Homemade French Loaf in an Hour

This weekend, we celebrated Mr. Man's stepfather's birthday. They were making steak and I wanted to bring something, so I made up a loaf of bread from scratch. This bread needs no special tools (you don't even need a loaf pan), no crazy ingredients (although you have to get some yeast), and no kneading! It's a quick yeast bread. Oxymoron, I know.


You will need honey, water, salt, yeast and flour. That's it. Like I said, no crazy ingredients. (Also, no added fats. Weird, but true).

To begin, put 1 and a half cups of warm (not hot!) water in a large mixing bowl. then put in 1 tablespoon of honey, 1 and a half teaspoons of salt, and 1 and half tablespoons of Active Dry Yeast. Yes, the type of yeast matters. Also, the little packets don't have enough yeast for this recipe. Get the jar and you can measure it out and will have enough for more bread when everyone wants more (and they will). You should stir in the yeast so it looks like this (as few lumps as possible).

Then let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes. It will get bubbly. It means the yeast is alive and eating the honey. While it is sitting (proofing), you can preheat the oven to 450 F.

Now you get to the fun part. Add 3 to 4 cups of flour to the yeast water. This means start with 3 cups and add more as needed until it isn't sticky. Think about  play-dough: it sticks to itself but not your hands.

Now form your ball of dough into a loaf about a foot long (or split in half for baguettes) and put it on a non-stick, or greased, pan. Cover it and let it rise for 20 minutes.

It should be doubled in size. Take a razor blade or a non-serrated knife and cut diagonal lines into the top.

Now shove it in the oven for 20 minutes and let the wonderful smell fill your house. Let it cool long enough you won't burn your mouth or hands and then enjoy!