When I was hungry for a warm, crusty loaf of bread, I always wondered why it took so long to make. This usually coincided with me not wanting to get out the necessary ingredients, which led to me purchasing yet another expensive loaf. There had to be a quicker, better way to satisfy my craving for fresh, yummy bread without running to the store. A graniteware roasting pot can be used for baking bread, so why not a bucket? Not only did I find a solution, it was elegant and only took five minutes. Oh, and the best part? No kneading! Bucket bread is the way to go!
My first step was to procure a one gallon food-safe pail. No problem. Our coconut oil comes in the perfect container. Next I needed some sourdough starter. Fabulous. I had some in my fridge from the last bread experiment. By the way, you don’t have to do this with sourdough. You can just use yeast, but I prefer sourdough with a minimal amount of yeast added for taste and health reasons. The only other items I needed were yeast, water, salt, flour (I prefer King Arthur’s) and a wooden spoon.
Bucket Bread Recipe
I adapted this master bread recipe from the book Artisan Bread in Five Minutes. I highly suggest you get this book as it has many more recipes—from rye bread to sticky pecan caramel rolls.
Bucket Bread Recipe Ingredients
- 2 cups lukewarm water (about 100 degrees)
- 1 cup sourdough starter, ready to go
- 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. yeast (or, if you prefer, bump the water up to 3 cups and the yeast up to 1-1/2 Tbsp. and omit the sourdough starter)
- 6-1/2 cups flour, not packed, just scoop and sweep
- 1-1/2 Tbsp. salt
Bucket Bread Recipe Directions
- In glass measuring cup, sprinkle the yeast into the water. Stir.
- In the bucket, combine the sourdough starter and the yeast mixture.
- Add the flour all at once.
- Mix until everything is incorporated. No kneading is necessary.
- Allow mixture to rise, covered, on the counter for about 2 hours, then place the covered bucket into the fridge.
- Let it sit in the refrigerator overnight or for at least 3 hours.
- Remove the amount you want to bake—the rest of the dough will be fresh for 7-10 days—and shape the loaf for 60 seconds with floured hands. Let it rest for about 40 minutes.
- Turn the oven to 450 degrees. Place a baking stone in the oven and allow it to preheat for 20 minutes before baking. Slash the loaf with a super-sharp knife and bake for 30 minutes.
Enjoy!
This recipe also makes fabulous, quick pizza dough. Just stretch out dough on a well-oiled pan and top as desired. Bake at 375-425 degrees. You might want to try this homemade whole wheat bread recipe.
Melissa Kipe and her husband of nineteen years, Brian, relish raising and homeschooling their tribe of one daughter and six boys in central Pennsylvania. They enjoy gardening, doing projects together, having adventures, making and using buckets of herbal healing salve, and learning together.