The newest thing in my life this week is baking bread!  If you know me, you know I don’t do this often.  But, thanks to a good friend, I’m trying again.  This is such a simple recipe with only four ingredients.  After preparing the mixture, it can be refrigerated for days before you have to use the dough.  It makes a great loaf for any meal – soft in the middle and crusty on the outside. Not only is it cheap and easy to make it has no preservatives and it SMELLS like heaven as it bakes – like kitchen potpourri!

One tip I received from my friend was to place a pan of hot water in the oven with the bread while it bakes.  It helps to steam the bread and make the crust less hard.  I did this with the second loaf and it makes a big difference.  It slices better when cool but, is SOOO good when it is warm that it is hard to wait.

Artisan bread is made in small batches with quality ingredients.  It can be flavored with cheese, herbs or olive oil – I like it plain.  Each batch of this recipe makes three loaves so you can experiment with the results and you don’t have to make all three at one time.  Your family will love fresh bread for dinner.  Check out this wonderful recipe.

http://family.go.com/food/recipe-an-834287-artisan-bread-t/

Try it and let me know how it works for you.  What did you do to change the flavor of the recipe?  How did the kids react to the smell of bread baking?

On another note, Zumba is still tough but getting better, and I’m still showing up.  It is getting my heart rate up and burning a few calories.   I love the music and my feet are becoming more educated each week.  With some practice, maybe I’ll look like a salsa dancer someday! (not)