Microwave Bread

So for the past couple weeks, our oven has been broken. If nothing else, this has forced me to get creative. Lots of crock pot recipes, casseroles in a pan on the stove, bread in the microwave.


...oh yes, I said it. I baked bread in the microwave, and I am P-R-O-U-D of it! Now, don't get me wrong, bread baked in the oven is definitely better, but when you have no oven, this is the next best thing. The recipe is one I got from a friend. It's the "Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day" recipe. SO easy. And it worked great in the microwave too.

What you need
3 c. lukewarm water (you want it to be between 100-110F)
1 1/2 Tbsp. instant dry yeast
1 1/2 Tbsp. kosher salt
6 1/2 c. all-purpose flour


What you do
Put the water and yeast into a very large bowl or plastic storage container (read: tupperware). Let it sit for 5 minutes until slightly foamy. Stir in the salt and flour. Cover with a towel or cover loosely with the lid to the container (don't snap the lid on). Let the dough rise for about two hours.


Once done rising, you can either use the dough right then (cut off 1/4 of the dough, roll it into a ball and bake per directions below) or refrigerate the dough for up to two weeks.


At anytime in the next two weeks when you want to make bread for dinner, remove the dough you want (1/4 of the batch makes 1 loaf). Shape the dough into a ball and let it rest 30 minutes-1 hour. When ready to "bake" fill a jar with water and put in the microwave for a few minutes or until the water boils.

Jar of water and bread dough in microwave

Spray a microwave-safe dish with cooking spray, put the dough ball on the dish and microwave it with for 20 minutes at 20% power with the jar of hot water still in the microwave as well (this creates steam which makes a crust).


If you DO have an oven, preheat the oven to 425, put a baking pan filled with water in the lower oven rack (this creates steam while the bread is baking and results in a nice crust) and bake the bread for 20 minutes or until golden brown.