Your Everyday Bread Loaf

Bread is one of my absolute favorite things to make because it is so versatile. You can add herbs or spices, make it sweet or savory, add a filling to make a stuffed loaf, or keep it a simple loaf perfect for a smear of butter when it’s hot out of the oven. I have searched and searched for the one bread recipe that I can do every time and have it, without fail, be almost perfect every time. I think I have found my golden recipe! I had seen a lot of different variations of a Dutch-Oven bread loaf and decided to give it a try with a few of my own tricks.

 

You start this bread recipe by adding in all of the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl. This is absolutely fantastic because it doesn’t take up a lot of counter space or dirty up a bunch of bowls. Once all of the dry ingredients are combined, add in the very warm water, mixing with a wooden spoon until combined.

On a lightly floured surface, gently knead dough until smooth, about 2 minutes. Be careful not to over work the dough. This can cause the bread to be dense and flat. Let the bread rise in a warm environment for 3 hours.

Place your risen bread again on a clean surface and knead about 10-12 times. Shape dough into a round, place on parchment paper and cover for about a half an hour.

 

Preheat your oven to 425degrees with your Dutch oven. After letting the dough rest, place the dough that is still on the parchment paper in your Dutch oven and cook while covered for 30 minutes. The covered pot that is containing your dough is trapping condensation coming off of the bread and making the environment very damp. This creates an amazingly crispy crust while maintaining a moist center.

Once your bread has baked for 30 minutes, take the container out of the oven and remove the parchment paper and cook uncovered for an additional 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack and serve.

This bread will keep for up to 3 days on the counter at room temp or 4-5 covered in the refrigerator.

Some variations I have tried are:

*Olive Oil and Rosemary – add 1 tablespoon of finely minced fresh rosemary in with the dry ingredients, brush the top of the dough with olive oil, and sprinkle with flaky sea salt.

*Fennel Seed – grind 2 teaspoons of fennel seeds until fragrant and add to the dry ingredients. For this one, I brushed egg wash on top of the dough before baking and sprinkled flaky sea salt on top.

*Basil and Sundried Tomato – add in 1 handful of minced, fresh basil (or 1 tablespoon dried) and ¼ cup minced sundried tomatoes. This bread pairs wonderfully with olive oil and freshly ground black pepper 

 

*Cinnamon swirl - after kneading the dough for the second time, roll out the dough till its 1/4" thick. Brush with melted butter and spread 1/2 cup of cinnamon sugar over the dough. Roll the dough lengthwise and cut in half starting 1/2 inch away from the edge. expose the layers and twist into a knot. Continue baking as instructed.

I hope you enjoy this bread recipe as much as I do!

 

Recipe:

3 cups of bread flour

¼ teaspoon of instant yeast
1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
1 ½ cups very warm water

 

Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add water and stir with wooden spoon till incorporated. On a lightly floured surface, gently knead the dough for 2 to 3 minutes until smoot. Cover and prove for 3 hours in a warm environment. Place on a clean surface and gently knead for 1 minute. Form the dough into a round and place on a piece of parchment paper. Cover for another 30 minutes. Preheat your oven to 425 with your dutch oven. Place dough with parchment paper in the dutch oven and bake, covered, for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and the parchment paper and continue to bake uncovered for another 10 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool slightly and serve, or cool completely on a wire rack and store in an airtight container for 3-5 days.