Easy everyday bread recipe
Slightly crunchy crust on the outside, soft on the inside. It sounds so basic, but when done right a good loaf of bread is honestly one of life’s simplest pleasures – even more if you’ve made the loaf of bread yourself, hence this easy everyday bread recipe.
My bread making journey started when I was living in rural Thailand, around 2015. The traditional Western style bread I had grown up with was only found at international bakeries and gourmet supermarkets or specific cafe’s and restaurants, the majority of which where five hours away. So I started researching and making my own bread. I attended a course with the late John Reid of Red Beard Bakery, as well as at the German Institute of Bread Making. This particular recipe for easy everyday bread is based on all of my research and a range of techniques I learnt during my bread courses but in essence is a no-knead style bread baked in a round Dutch oven. If you don’t have a round Dutch oven, it is honestly a wonderful investment and worth it just to create this incredible bread which you can make in around five hours including rise and baking time. I make around three loaves a week, and bread has become one of my go-to contribution to dinners and parties, as well as something I love to gift people.
You simply mix all the ingredients together in a bowl, cover it with plastic wrap and a tea towel for three hours. The dough requires a few pulls at this stage, then is transferred to a rice flour dusted bread basket for its second rise. While this is happening you can turn on the oven. Once the bread has completed its second rise the loaf is flipped into the Dutch oven, the lid goes on and it is baked for 45 minutes total. 30 minutes of this will be with the lid on and the final 15 minutes without a lid. Allow the freshly baked loaf to cool for up to one hour then enjoy your delicious, home baked bread.
Flour
When using rye flour note that you may require more water and your loaf will not rise as much as a 100% white loaf. Also allow more time for it to rise.
Water
If you have left over pasta water or water from cooking potatoes, reserve these to use for your bread dough as the starch can help improve the texture and rise of your dough.
Storage
Store the bread in the same pot you cooked it in with the lid on. After cutting, place it cut-side down. It will keep for 4 to 5 days like this.
Equipment
Large lidded cast iron pot, bread basket with lining, a bread lame, knife or razor for scoring the loaf (prevents cracking), plastic wrap, tea towel, small sieve, a tablespoon or wooden spoon, teaspoon, oven gloves, baking paper, scissors.
You can watch the step-by-step easy everyday bread video here on Instagram.
Ingredients
3.5 cups flour (I like 3 cups all-purpose/bread flour and 1/2 cup rye flour)
2 – 2.5 teaspoons good quality fine sea salt
1 heaped teaspoon active dry yeast
400ml warm water
Rice flour for dusting
Additional ingredients
Spices like caraway seeds, mustard seeds, etc – add these to the dry flour mix
Sultanas, olives, dates, etc – add these during the folding stage just before you transfer the bread from the bowl to the bread basket
Easy everyday bread recipe
Makes one loaf
In a large bowl stir together the flour, salt and yeast
Make a well in the centre then add the warm water slowly into the well – do not pour it all at once. As you are pouring, mix the flour and water well, scraping the bottom of the bowl to incorporate all the flour until your dough is sticky and a little shaggy. If the dough seems dry and the flour hasn’t been absorbed then add a little more water
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap followed by a tea towel on top, and allow the temperature to set, by sitting the bowl in a warm place for 3 hours.
At the three hour mark, heat the oven to 450º F/232° C and adjust your racks so the Dutch oven can sit on the third lowest rack in the oven (to allow enough height for the pot to fit)
While the oven is heating, sift 2- 3 teaspoons of rice flour into the bread basket, tilt the basket to distribute the flour well, set aside
Next, uncover the tea towel or wrap (or both) from the large bowl and start to fold the dough. If you are adding dried fruit, add it in now. Fold the dough by sliding your hand on one side of the bowl to collect a palmful of dough and then gently pull and lift it over to the opposite side. Repeat this until you have come full circle and repeat until the edges of dough (seam) no longer meet
Carefully slide your hand in again, and pick up the dough so you can place it gently into the bread basket. Repeat the folding method in the basket 2 to 3 times then lightly dust the top and sides of the bread with rice flour using a small sieve. 2 – 3 teaspoons of rice flour should suffice
Next cover the bread basket with baking paper, aiming for a length that hangs over the sides. Use scissors to trim the sides into a circular shape. Allow dough to rest until it feels puffy but firm. If the rice flour has been absorbed, lightly dust the top again (prevents sticking during baking) and place the baking paper on top again
When the dough has reached the perfect feeling of perkiness, turn the pot upside down so it covers the bread basket. Drag the pot with the basket inside to the edge of your counter until you can place one hand completely underneath the bread basket and with the other you can hold the bottom of the Dutch oven, then flip. The pot should be on the counter the right way up with the basket sitting in the middle of the pot. Remove the basket and using your bread lame, knife or razor, score the bread. I often make a simple square shape, that is, I use the bread lame to cut four lines in the centre of the bread to make a square shape. Quickly place the lid on top of the pot and place in the oven for 30 minutes
After 30 minutes remove the lid, and bake the bread for a further 15 minutes
Remove the pot from the oven and when its warm enough to be handled, transfer the loaf to a wire rack to cool. Wait one hour total from taking the bread out of the oven, before cutting it to prevent damaging the crumb. After one hour slice your bread and serve with a generous amount of butter
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