Anyone Can Make This Bread - Easy Artisan Bread

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Anyone Can Make This Bread - Easy Artisan Bread

This easy artisan bread recipe yields a beautifully rustic loaf with a crisp crust and a soft, chewy interior.

Prep Time30

Cook Time40

Total Time1 10

Servings: Slices

Author: Mary Bryant Shrader

Equipment

1 Large mixing bowl
1 Large Dutch Oven You can also use a baking sheet pan with parchment paper.

Ingredients

3 cups Bread Flour You can also use All-Purpose Flour.
1/4-1/2 tsps Yeast For an 8-12 hour rise use 1/2 teaspoon for a 12-18 hour rise use 1/4 teaspoon.
1 tsp Fine Ground Salt You can also use up to 1 1/2 tsp of Fine Ground Salt.
1 1/2 cups Water If needed for dough consistency, you can add up to 2 cups of water.

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, yeast, and salt.
Gradually add the water, starting with 1 1/2 cups, and stir until a sticky dough forms. You can add a bit more water if needed. The dough should be shaggy and sticky—not dry or stiff.
Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let the dough rest at room temperature for 8-18 hours. The dough will rise during this time. (You can also put the dough in the fridge and let it slowly rise over a 24-48 hour timeframe.) After the dough has risen, it will be bubbly and slightly larger.
Place the dough on a floured surface and gently shape it into a round loaf. No Kneading required.
Preheat your oven to 500°F (260°C) and place a Dutch oven or heavy oven-proof pot with a lid inside the oven to heat it up.
Carefully transfer your dough to a piece of parchment paper, then lower it into the preheated Dutch oven. Remember to remove the parchment paper. (You can also carefully plop your dough right into the Dutch oven.)
Cover the Dutch oven with its lid and bake for 30 minutes. For a small oven, turn the temperature down to 425°F (218°C). You can set larger ovens to 450°F (232°C).
After 30 minutes, remove the lid and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown and has a crisp crust.
Once baked, remove the bread from the Dutch oven and let it cool on a wire rack. Although tempting, resist the urge to slice into it right away—let it cool completely to set the texture.

Video

Notes

Find this recipe and video at https://marysnest.com/easy-artisan-bread/

For more traditional foods recipes and a guide to build your traditional foods kitchen, get my bestselling book, The Modern Pioneer Cookbook, at https://marysnest.com/my-cookbook/

Free and comprehensive lesson plans to teach traditional food recipes and kitchen techniques to students K-12, download The Modern Pioneer Cookbook Curriculum at https://marysnest.com/cookbook-curriculum/

Nutrition

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