Easy Rustic Bread (Printable)
Master the art of crusty, chewy bread with four basic ingredients and minimal hands-on time.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Dough
01 - 3 1/4 cups bread flour (plus extra for dusting)
02 - 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
03 - 1 teaspoon instant dry yeast
04 - 1 1/4 cups lukewarm water
→ Optional for Dusting
05 - 1 tablespoon cornmeal or semolina
# How-to Steps:
01 - In a large bowl, combine bread flour, salt, and instant yeast. Mix well to distribute evenly.
02 - Add lukewarm water and stir with a wooden spoon or your hands until a shaggy dough forms. Ensure all flour is incorporated.
03 - Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let it rise at room temperature for 1–2 hours, or until doubled in size.
04 - Lightly flour a work surface. Turn out the dough and shape it into a rough ball, folding the edges underneath to create tension.
05 - Place the dough seam-side down on a piece of parchment paper dusted with flour or cornmeal. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
06 - Preheat your oven to 450°F. If using a Dutch oven, place it empty in the oven to preheat as well.
07 - Carefully transfer the dough with parchment into the hot Dutch oven or onto a baking sheet.
08 - With a sharp knife, score the top of the loaf. Cover with Dutch oven lid and bake for 25 minutes.
09 - Remove the lid and bake for another 15 minutes, or until the crust is deep golden brown and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.
10 - Cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing to allow the crumb to set.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- Four simple ingredients create something that tastes like it came from an artisan bakery
- Practically hands off letting you do other things while the dough does its thing
- That satisfying hollow sound when you tap the bottom never gets old
02 -
- The dough should look messy and shaggy, not smooth like pizza dough
- A Dutch oven creates steam which gives you that crackly crust
- Letting the bread cool completely before slicing is torture but necessary
03 -
- Weigh your ingredients if possible because flour measuring is notoriously inconsistent
- The parchment paper makes transferring the dough into the hot Dutch oven so much easier