Homemade #3: Animal bread

Artisan Bread (you can make a nice loaf, or a bunch of little animals):

Ingredients

3 cups lukewarm water

1 ½ tbsp granulated yeast

½ tbsp salt

6 ½ cups unbleached white flour

 

Directions

1. Add yeast and to water in a large bowl.
2. Mix salt and flour together well, and add to yeast mixture. If mixing becomes too difficult, put on floured counter and knead.
   
3. Cover with towel and let bread rise for 1-2 hours at room temperature.
   
4. Gently stretch and knead dough, adding flour as-needed to keep it from sticking to your hands. Form dough into rough ball or little animal shapes.
   
5. Pre-heat oven to 350°, placing baking stone on middle rack and a small, shallow pan (for water) on another rack. Leave enough room between racks for bread to rise.  Bake for about 30 minutes (keep checking, as small pieces will burn).
   
6. Remove bread from oven and let rest on wire rack for at least 20 minutes.
   

Olivia adjusting the tail on her mouse.  And below the girls end results, Hannah's cat came out nicely.  I made a big simple loaf of artisan bread with the rest.