Homemade Crusty Bread
An easy, homemade crusty bread recipe with a no-knead dough. The bread has a slightly chewy crust and a soft, cloudy crumb with large, artisanal holes.
Servings: 12 slices
Calories: 130kcal
Equipment
- Loaf pan, dutch oven or baking sheet
- Small oven-safe pan
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1½ cups lukewarm water
- 3¼ cups unbleached all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt (use less if that's your preference)
- Oil or cooking spray for coating bowl and loaf pan
- Cornmeal for dusting loaf pan
Instructions
- Prepare a loaf pan or a dutch oven by spraying some cooking spray or coating with oil. Dust with cornmeal for easy release.
- Mix the yeast and lukewarm water and set aside to activate the yeast, about five minutes. The yeast should start frothing and bubbling to indicate it's alive.
- Add the flour and salt and mix until a loose dough forms. You won't be able to shape it at this time.
- Oil a bowl or coat it with cooking spray and place the dough in it. Coat the top with a little more oil or cooking spray to keep the dough from drying.
- Set aside in a warm spot in your kitchen to rise for an hour. After an hour the dough should have more than doubled.
- Turn the dough out and using your hands shape it into a rectangle or oval loaf. If using a dutch oven you should shape it into a round.
- Gently place the loaf into the loaf pan or dutch oven. Dust some flour on top, cover with a clean shower cap or with a kitchen towel°, and return it to the warm spot. to let the dough rise Let it proof or rise for another 45 minutes. If you are using a loaf pan the dough should easily form a nice dome during this time.
- About 15 minutes before the dough has finished rising, preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Just before you put the bread in the oven place a small glass or other oven-safe pan filled with hot water on a lower rack of the oven.
- Score the bread jbefore placing it on the middle rack in oven. I like to make a single score down the center, but you can also make three diagonal scores.
- Bake the bread for 30 minutes. Remove to a rack and cool for an hour, then remove from pan and continue cooling on rack.
- Slice and eat.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 130kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 195mg | Potassium: 55mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 2mg