Crusty Rustic Artisan Bread (Print version)
Rustic artisan bread with golden crackling crust and chewy airy interior.
# What you'll need:
→ Dough
01 - 3 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
03 - 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
04 - 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
# How to make it:
01 - In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, and instant yeast. Stir until thoroughly blended.
02 - Add lukewarm water and mix with a spatula or wooden spoon until a shaggy, sticky dough forms.
03 - Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean towel. Let rest at room temperature (70°F) for 12–18 hours until dough is bubbly and doubled in size.
04 - Lightly flour a work surface. Turn out the dough and gently shape into a round ball without degassing.
05 - Place dough on parchment paper, cover loosely with a towel, and let rise for 30–45 minutes.
06 - Place a Dutch oven or heavy lidded pot in the oven and preheat to 450°F for at least 30 minutes.
07 - Remove hot pot from oven. Carefully lift dough with parchment paper and lower into the pot. Cover with lid.
08 - Bake covered for 30 minutes to create steam and develop crust.
09 - Remove lid and bake for another 10–15 minutes until crust is deep golden brown.
10 - Remove bread from pot and cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
# Expert suggestions:
01 -
- The crust creates that incredible crackling sound when you cut into it, like music from a proper European bakery
- You literally cannot mess this up even if you have zero bread making experience
02 -
- The dough will feel incredibly sticky and impossible to handle, and you must resist adding more flour or you will lose the airy interior
- Letting the bread cool completely before slicing seems impossible but cutting it warm will give you a gummy texture
03 -
- Use a kitchen scale if you have one because flour measurements can vary wildly depending on how you scoop
- The parchment paper trick saves you from burning your hands when transferring dough to a blazing hot pot