Description
This rustic bread is simple to make and results in a warm, crusty loaf with a soft, airy interior. It’s perfect for any meal, whether you’re serving it with soup, pasta, or simply enjoying it with butter.
Ingredients
3 cups warm water
2 ¼ tsp (1 pkg) active dry yeast
1 Tbsp sugar
6 cups (750 g) flour
3 tsp salt
Instructions
- Mix warm water, yeast, and sugar in a large mixing bowl or stand mixer. Let it sit for 10 minutes until bubbly.
- Add flour and salt. Mix until combined into a soft dough. If it’s too sticky to handle, add ¼ cup flour at a time until workable.
- Cover the dough loosely with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel. Let it rise for 1-3 hours or until doubled in size. If short on time, a 30-60 minute rise still works.
- Preheat your oven to 450°F. Place a pizza stone or flipped cookie sheet in the oven to heat up.
- Place a baking dish with 2 inches of water on the bottom rack to create steam for a crispy crust.
- Sprinkle flour on your work surface, turn out the dough, fold it on itself, and divide it into two halves. Shape each into a ball.
- Cut an X shape on the top of each dough ball with a sharp knife. Place the dough balls onto a lightly floured pan and transfer them onto the hot pizza stone or cookie sheet.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.
- Let the bread cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
Notes
- Add herbs like rosemary, thyme, or oregano for an extra burst of flavor.
- For garlic bread, brush the dough with garlic butter before baking.
- For a more hearty flavor, substitute half or all of the white flour with whole wheat flour.
- Store at room temperature for 3-4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, wrap in foil and warm at 350°F for 10-15 minutes.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Rustic
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 300mg
- Fat: 1g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 24g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
