I love to entertain, especially with the holidays coming up!  One of my favorite recipes I like to serve is homemade artisan bread.  It has a rustic crispy golden-brown crust and a moist and chewy inside.  The perfect accompaniment with the bread is Sabra Hummus.  It’s a non-traditional way to serve it, but it’s always a crowd pleaser!  There’s nothing like a hearty bread that is versatile.

If you have never made your own bread before this is the perfect fool-proof recipe to try.  You don’t need any special kitchen gadgets or mixers.  And, the best part?  You don’t even have to knead the bread.  {wink}  It really is a simple recipe to follow!

I love this recipe because it tastes delicious, it doesn’t call for a ton of ingredients and it’s easy {although it does take some time}.  No need to tell everyone just how easy, though.  {{wink}}  The smooth and creamy texture of hummus makes it the perfect spread for the bread.  For the winter months, I prefer the Roasted Pine Nut hummus flavor.  It’s nutty and rich flavor makes it perfect for entertaining.  And, it’s already garnished with herbs and oil, so it looks and tastes lovely.  {{score}}

Artisan Bread Ingredients

• 3 cups of bread flour
• 1/4 tsp. active-dry yeast
• 1-1/2 tsp. salt
• 1-1/2 cups warm water
• Cornmeal
• Sabra Hummus

Directions {Step-by-Step}

Step 1 {The Night Before}: Combine flour, yeast, salt and water in a large bowl and mix with a spoon.  The dough will look rough and ragged.  Tightly cover with plastic wrap and let dough sit for 14-20 hours.

Step 2 {The Next Day}:  The dough will have almost doubled in size and will look pockmarked, wet and will smell yeasty.  Gently ease the bread from the bowl and onto a lightly floured work surface.  Using your hands, fold dough onto itself a few times until it somewhat resembles a ball.

Step 3:  Dust a lint-free kitchen towel with cornmeal, flour and place the ball of dough, seam-side down, onto one half of the towel.  Sprinkle the top with additional flour and cornmeal.  Fold the towel over ball of dough.  Let it sit for 2 hours.  Approximately 1 hour before the time is up, preheat the oven to 450 degrees, and place a heavy-bottomed covered pot into the oven for one hour.

Step 4:  After the dough has doubled in size, carefully remove the pot from oven.  Pick up the dough with the towel and dump the dough into the pot.  It’s ok if it looks messy.  You can shake the pot a little to distribute the dough evenly.  Cover and bake for 30 minutes.

Step 5: Remove lid, then bake another 5-10 minutes until the bread looks golden brown and crispy.

Step 6:  Remove from pot and let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes.  Slice the bread with a serrated knife and spread with your favorite Sabra Hummus variation.  I chose Roasted Pine Nut Hummus.  There’s nothing more delicious than warm soft bread fresh from the oven.  Mmm!  Enjoy!

BONUS:   Sabra Facebook fans can get coupons, win prizes, and check out Chefs making over their favorite recipes.  {{high fives}}

Recipe How To:

Disclosure:   Sabra Hummus has provided me with a stipend for my time in creating this Artisan Bread Recipe {wink} and sharing it with my awesome readers!  

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