2018 was the year of bread. A year of kneading and pressing down through layers and pockets of empty space. And then waiting to see things grow back bigger, better, and more delicious. If you’ve never made a loaf of bread before, this could be the beginning of something special. It was for me.

This is basically a “just add water” recipe. If you received a Gavin’s Bread, you can add 1 cup of warm water and a 2 tablespoons of oil and you will do just fine. But, you’ll find that your bread will rise better, bake better, and taste better if you follow my instructions closely. You may also enjoy it. I did. If you’d like to receive a Gavin’s Bread bag, message me and I’ll see what I can do.

Ingredients

1.5 T sugar
2 t yeast
1 c and 2 T warm water 
2.5 c all purpose flour
1.5 t sea salt
2 T olive oil

Instructions

1. Add the sugar and yeast to warm water and stir to combine. Add 2 T of olive oil. This will help with buoyancy of the dough. Let it sit for 5 minutes until it’s foamy and bubbling. Yeast is living and breathing. So make sure it gets fed from the sugar and water. 
2. Dust your counter top and then put the remaining flour and salt into a large bowl, and stir to distribute salt. Salt is kept separate from the yeast because in large quantity it can kill yeast.
3. Add the water/yeast mixture to the bowl with the flour, and using a spatula roughly combine all the ingredients. It will feel slightly sticky. 
4. Remember the dusting on your countertop? Dump your dough onto the counter. Knead for a minute or two, adding flour as necessary to keep it from sticking to the counter. Knead for 5-7 minutes until it’s cohesive. Make a ball, by folding the edges underneath, so the top is smooth.
5. Rinse out your bowl, and dry. Put a dab of oil in the bottom and place your ball into the bowl. Flip the ball, so the oil is on top and the bottom.
6. Cover with a towel and let it rise in a warm humid place for 1.5 hours or until doubled. This is my favorite part. 
7. Punch down the dough. Place on floured surface. Knead again for 5-7 minutes. Roll and place in oiled 8.5 x 4.5 bread pan. 
8. Cover and let it rise in a warm humid place for 1 hour or until doubled. 
9. Set oven to 350. 
10. Bake for 30 minutes on middle rack. 
11. Let it sit and cool for 2-3 hours (it’s still baking inside).
12. Eat it and send me pics!

XO-Gavin

Level up!

• Want it to rise better? Microwave a couple small bowls of water for 4 minutes or until steaming. Place towel-covered bowl with your dough in the microwave. Close the microwave door. Don’t microwave your dough! Just let it sit in the warm, humid space. Yeast loves warm, wet spaces. And then follow the recipe.
• Want it to be more of a farmer’s loaf? Substitute half of the water with milk. After the first knead, put it in the fridge over night. Use a bowl with olive oil and a cover. When you take it out, let it sit for an hour or so. Knead it. Form into a log. Put it in a pan. Let it rise. Slash the top. And follow the recipe to bake it.
• Want it to be more hearty? Cook 1 cup of brown basmati rice or Spanish rice. And add it while you’re kneading the dough after the first rise. Make sure the rice has cooled and just combine it with the dough. Many friends ask me how I make my rice bread. This is the secret. 
• Want it to be like my pizza bread? So called by Lily’s friends at Mekanism. Chop small cherry tomatoes, onions, and cilantro. Add it when you add the rice (above). Let it rise once more. And bake it.