Artisan Bread for a Week (Camping)

This year I wanted to try something different.  So I decided to make a batch of bread dough and take the dough with us.  My thought was to make slider sized hamburger buns, scones (fried bread dough) and pizza while we were camping.

(The amount in this photo is what I used for the day of scones and pizza, we started with at least twice this much.  This is also when it was punched down, prior to rising again.)

So I researched the Internet for some help and learn from someone else's experience.  I found quite a bit of information regarding Artisan Bread and it's uses.  What I learned was that you can make the bread dough and keep it cool for about a week.  You just take what you need each time and let the rest, rest for when you need it later.


One of my favorite sources is an article in Mother Earth News.  Here is the link:  Artisan Bread in Five Minutes A Day.  This tells almost all if not all of the information that you will need to know for making Artisan Bread.

I used about 6 cups of regular flour, 3 cups of warm water, 2 packets of yeast, about a teaspoon of salt and I tossed in about a tablespoon of sugar.  I mixed this with a spoon, inside the crock I was taking with us on our camping trip.  

The crock would keep it cool.  I also have a lid that I found at the second hand store that fit it quite well.  I just used a couple of napkins rolled up and stuck between the rim and the lid to let air in and out- mostly so it wouldn't sweat a lot.  This worked well, but a roll of tin foil would be better as it would conform to the rim and probably would stay in place better. 

From what I have researched, you do not want a tight fitting lid, this product needs to breathe.  A lid would trap all the moisture and your dough would get too wet.

The first night we were in camp, I made the slider sized buns.  They worked out super easy.  I thought they tasted fine, but the rest of the family wasn't sure.  It just was not what they were expecting.  Some people's children just aren't very adaptable.  I hope they learn to be adaptable someday!  You can see how they turned out here.

We had scones for the 1st mornings breakfast.  I had left the bread dough in the car, as I thought it would be cooler out there rather than in the trailer.  I didn't know if we would need to put the heater on or not.  We did not need the heater, but the car was a good spot.  After I brought the crock into the trailer, I just kept the crock in the trailer.  

We had scones again the second to last morning (about 3 days later).  The kids enjoyed them immensely.  However too much sugar was shoveled onto them!  Live and Learn.  One likes powdered sugar and honey on theirs.  The other was happy with powdered sugar and maple syrup.  I like my plain with powdered sugar.  I didn't have any this morning and neither did Hubby.  We had eggs earlier.  I also made a pan full of fried potatoes for all of us. 

About 11am I was ready to make pizza so it would be ready for lunch.  The bread dough was still good and so I moved the crock out to the picnic table for most of the morning until I was ready to use it.  The pizza turned out wonderful.  The only part that wasn't awesome was the sauce because it wasn't sauce, it was ketchup with Italian seasoning!  But it tasted fine to me.  But then what campfire food doesn't taste wonderful?  

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The Master Recipe: Boule

(Artisan Free-Form Loaf)

Makes 4 1-pound loaves

3 cups lukewarm water
1 1⁄2 tbsp granulated yeast (1 1⁄2 packets)
1 1⁄2 tbsp coarse kosher or sea salt
6 1⁄2 cups unsifted, unbleached, all-purpose white flour

Read more: http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/Artisan-Bread-In-Five-Minutes-A-Day.aspx?page=4#ixzz1Fro9wIhQ

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