This is the basic bread that I pretend like I make every week but actually make every 2 or 3 weeks when I have time. The perfect balance of crunchy crust and soft inside. As promised, the recipe:
Ingredients
6 cups flour (honestly, I just use all-purpose flour, I’m not fancy but I guess you can use bread flour if you want)
1/2 teaspoon yeast (instant or active-dry)
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 2/3 cups cold water
Instructions
- Mix everything together in a bowl. This is easiest if you have a stand mixer and takes less than 5 minutes. I’ve done it by hand and it’s not terrible but if you have a mixer use it. Mix until combined into a dough–you don’t need to knead it.
- Cover the bowl with saran wrap (I secure it with a rubber band because saran wrap can’t be trusted) and let rise 12-18 hours in a warm-ish place. I usually leave it on top of the stove. You’ll know it’s ready when you can see the little bubbles on top and it…smells like yeast. You’ll know the smell.
- After it’s risen: flour the counter so your bread doesn’t stick (I use white cornmeal), dump your bread onto the counter and fold it over on itself a few times. Roll it into a ball and cover with a cotton towel (not a textured one since it’ll stick). Let rise a second time for 2 hours.
- While your bread is rising, preheat the oven to 425 and set your dutch oven inside so it heats up with the oven.
- Pull out the dutch oven and put the dough inside. Careful, it’ll be super hot. (If you’re going to top your bread with something this is the moment–I’ve used Trader Joe’s Everything But The Bagel Seasoning.) Bake with the lid on for 40 minutes.
- Take the lid off and bake for another 15 minutes.
- Your bread is done! Take it out of the dutch oven and cool on a rack.
I store my bread in the same dutch oven it gets baked in and it lasts about a week since there are no preservatives in it.
Let me know how you like the bread if you make it!
xoxo,
J
I never knew bread was this easy? It always seemed so mystical and like it needed a special machine to make? I’m going to have to try this ASAP!