Simple Homemade Crusty Bread

Simple Bread Recipe

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Simple Homemade Crusty Bread

***Please feel free to share widely, just give me some credit or a link back. Heavily adapted from this Youtube video from Tasty. Check them out!

Prep Time: 50 minutes
Rise Time: 60 minutes
Proof Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients/ Supplies:

  • 2 cups warm water
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra (We use King Arthur)
  • 2 ½ tablespoons salt
  • 2¼ teaspoons instant yeast (1 packet, straight from fridge)
  • Extra-virgin olive oil (to cover the bowl)
  • Cast iron dutch oven

Directions

*Note, Try letting all ingredients come up to temperature before mixing everything together.Stir the dry active yeast and water together.

  1. Mix the salt and flour together.
  2. Make a well in the dry ingredients.
  3. Pour the wet ingredients into the well, and mix until well combined. *Note, you should have a fairly sticky dough ball.
  4. Cover with a towel and let rest two hours to proof.
  5. Remove the dough from the bowl and dust with more flour.
    1. Coat the bowl with extra virgin olive oil and place the dough inside.
  6. Cover with a towel and let rest at room temperature overnight.
  7. The next day, move the oven rack as low as it will go, and preheat oven to 450 degrees F, with the dutch oven inside.
  8. Remove the double over and add the fully proofed dough.
  9. Bake for 30 minutes with the dutch oven lid on; then 15 minutes with the lid off.
    1. Rest 10 minutes with a towel covering the bread.