Cottage Bread (Vikendica Hleb)

Baba used to call this “Vikendica Hleb” because she made it on Saturday for Sunday.

Note: It is crucial to use a non-stick pot in order to keep this a one-pot recipe ~ I used a 4-quart saucepan. (Although you could mix up the dough in a bowl, then transfer to a greased baking vessel ~ that would defeat the idea of a simple one-pot bread.)

Here's what you need and how to do it:

Non-stick pot

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups lukewarm water

2 tsp salt

1 tsp yeast

4 cups flour

In a non-stick oven-proof  pot combine all ingredients with a wooden spoon. Place lid or cover on pot and proof at room temperature for 60 to 90 minutes.

Break proofed dough down (deflate), replace lid and place pot in the refrigerator overnight; 10 to 14 hours or so.

(We usually mix up the dough about an hour before going to bed, then it's ready to bake in the morning.)

When ready to bake, remove lid and place pot in (preheated) 400º F oven and bake for about 40 minutes until deep golden brown. If you're not sure, an instant read thermometer inserted in the hot-from-the oven bread should read between 190º to 200ºF. Let cool and transfer to a plate or tray.

It's excellent toasted, and you can also vary the recipe by adding herbs of your choice, minced onion, roasted garlic, etc. to the dough while mixing the flour, yeast and water together. We often added raisins or cranberries, sunflower seeds, and chopped walnuts.