Don’t be put off by baking scales, ratios, volume or special ingredients. This loaf of bread is the simplest to bake at home and requires no mixer, no special technique and no kneading! Just sit back and relax.
Ingredients
- 430g Bakers flour
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 4g dry instant yeast
- 375g water
Method
- Whisk the flour, salt and yeast in a bowl. While stirring with a wooden spoon, gradually add the water, stir until well combined. Mix the dough gently and form into a neat ball
- Transfer the dough to a clean bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let dough rise in an area at room temperature until surface of dough is covered bubbles and at least doubled in size.
This process usually takes at least 12hrs so you need to think ahead when making this bread. - When the dough is ready, place a Dutch oven into the oven and turn it on to 220 degrees. Allow it to heat in the oven for 20 minutes.
- Transfer the dough to a floured surface. Fold the corners under, creating a perfectly round ball. Place on a square of baking paper large enough to cover the bottom of the Dutch oven.
- Dust dough with flour, cover it with plastic wrap and allow it to rest for 20 minutes.
- Using a sharp knife, at a 90 degree angle, score an X in the loaf ensuring you don’t go more than 3cm deep. Brush the bread with a small amount of water.
- Remove Dutch oven from the oven – please be careful. Place the dough into it, cover and return to the oven to bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the top is nice and golden. Remove from the oven and transfer the loaf bread to a cooling rack.
This delicious crusty bread goes beautifully with a rich creamy soup. Try our potato and leek soup with this recipe for a wonderful winter lunch.