Since my local stores kept running out of bread, I quickly figured out how to make my own. I looked at a lot of different recipes and cobbled something together from all of them leaving me with something that worked for me with the existing kitchen tools I had.
4 cups of all-purpose or bread flour
1 and 1/2 tsp salt
1 package of active dry or quick rise yeast.
1 and 1/2 of warm water
Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl with a large spoon. Add the warm water in and continue to mix until you have a thick and sticky dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours but not longer than 7 days.
When ready to use, take the dough out of the refrigerator and sprinkle with flour. Coat your hands with flour and gently pull the dough away from the sides of the bowl. Gather it all up into your hands and shape it into a ball. Put the ball down on a parchment paper covered cookie sheet. Cover the dough with the plastic wrap again and let it proof from 1 and 1/2 hour to two hours. Preheat your oven to 375 for at least an hour before you put your bread in. Sprinkle a little bit of flour on top of the dough and score it on top with a knife before putting it into the oven. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour. (In my oven it takes 45 minutes)
Put the bread on a cooling rack if you have one or leave it on the cookie sheet if you do not for at least an hour. I know warm bread is irresistible but if you slice it right after you take it out of the oven all the steam will escape at once which will give your bread a more doughy consistency.
Here is a picture of how my last batch turned out. If you cut it in half, each half makes roughly one small loaf suitable for a sandwich when sliced.
