My life has been changed by this amazing bread recipe. I have been mind blown by the easiness of this recipe and the deliciousness of the end result. I am sure my domestic goddessness has risen at least 10 points! I found this recipe on the blog simply so good called crusty bread, however I believe the original recipe was presented by Jim Lahey in the New York Times found here. This bread has so many possibilities, so I will show you my first attempts at making the best home made bread ever!
This loaf was my second attempt at this bread. The first loaf I made plain, but this one I added a little excitement.
This recipe is super simple:
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt (the original recipe calls for 1 3/4 teaspoons salt, I found this made the bread too salty)
- 1/2 teaspoon yeast
- 1 1/2 cups water (adjust as needed, I had to use an additional splash to make it all moist)
THAT’S IT!
To make more exciting bread you can use your imagination to make any flavor combination. For my second loaf I added 3/4 cup shredded old cheddar cheese and a jalapeno! YUM!
Now for the method. I forgot to take pictures of the first few steps but they are super easy to understand.
Step 1: Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl, then add the water and other flavorings as you wish. mix this all together until everything is moist. You may need to add a little extra water to make sure there is no dryness.
Step 2: Then cover the bowl with saran-wrap and let sit for at least 12-18 hours. I just make thedough before bed and bake it the next day. Your dough will double in size!
Step 3: Remove the dough from the bowl and use a heavily floured surface to shape the dough into a ball.
Step 4: Then use the plastic wrap from the bowl to cover the dough while you wait for the oven to preheat. The dough should rest for about a half hour while you preheat the oven to 450 degrees and heat your heat safe pot. I used this pot (I don’t know what it is called) but you can use a cast iron pot, which I wish I had, or anything pot with a lid works that can take the heat. The pot needs to be very very hot before you add the dough!
Step 5: Be careful and drop your dough into your pot. cover with the lid and put in the oven for 30 mins.
Step 6: Remove the lid and bake for another 15 mins
Step 7: Remove the amazing bread and let cool! So exciting!!
And this is what you can make. So easy and so YUMMY!
Slice the bread and see how moist the bread is. It is perfect!
This is the only picture I had of the first plain loaf. It was amazing. This will defiantly be a staple in our house.
Let me know what flavor combinations you come up with.
I hope you have as much of a great time making this bread as I did. Have fun creating!
XO JCL
5 from 2 votes
Just 4 ingredients to make the Easiest Best Bread Ever! Experiment with different favors. Let it sit over night and bake it in the morning. You may need to make one everyday as this bread very rarely lasts longer than a day in our house. It's just that delicious! BEWARE!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Ingredients
- 3cupsAll Purpose White FlowerUnbleached
- 1teaspoonSalt
- 1/2teaspoon YeastActive Dry Yeast
- 1 1/2 cupsWaterAdd a bit more if our dough seems a little to dry
Optional Flavors: I tried Jalapeno and Cheddar. See comment section of this post for more flavor ideas!
Instructions
Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl, then add the water and other flavorings as you wish. mix this all together untill everything is moist. You may need to add a little extra water to make sure there is no dryness.
Then cover the bowl with saran-wrap and let sit for at least 12- 18 hours. I just make thedough before bed and bake it the next day. Your dough will double in size!
Remove the dough from the bowl and use a heavily floured surface to shape the dough into a ball.
Then use the plastic wrap from the bowl to cover the dough while you wait for the oven to preheat. The dough should rest for about a half hour while you preheat the oven to 450 degrees and heat your heat safe pot. The pot needs to be very very hot before you add the dough!
Be careful and drop your dough into your pot. Cover with the lid and put in the oven for 30 mins.
Remove the lid and bake for another 15 mins.
Remove the amazing bread and let cool! So exciting!!
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