Crazy Bread

My family loves fresh bread and this bread recipe is so quick and easy!  You simply put  the ingredients into one bowl and mix.  No kneading required.

Some call it Crazy bread, others call it no-knead bread. Call it what you will, for I am sure you will enjoy it as much as we do.

1 c. warm water
2 tsp. sugar
1 pkg. active dry yeast
2 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 Tbs. dried parsley
2 Tbs. olive oil
2-4 Tbs. butter (softened or melted)
1/2 sp. garlic powder
1 c. grated cheese

Measure the very warm water into a small bowl. Stir in the sugar and yeast until dissolved. While you gather the rest of the ingredients, let the mixture stand for 10 minutes to activate the yeast. It will look foamy. 

In a large bowl, add the flour, salt, garlic, and parsley. Mix the ingredients around to distribute the seasonings throughout the flour. Add olive oil to the yeast mixture and then pour this into the flour. Stir with a wooden spoon until most of the flour is incorporated into the liquids. It should pull away from the sides of the bowl. If the mixture seems overly wet, add more flour. The amount of flour is determined by the humidity in the air. When the humidity is high, the mixture will often need more flour. Cover and set the bowl in a warm place until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

Pour some olive oil onto the bottom of a jellyroll pan. Remove the dough from the bowl and place it the pan. Rub a little olive oil on your fingers, so the dough doesn’t stick to you as you press the dough out to about 1/2 inch thickness. Rub the surface of the dough with softened butter. 

Sprinkle the top with garlic powder and cheese. Sometimes I use garlic salt instead of garlic powder.  I also sprinkle black pepper over the top.

You can preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit, but sometimes I place my bread in a cold oven and then turn on the heat. This helps the bread to rise a bit more. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cut into pieces and serve warm.