breakfast bread [a recipe]

i’m pretty okay at making bread. i have a long way to go. but it’s something i’m committed to learning – mastering, even. right now, i make really good bread that makes really good toast. here’s a recipe for my latest loaf. (loaf, what an awful word.)

ingredients
all purpose flour (2 c)
dark rye flour (1 c)
instant yeast (1/2 tsp)
sea salt (1 tbsp)
warm water (1 1/3 c)
optional ingredients
orange zest
pepitas
rolled oats
brown flax seed

execution
in a bowl, combine all purpose flour, dark rye flour, instant yeast and sea salt. add in warm water (err on the side of coolness. too hot and you’ll kill the yeast). mix with hands so that you have sticky, but firm, dough. ensure dry ingredients are all mixed in, but don’t over knead. saran wrap and let sit (read: rise) for at least 6 hours. highly recommend letting the dough sit for a day. you’ll notice the dough has risen, with little bubbles on its surface. dust a wooden cutting board with flour and take dough our of the bowl. add in optional ingredients, if you’re going to use them. knead very lightly and cover loosely with saran wrap. let sit for 30 minutes. preheat your oven to 450. i cook my bread in a cast iron lined with parchment paper. let the pan heat up on the stovetop as the oven rises to the occasion. after 30 minutes of chillin’, shape bread and place in cast iron atop parchment paper. cover with tinfoil. bake for 30 minutes. after initial 30 minutes, uncover and continue to bake from 15 – 25 more minutes – once you get a nice golden brown. take out and let sit. enjoy while warm with butter.

again, use this bread to make insanely delicious toast. i like to top with mashed avocado or a berry preserve.