4 Ingredient Crusty Bread

Do you make your own bread??

For years I've told myself that I was not good at baking bread.  I somehow decided that it wasn't worth my time to figure out and that I just wasn't a bread baker.  Have you ever done that with something?  Talked yourself out of it before you'd even had a chance to try it??

2020 has given us all some extra time at home and I'm happy to report that in 2020 I've become a bread maker!

I told you about my adventures in sourdough bread making back in January.  It's going great.  I usually end up making bread/cinnamon rolls 3 times a month.  It's been really fun to share bread with others.

Olive requested that I learn how to make delicious crusty bread.  Our whole family loves it so I figured it would be a fun skill to have.  I asked around for a recipe recommendation.  One friend gave me this recipe and she said, "It's so easy.  You really can't mess it up.  The only tricky part is that you have to remember to do it the night before because it needs to rise for 12-18 hours."

I'd had the recipe for months and finally got around to trying it out last week.

Friends - it turned out SO GOOD that I made it two times last week!!  

After making this bread many times, I realize that I prefer not to butter the outside.

 

I was really proud of my first loaf of crusty bread.  My family gave it rave reviews and requested it every night for dinner.  The kids said it was the best thing I had ever baked for them - ha!

 

Here is the link to the original recipe & directions: Budget Bytes: No Knead Bread

Ingredients:

1/4 t instant yeast

1/2 t salt

3 c flour

1 1/2 c warm water

Butter for topping (optional)

 

Directions:

Mix ingredients until well combined.

Let it rise/rest for 12-18 hours.

*I've been stirring it up before I go to bed, letting it rise 18 hours and then baking it for dinner the following night.

Shape dough into a ball with a little extra flour on parchment paper and let rise for 30-60 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425 and let your dutch oven heat up along with the oven.

Remove hot dutch oven and place your bread (on parchment paper) into your dutch oven.  Top with the lid and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove hot lid and let it bake another 10 minutes.  Add some butter to the top when it's still warm.

That's it! 

Let cool, slice and serve.  It's best fresh out of the oven or shortly there after.

Would your family enjoy some crusty bread??

If you don't have a dutch oven, I'd highly recommend this one.  It's more budget friendly than most and I think it's going to be perfect for bread, soup, roasts, etc once the weather gets cold!  There are so many pretty color options.  I ordered the Oyster White.  Here's my Amazon affiliate link to it: