Crusty Homemade Bread Artisan Type Recipes

HOMEMADE ARTISAN BREAD (WITH OR WITHOUT DUTCH OVEN)

Steps:

• In a large un-greased mixing bowl, whisk the flour, yeast, and salt together. Pour in the cool water and gently mix together with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. The dough will seem dry and shaggy, but keep working it until all the flour is moistened. If needed, use your hands (as I do in the video tutorial above) to work the dough ingredients together. The dough will be sticky. Shape into a ball in the bowl as best you can.
• Cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and set on the counter at room temperature (honestly any normal room temperature is fine!). Allow to rise for 2-3 hours. The dough will just about double in size, stick to the sides of the bowl, and have a lot of air bubbles.
• You can continue with step 4 immediately, but for absolute best flavor and texture, I strongly recommend letting this risen dough rest in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours and up to 3 days. Place covered dough in the refrigerator for 12 hours - 3 days. I usually let it rest in the refrigerator for about 18 hours. The dough will puff up during this time, but may begin to deflate after 2 days. That's fine and normal- nothing to worry about.
• Lightly dust a large nonstick baking sheet (with or without rims and make sure it's nonstick) with flour and/or cornmeal. Turn the cold dough out onto a floured work surface. Using a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut dough in half. Some air bubbles will deflate as you work with it. Place dough halves on prepared baking sheet. Using floured hands, shape into 2 long loaves about 9×3 inches each (doesn't have to be exact) about 3 inches apart. Loosely cover and allow to rest for 45 minutes. You will bake the dough on this prepared baking sheet. See recipe note if you want to use a pizza stone.
• During this 45 minutes, preheat the oven to 475°F (246°C).
• When ready to bake, using a very sharp knife or bread lame (some even use kitchen shears), score the bread loaves with 3 slashes, about 1/2 inch deep. ("Score" = shallow cut.) If the shaped loaves flattened out during the 45 minutes, use floured hands to narrow them out along the sides again.
• Optional for a slightly crispier crust: After the oven is preheated and bread is scored, place a shallow metal or cast iron baking pan or skillet (I usually use a metal 9×13 baking pan) on the bottom oven rack. Carefully and quickly pour 3-4 cups of boiling water into it. Place the scored dough/baking pan on a higher rack and quickly shut the oven, trapping the steam inside. The steam helps create a crispier crust.
• Place the shaped and scored dough (on the flour/cornmeal dusted pan) in the preheated oven on the center rack. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Gently tap the loaves- if they sound hollow, the bread is done.
• Remove the bread from the oven and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes before slicing and serving. Store leftovers loosely covered at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.

CRUSTY HOMEMADE BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Using a rubber spatula, stir in 3-1/2 cups flour and salt to form a soft, sticky dough. Do not knead. Cover and let rise at room temperature 1 hour., Stir down dough (dough will be sticky). Turn onto a floured surface; with floured hands pat into a 9-in. square. Fold square into thirds, forming a 9x3-in. rectangle. Fold rectangle into thirds, forming a 3-in. square. Place in a large greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise at room temperature until almost doubled, about 1 hour., Punch down dough and repeat folding process. Return dough to bowl; refrigerate, covered, overnight., Grease the bottom of a disposable foil roasting pan with sides at least 4 in. high; dust pan with cornmeal. Turn dough onto a floured surface. Knead gently 6-8 times; shape into a 6-in. round loaf. Place into prepared pan; dust top with remaining 1 tablespoon flour. Cover pan and let rise at room temperature until dough expands to a 7-1/2-in. loaf, about 1-1/4 hours. , Preheat oven to 500°. Using a sharp knife, make a slash (1/4 in. deep) across top of loaf. Cover pan tightly with foil. Bake on lowest oven rack 25 minutes., Reduce oven setting to 450°. Remove foil; bake bread until deep golden brown, 25-30 minutes. Remove loaf to a wire rack to cool.

HOMEMADE CRUSTY ARTISAN BREAD

Steps:

• In large mixing bowl, combine flour, yeast, and sea salt. If you're making the Muesli variation, add the dried muesli in now with the other dry ingredients.
• In a glass bowl, combine water and honey. Stir well to combine.
• Pour water/honey mixture into dry ingredients and mix with wooden spoon. Once the mixture is combined, it will appear rough.
• Grease a large glass bowl with butter and set dough inside and cover with plastic wrap.
• Allow to rise overnight for at least 18 hours and up to 24 hours.
• Tear off sheet of parchment paper large enough to fit inside Dutch oven. Place the parchment paper on your work surface.
• Using lightly floured hands, form dough into a ball and place on piece of parchment paper large enough to fit into Dutch oven and come up the sides. It will be easier if you can do this on a cutting board or close to the oven. It will be transferred to a piping hot Dutch oven! Don't worry about the shape being perfect. Do you best to shape it into a round shape. It will bake and take shape and be beautiful.
• id="instruction-step-8">8. Let the dough rise for 30 minutes.
• id="instruction-step-9">9. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 450F. Check your parchment paper box for instructions about how hot the oven can be for cooking with the paper. If the temperature of your paper does not go to 450F, then use a 425F (assuming your paper goes to 425F, most will) and bake it for 40 minutes, then the additional 5 to 10 without the lid.
• id="instruction-step-10">10. Once the oven reaches 450F, place the empty Dutch oven into the 450F oven with the lid on and preheat it for 30 minutes.
• d="instruction-step-11">8. Place an empty cookie sheet on the bottom rack of the oven. This will prevent the bottom of the bread from over-browning.
• d="instruction-step-12">9. Carefully remove the very hot Dutch oven and place the dough inside. Cover with lid.
• d="instruction-step-13">9. Place another empty cookie sheet on the rack where the Dutch oven will be place. (again, to prevent over-browning). Set the Dutch oven on top of the cookie sheet.
• ="instruction-step-14">9. Bake covered in 450F oven for 30 minutes. Remove lid and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes.
• instruction-step-15">10. Move to a cooling rack.
• instruction-step-16">11. Cool for 30 minutes before slicing. It is important to let the bread sit for 30 minutes as it will continue to cook after you remove it from the oven. Makes 1 loaf. The best way to store artisan bread is to wrap it in a clean tea towel or paper bag.