French Peasant Bread

This recipe is super easy that even I can make it. Anything with yeast really intimidates me. I come from a family of non-bakers; we used to joke that we would use my mom's Thanksgiving rolls as a hockey puck or door stop. But last night I was craving homemade bread and decided to make this. And besides it being so easy, I love that there's no oil or butter in it, so you feel a little less guilty.

I feel like Tom Hanks in "Castaway" whenever I make bread..."I...have made... BREAD!" (just like when he made fire.) I feel I have accomplished something, that I have conquered the elements and have connected with my ancestors....Anyway, enough of my feelings on baking bread, here's the recipe:

1 pkg. dry yeast (I use the rapid-rise)
2 cups warm water (make sure it's not hot, or it might kill or alter the yeast)
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. salt
Flour (now I don't really know how much. Start with 4 cups and go from there. You just have to keep adding it about 1/2 cup at a time until it pulls away from the bowl and is still sticky, but easy to work with.)
oil
cornmeal
About 2 Tbsp. melted butter

Place yeast, water, sugar and salt in warm bowl and stir until dissolved. Add flour and stir until blended. (I use my KitchenAid mixer with the regular white beater but I'm sure a food processor with a dough blade would work just as well.) Do not knead. Cover and let rise one hour until doubled in size. Flour hands, remove from bowl and make two rounds on a well-oiled cookie sheet sprinkled with cornmeal. Let rise an additional hour. Brush the top with melted butter and bake at 425 degrees for about 10 minutes. Reduce oven temp to 375 and cook an additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven and brush again with butter. Serve warm.

Tips: You can spray your pan with Pam, it's quicker and healthier. Sometimes I like to substitute about 1/2-3/4 cup whole wheat flour, it gives it a nice flavor and texture. It also works great to half this recipe depending upon how much you want to make.