The Easiest Bread Ever

So many people asked for this recipe that I decided to post it here. This bread is simple, tastes delicious, and has infinite variations. I make it all the time. It’s the easiest way to level up any sandwich. 

Easiest Bread Ever Recipe

Ingredients:

3 ¼ cup (425 g) flour 

2 teaspoons (12 g) salt

½ teaspoon (2 g) active dry yeast

1 ½ cups (355 g) water water

Supplies:

Bowl with a lid

Parchment paper

Dutch oven

Instructions:

1. Mix the dough. Stir the dry ingredients together, then mix in the water. The dough will look like a loose, shaggy mass. Cover with a lid. Let rest 20-30 minutes. 

2. Stretch the dough. Wet your hands. Pull one edge of the dough gently to one side and fold it over itself. Do this a few times from different angles, until you’ve gently stretched and folded the dough from all sides. Now the dough should be smooth and shiny. Cover with a lid.

3. Let the dough rise. Let rise at room temperature for 12-18 hours. 

4. Shape the dough. Put a piece of parchment paper in a bowl. Wet your hands. Gently tension the dough into a ball and set it on the parchment paper in the bowl. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes to an hour at room temperature.

5. Transfer the bread. Preheat your oven to 450 with a dutch oven inside. Gently lift the parchment paper and dough out of the bowl, and transfer it to the dutch oven. Cover with the dutch oven lid. 

6. Bake the bread. Bake at 450 for 30 minutes. Then remove the dutch oven lid and continue baking for 20 more minutes. 

7. Let cool. Remove from the oven and let cool. 

Variations: You can add spices, sliced olives, seeds, or dried fruits.

About this bread: This bread has the flavor and texture of an artisan loaf. The long, slow rise gives the dough its flavor. Then the dutch oven steams the bread as it bakes, making it tender. Once you take the lid off, the crust crisps up.

A pepperoni, cheddar, and dried tomato sandwich on homemade bread. This was a great meal when I hiked a section of the North South Trail!