Really Good Bread in Just One Hour?

La Fuji Mama promised bread in one hour. She called it Simple One Hour Homemade Bread. Uh huh, yeah, right. Honestly, I didn't believe it when I read it. Then I thought, "Well, it is probably super complicated because simple means different things to different levels of cooks and I won't be able to do it myself." I was wrong! This bread was so good and so easy...the kids actually raved about the bread at dinner last night. (These are kids who've been having home made bread for three years now.) As for easy, it really was easy. I mean really, really easy. Even better, there is a video demo of the entire process. It just doesn't get better than that. (And yes, I did watch the video...I like knowing what things are supposed to look like each step of the way!)

So, for those of you who say you don't cook or you hate cooking (and you know who you are!), this recipe is for you. Really! She even uses a paddle in her mixer instead of a dough hook (I used my dough hook because I wanted to try it out). This is seriously not complicated and the results speak for themselves. (My kids saw me typing this and asked me if this would be the kind of bread I made all the time, they liked it that much.)


So, be brave, give it a try. You'll be proud of yourself.

Simple One Hour Homemade Bread
from La Fuji Mama
Makes 2 loaves

5 1/4 cups white bread flour
2 - 4 Tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 Tbsp. (rounded) saf-instant yeast (I used Red Star Active Dry Yeast - it was what I had)
1 1/2 Tbsp. oil
2 cups hot water

1. Mix dry ingredients. Add oil and water. Mix for 1 minute and then check the consistency of the dough. The dough should be very sticky. If it is too dry, add more water.

2. Mix for 5 minutes. (Do not add any more flour after the dough has finished mixing.)

3. Spray kneading surface with cooking spray and turn dough out onto surface. Knead dough briefly until it has a smooth even consistency (this will only take several turns of the dough to accomplish).

4. Divide dough into 2 pieces (or more if you wish to have smaller loaves) and shape loaves into desired shapes and place on greased baking sheets. Cover with a large dish towel and let rise for 25 minutes.

5. While loaves are rising, preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. When loaves are ready to go into the oven, use a sharp knife (you can lightly spray your knife with cooking spray to prevent dragging) to make several slashes in the top. Make each cut about 1/4-inch deep at a 30 degree angle. (In the video, La Fuji Mama spritzes with water...next time I'm going to try that for a crustier crust.) Bake loaves for 25 minutes, or until they are golden brown.

There you have it...once you read the instructions and watch the video, you'll think to yourself, "I can do this!" and you will! Talk about a feeling of accomplishment - woo hoo!