Easy Rustic Artisan Bread
Deliciously crusty yet perfectly chewy Easy Rustic Artisan Bread can be made at home with a simple Dutch Oven and a few basic ingredients – flour, yeast, kosher salt and water!
Comfort Food
Bread has always been one of those comfort foods for me. The natural sweetness and soft texture rivals nothing else. Freshly baked bread is even more delicious! The smell is intoxicating as it bakes! It makes me think of home. Cozy and relaxed and soul-nourishing.
For years I had a punitive relationship with bread. The low carbohydrate diet craze led me to believe bread was bad. Restricting this food only led to complicated feelings about it, including guilt, taking the joy and pleasure away from the food experience. Bread, like any other food, can be enjoyed and can exist as a healthy part of any diet.
Failed Sourdough Starter
I experimented in my kitchen last spring with a Sour Dough Starter. I mothered a jar of flour and yeast for 8 days! Nurturing it each day as I had researched to do. I fed it. And made sure it was warm and comfortable, but not too hot. I loved on this jar of microorganisms and flour with high hopes of making some damn good fresh bread! Sadly, on the 8th morning of our time together I woke to find my baby had… duh, duh, duh – a relationship with MOLD! AAHH! I had to throw away my sweet Sourdough Starter. It was an utter fail.
This was when I realized that my bread making adventures would need a little less commitment from me.
With a little trial-and-error I discovered that a simple loaf of Sourdough-like bread could be made with minimal effort, a little time and some basic ingredients.
This recipe is so incredibly easy. No fuss, no kneading, no dough hook. It is a very forgiving bread. All you need is the most basic of equipment and a few pantry ingredients to prepare deliciousness that will change the way you see fresh bread.
(My ingredient list does not include kitty! My sweet girl Persephone just loves to be a part of my process!)
For this Easy Rustic Artisan Bread you will need
3 cups Flour (plus more for dusting), Bread Flour or All Purpose (I’ve even experimented with Rye Flour and Whole Wheat Flour and all loaves have turned out deliciously, with just slightly different flavor profiles)
2 tsp Active Dry Yeast
2 tsp Kosher Salt
1 1/2 Cups Warm Tap Water
Bread Ingredients Sans Cat:
Baking Instructions
Prepare your Bread Dough:
Prepare your Active Dry Yeast by adding 2 tsp of yeast to a large mixing bowl with 1 1/2 c very warm water (no need to let it foam).
Immediately add Flour, Yeast and Salt to bowl. Mix with a wooden spoon until all ingredients are incorporated. Dough will be wet. It won’t be kneadable but it won’t be runny.
Allow time to Rise:
Cover with plastic wrap or even simply a plate atop the bowl, where you will leave it on the counter for 2-3 hours until it doubles in size. If after an hour you notice it is not increasing in volume, move the bowl to a warmer location.
Preheat Oven and Shape Dough:
Place your Dutch Oven with the lid on, into the oven. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Allow your pot to preheat in the oven for 30 minutes.
Sprinkle 1 tbsp flour on a clean work surface (I worked on my counter). Remove the dough from the bowl and onto your work surface, sprinkling the top of the dough with another 1/2 tbsp flour.
Using a metal spatula, bench scraper, large knife, etc., fold the sides of the dough inward to form a round shape.
Transfer Dough:
Place a large piece of parchment paper (not wax paper) next to your dough. Flip the dough onto the paper, seam-side down.
Transfer to a Pot:
Carefully remove the hot Dutch Oven from the oven and remove the lid. The pot and lid will be extremely hot. Use the parchment paper to transfer the dough to the pot. Cover with the lid.
Bake your Bread Loaf
Bake for 35 minutes covered. Thereafter, remove the lid and continue to bake for 10 minutes uncovered until crispy golden crust forms.
Cool:
Allow your loaf to cool on cooling rack for 10 minutes before slicing.
The smell will be so enticing! If your household is like mine, a fresh loaf of Easy Rustic Artisan Bread never cools longer than 5 minutes!
Easy Rustic Artisan Bread
Equipment
- 1 mixing bowl large
- 1 Wooden Spoon
- Plastic Wrap or plate
- 1 Dutch Oven with Lid
Ingredients
- 3 cups Flour all purpose or bread flour
- 2 tsp Active Dry Yeast
- 2 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1½ cups Very Warm Water
- 1½ tbsp Flour for dusting
Instructions
- Prepare the Active Dry Yeast by dissolving 2 tsp of yeast in 1 ½ cups of very warm tap water into a Large Mixing Bowl.
- Immediately add flour and salt to the bowl and mix to combine using a wooden spoon. Dough will be wet. It will not be kneadable.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a plate to allow dough time to rest and rise. Leave on the counter for 2-3 hours until it doubles in size. It will have movement and jiggle a little. If after 1 hour you notice your dough is not changing, relocate it to a warmer location.
- Once the dough has risen, you are ready to bake your bread. Place your empty Dutch Oven with Lid on into the oven. Turn the oven on and heat to 450℉. Heat for 30 minutes.
- While the pot is heating you will shape the dough. Sprinkle a clean work surface with 1 tbsp flour. Remove the dough from the bowl and place onto the floured work surface.
- Sprinkle top of dough with ½ tbsp flour.
- Using a metal spatula, bench scraper, large knife, etc., fold the sides inwards to form a round shape. I made about 4 folds.
- Place a piece of parchment paper (not wax paper) next to the dough, and flip the dough upside down onto the paper. It will now be seam side down.
- Carefully remove hot Dutch Oven from oven. With caution remove the lid.
- Use the parchment paper the dough rests upon to ease the dough into the hot pot. Carefully replace the lid.
- Bake for 35 minutes covered. Thereafter, remove lid and cook 10 minutes uncovered or until golden brown and crispy.
- Allow to cool for 10 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!
Enjoy! And if you like the recipe, please share on Pinterest, or snap a photo of your creation and tag me on Twitter, or Instagram!
