Description
Mastering this artisan bread recipe brings rustic charm from European bakeries to home kitchens. Crusty exterior, tender crumb, and simple ingredients create a delightful loaf you’ll savor with every warm slice.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1.5 cups (355 ml) warm water at a temperature of 105°F
- 3 cups (395 g) all-purpose flour or bread flour
- ¼ oz (2 ¼ tsps) instant or active dry yeast packet
- ½ tbsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Preparation: Mix organic wheat flour, sea salt, and active dry yeast in a spacious mixing vessel, ensuring uniform ingredient distribution.
- Hydration: Pour lukewarm water (105°F) into dry mixture, creating a cohesive and soft dough that develops complex flavors during fermentation.
- Fermentation: Cover the bowl with a breathable towel, allowing dough to rest and expand at room temperature for 2-10 hours, developing rich flavor profiles.
- Shaping: Moisten hands and transfer dough to a floured surface, gently folding edges to create a rounded loaf with elegant diagonal surface incisions.
- Proofing: Let shaped dough rest on parchment paper for 25-35 minutes, enabling additional volume expansion and structural refinement.
- Preheating: Activate oven to 450°F, positioning a ceramic baking stone or cast-iron Dutch oven to generate an intense thermal environment.
- Baking: Transfer parchment-laden dough into preheated vessel, introducing moisture by dispersing ice cubes or hot water to enhance crust development.
- Monitoring: Rotate baking vessel midway to ensure uniform golden-brown coloration, baking for 25-30 minutes until bread produces a resonant hollow sound when tapped.
- Cooling: Remove bread and place on a cooling rack for 45 minutes, allowing complete temperature equilibration before slicing.
- Storage: Preserve remaining bread in a breathable paper container to maintain textural integrity and prevent premature staleness.
Notes
- Yeast Activation Tip: Ensure water temperature is precisely between 100-110°F to prevent yeast death or sluggish fermentation.
- Dough Hydration Secret: Slightly sticky dough indicates perfect moisture balance, crucial for developing complex bread texture.
- Proofing Precision: Room temperature around 70-75°F creates optimal fermentation conditions for maximum flavor development.
- Crust Enhancement Technique: Steam injection during first 10 minutes of baking guarantees crispy, professional-grade exterior with beautiful golden-brown coloration.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: European
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 13
- Calories: 97
- Sugar: 0.2 g
- Sodium: 145 mg
- Fat: 0.4 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0.3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 0.8 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg