Homemade artisan crusty bread
This homemade artisan crusty bread is the perfect recipe for any beginner looking to get into bread making.
Equipment
- Dutch oven or covered turkey pan
Ingredients
- 2 tsp active dry yeast
- 1.5 cup warm water
- 2 tbsp honey
- 3 + 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cornmeal
Instructions
- In your stand mixing bowl (oven proof) add yeast, water, and honey. Gently stir and let sit for 10 mins, the yeast should start to foam at the top. If yeast doesn't foam or bubble, purchase new yeast.
- With a hook attachment, increase the speed to low, adding ½ cup of flour at a time. Once all the flour is added, increase the speed to medium. Once the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, stop mixing. The dough will look shaggy. Also note, this is a wet dough.
- Wet hands with cold water (this stops dough from sticking to hands), remove any dough from hook or stray pieces and add to the rest still in the mixing bowl.
- Liberally sprinkle flour over the dough, you may have to re-wet hands to rotate the dough in the bowl. Make sure all surfaces are covered in flour. Be sure not to work in or mix the flour into the dough, the flour is just to make sure it does not stick to the mixing bowl.
- Cover mixing bowl with a damp tea towel and secure with a rubber band. Set the oven to 175°F for 3-5 mins, then turn off the oven completely. This creates the perfect environment for bread to rise. The inside of the oven should feel warm, not hot. If your mixing bowl is not oven proof/heat proof, transfer the dough to one that is.
- Place the mixing bowl on a cookie sheet and place in the warm oven to rise for an hour.
- Once the hour is up, the dough should be doubled in size. Lightly flour your workspace and gently remove the dough from the bowl so as not to deflate it. Take the corners of the dough and tightly fold them into the center, it should feel like you are folding an envelope. The goal is to create a loaf like shape with the dough. Continue to do this until the dough resists the folds/tucks.
- Cut a long piece of parchment paper and place it in the bottom of another bowl (not plastic) and sprinkle with corn meal, then, redust loaf with flour and gently place in the bowl. Cover with a tea towel and place back in the oven on the cookie sheet to rest for another 30mins.
- Once done, remove and place on counter. Preheat the oven to 450°F and place your dutch oven in the oven to come to temperature.
- Once at 450°F, carefully remove the dutch oven. Use the sides of the parchment paper to pick up the dough, use a razor blade or very sharp knife and slice a slit on top of the bread. Then, carefully place in dutch oven and cover with the lid. Place back in the oven and bake for 30 mins.
- After 30 mins, remove the lid and bake the bread for an additional 15 mins to brown and grow crusty.
- Remove from oven and pull out the bread. Let cool completely on a wire rack overnight or a minimum of 4-6 hours. This is important as it allows the bread to retain its integrity and crispyness.
- Enjoy!