Round Crusty Bread
Ingredients
- 3 Cups of Flour AP or Bread
- 1 Teaspoon Yeast rapid rise or bread machine
- A teaspoon of salt
- 1 1/2 C of 130°F Water (this is the temperature of water run from the faucet.
- A 1 Tablespoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/4 Extra Flour (for coating counter and rounding out bread.
- Parchment paper optional
- Dutch Oven or Large Pyrex Glass Bowl
- Plastic Wrap
- Oven Mitts
Instructions
- Start by pulling all of your ingredients onto your countertop.
- I always sift my flour ahead (I should show you on the video and I often forget, sorry), so sift your flour and set it aside.
- Next, In a large mixing bowl, place flour, yeast, and then salt very opposite the yeast (you don't want them touching.
- Now, mix that dry ingredients mixture.
- Next, add in the water, and the olive oil.
- Mix, until then it all comes together and the dough is pulled from the sides.
- At this point, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow it to rest on the countertop (not in the heated area) for 2 hours.
- Once the dough has doubled in size (at the end of 2 hours) you will begin to work with it.
- Dump the dough onto a floured workspace.
- Pulling it up and pulling it over itself (either your hands or a dough scraper) tuck and pull to stretch that dough and work it into a nice ball.
- TIP: IF the dough is sticking to your hands keep the tips covered in flour.
- Continue to pull the dough from below to the top and when you get the good size ball, place it on a piece of parchment paper and back into the bowl.
- Cover it with a dough towel (flour sack towel) and let it rest.
- Now it's time to preheat the oven to 450° F and at the same time, place your dutch oven with a lid (mine is5 quarts I believe) covered and into the oven.
- While the oven warms, so will your dutch oven and that is what you need to happen.
- If you are using a pyrex bowl you will not be preheating that as it does not retain the heat the same way that the dutch oven does, but it will provide a nice loaf of ROUND bread!
- Once the oven has fully come to temperature, remove the dutch oven (taking care not to burn yourself, using mitts as it will be HOT). Remove the lid and set it aside.
- If you are not using parchment paper as a liner, then place a small dash of olive oil in the bottom of the dutch oven is a good idea, about 1 tablespoon is plenty. (omit this step if you are using parchment paper)
- Next, uncover the resting dough and rip the bread with a sharp knife (see my video example), mist with water (optional) and then place it inside the heated dutch oven.
- COVER the dutch oven with lid.
- Bake at 450°F with the lid on for 20 Minutes.
- At the 20 minute marker, remove the lid, turn the heat down to 375°F and remove (carefully to not get burned) the parchment paper and then bake for an additional 15 minutes until the top is golden brown.
- Remove, rest for at least 15 minutes, then serve warm!
- Enjoy! Dana XO
Video
Notes
Make sure your OVEN Is preheated before placing the bread in the oven to bake.
Failure to preheat an oven to the appropriate temperature will set you up for failure and undermine your baking attempt.
If you don't have a dough scraper use your hand and a plastic spatula.
Parchment paper is not required you could also use a floured dough towel.
**If you are using a large pyrex glass dish, you will bake the dough UNDER The dish for the first part of the baking and then remove it for the last part of baking, just as you would with the dutch oven.