tip the whole mess over. Using my flour covered fingertips I simply fold it over onto itself a couple times and then let it rest for 15 minutes or so.

I then gently gather it up and shape it into a ball using just enough flour to stop it from sticking. I gather it up into a ball and put it on a large sheet of parchment paper sprayed lightly with oil spray. I pick up this mess and put it somewhere confined like a frying pan. Cover lightly and let rise for two hours.

Then it's time to bake and here's the trick. Use a large 4 to 6 quart covered casserole pan. I have one of those old oval enamel ones with a domed lid that works like a charm. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees the rack second up from bottom and put your empty casserole in the oven Let the whole thing heat up for half an hour.

After half hour take the casserole out of the oven, pick up your bread dough including the parchment paper and plunk it into the casserole. Cover with lid and put it in the oven. Bake half hour covered and another 15 minutes uncovered.

Thanks Kelli...oh one more thing...Kelli's going to Africa again and could do with some t-shirts for the orphanage.