Super Easy Rustic Bread

What Ingredients will I need?

3 cups Bread or All Purpose Flour +more for dusting

1/4 tsp. active dry yeast (buy in bulk from Costco!)

1 1/4 tsp fine sea salt

1 1/2 cups water (Spring water is best)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup white corn meal

Cast Iron Dutch Oven with Lid

What do I do now?

That’s easy! I start this recipe at about 12 noon to 3 pm so I can finish it off the next morning. It has to sit for 18 hours and do it’s thang! In a medium/large sized glass/plastic bowl:

Add 3 cups flour
Add 1/4 teaspoon yeast
Add 1 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Combine well with wooden or plastic spoon (or hands!)
Add 1 1/2 cups spring water
Stir just until moistened. The dough will be very sticky!
Loosely cover with plastic. I like to think green and re-use a plastic grocery or produce bag.
Set aside in a warm location like the top of the fridge or Microwave, or on the counter is fine too.
Set the timer for 18 hours.
Wait

18 hours later…

Sprinkle clean counter or cutting board with flour, about 1/4 cup.
Turn out sticky dough from bowl onto the flour.
Gently press/pat down dough, NO KNEADING!
Fold in 1/3’s like an envelope.
Fold in 1/3’s one more time, opposite direction.
Coat clean bowl with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
Place dough in bowl. Sprinkle with white corn meal.
Turn dough over once to coat evenly. Sprinkle with white corn meal again.
Cover in plastic AGAIN.
Leave it alone for 2 hours

1 hour later…

Preheat Dutch Oven and Lid to 500°F for 60 minutes.

1 hour later…

Carefully turn dough from bowl into dutch oven. (If it sticks to the bowl, gently use fingers to loosen the edges of the dough from the bowl.)
Put that lid on, it’s important!
Bake at 500°F for 15 minutes.
Reduce temp. to 450°F and bake for another 10 minutes.
Remove the lid.
Reduce temp. once more to 400°F and bake for 10 minutes longer.

Remove from oven, cool on a wire rack. Slice, butter, jam and enjoy! It is great with sandwiches too!

And yes…these are my own photos of the bread I made. Let me know how your bread making adventure turns out! Happy baking!

April 28, 2008 |

Comments

5 Comments so far

trysh, Crafting April 28, 2008 10:01 pm
This sounds so good! Alas, I do not have a Dutch Oven…waaaahhhh!
yemmas, Multiple Sclerosis April 28, 2008 10:21 pm
You can also bake it in a pie tin.
(DO NOT PREHEAT a pie tin FOR 60 MINUTES!)
You also must put a pan (loaf pan or cookie sheet) with an inch or so of water so there is steam in the oven. Improvise!
Joeprah, Dads April 29, 2008 7:29 am
Holy crap that looks good. What’s a dutch oven? Do they have them in the US?
RealWorldMom, Moms April 29, 2008 8:42 am
Dayum, you’re good! I don’t think I’ll be attempting this anytime soon, but I would happily take your leftovers!
Maureen, Painting/Drawing May 7, 2008 3:36 pm
Okay, my stomach is grumbling now. Thanks. Thanks a lot…

Looks absolutely delish! Maybe one day I will get up the courage to try to bake bread!