Artisan Bread made at Home

I was on Pintrest the other day and I found a great recipe that I really wanted to try but I did not have a Le Creuset Oven to make it in. The recipe also said you could try something else that has a lid and could take the heat needed to make the bread.  I started thinking of another way that I could try and make the bread at home.  Well I am a Pampered Chef Consultant and we do sell the Deep Covered Baker and the new Round Covered Baker and the oven that the blog wanted us to use had a lid on it like a dutch oven so I thought I would give it a try in my Deep Covered Baker.   I had read the article on the blog and seen the pictures of how the bread should look when you lift off the cover so I was really hoping that it would turn out.  So here is how things worked at the Matlock house when I tried to make Artisan Bread.  You need to start out with 3 Cups of Flour, 1 and 3/4 tsp of salt, and 1/2 tsp of yeast.  Mix all of these ingredients with a whisk.   I have added two oranges zested, 3/4 dried cranberries, and 1/2 cup chopped almonds.

Now add 1 and 1/2 cups of water

Mix all together and it should look like a shaggy mess

Now you want to cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let is sit on your counter for 12 - 18 hours

DO NOT REFRIGERATE

After your wait time your dough should look really sticky.  You want to preheat your oven to 450 degrees and then you want to place your Deep Covered Baker, Le Creuset oven, or whatever pot with a lid that you have decided to use in the oven for 30 minutes.  I mad a double batch so that is why it looks like there is a lot of dough in my bowl

While your pot is heating up in the oven  you will want to dump the dough onto a heavily floured surface, shape into a round ball and then cover with the plastic wrap that you used to cover the bowl.  

After you bowl has been in the oven for 30 minutes take it out and put your dough into the pot, put the lid back on and then put it back in the oven for 30 more minutes.

Now all you have to do is wait for 30 minutes and you will have some really awesome bread.
When your timer goes off pull the lid off and see a beautiful loaf of artisan bread that you have made yourself and pull it out to cool on a rack and then enjoy.

This was so good and so easy to make I will be doing it again soon.  If you don't like cranberries or orange you don't have to add them to the bread.  It is also just good with nothing extra added to the recipe.  This was just so good that I wanted to share it.