Here’s my first ever attempt at baking bread– not bad, eh? 🙂

I am NOT a baker– in fact, I’ll admit that I’m more than a touch intimidated by baking– it’s so scientific and exact, ugh.  But this is BEYOND easy– and yummy.  It’s a rustic bread– it reminds me of a great crusty bread that you would get in a specialty bakery– I added a smidge of rosemary and olive oil to mine– and I highly suggest that you do the same!

Here’s the official recipe:

Ingredients:

3 cups flour (all purpose– or you can also use whole wheat or a combination of the two)

1/4 tsp instant yeast

1 1/4 tsp salt

Mix dry ingredients together and then add 1 1/2 cups water– and mix with your hands (NO kneading needed), let rise at room temperature, covered, for at least 12 hours.

After 12 hours, fold the dough over and put it seam side down– roll dough in flour or wheat bran– and let the dough rise again for 90 minutes (preferably more like 3 hours)

Preheat the oven with the pot inside the the over to 500*.  Use a cast iron or Pyrex-like glass pot with a lid– the heavier the pot, the better and bigger the thermal mass.  Once the oven hits 500*- drop the bread dough into the pot and cover.

Bake at 30 minutes with the cover closed– and 15-20 minutes with the cover off or until toasty brown.

Here’s how to adapt the same recipe into pizza dough, click HERE

Happy bread making!