I casually shared this recipe in an Instagram reel this week, and I am pleasantly surprised that so many people have liked and shared it! I've gotten a lot of questions this week about the details, but there really isn't a lot to say because it is so easy. Here, I will try to answer the most frequently asked questions and give some more detailed instructions while I sit in a very crowded airport and dread the possibility that my flight will be delayed. At least I can see the football game from here.
It's tempting to overthink this,, especially if you've baked a lot of bread in the past but you don't have to know anything about baking to make this.
Can I cut this recipe in half? Yes! Cut the measurements and the baking time in half or split it into two.
How long does it have to rise? You can throw everything in a bowl and come back up to two days later. It won't overproof. I don't know why, perhaps because there's no sugar/eggs in it, but I am definitely not a food scientist. I would give this recipe a minimum of 3 hours to rise because it's a large round, but you can put it in your oven on a proof setting or in a warm place and let it rise faster. It can go either fast or slow. It's just forgiving like that Do I have to use a dutch oven? I don't think it's essential., I've never made this particular recipe in a regular loaf pan. I don't see why you couldn't. But a dutch oven is better for this because you'll get the beautiful shape and the huge rise that way. Dutch ovens trap heat and facilitate the rise and thorough baking that regular pans don't. I'm not sure if. it will be the same. Can I use different or gluten free flour?
Ingredients:
6 cups of bread flour
2 packets of rapid-rise yeast
1 tablespoon of salt
3 cups of warm water (around 100 degrees)
Combine all of these ingredients in a very large bowl and stir it with a spoon until it forms a ball. Do not knead it! You don't need to and it will over-mix.
Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for at least 3 hours or up to 2 days.
When the dough has doubled in size, you can prepare to bake it. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and place your dutch oven inside the hot over to preheat for at least 30 minutes. Place your dough onto the counter with a little bit of flour and gently shape it into a ball. Don't bother kneading it, you don't need to. Place the ball onto a piece of parchment.
Take the hot dutch oven out of the oven and remove the lid. Put the parchment carrying your ball of dough into the dutch oven and cover it with the lid. Return it to the oven and bake for about an hour at 400 degrees.
After an hour, check the color of the crust and remove the lid. Bake for another 20 minutes uncovered to brown the top. Keep an eye on it and remove it when you're happy with the color. **Optional: Place a stainless steel bowl with water on the bottom rack of the oven. The water will steam and help produce a crispier crust. It's an old bakery trick, but it's not essential. Enjoy make it and of course, share it and tag me if you love it.
I have been meaning to thank you for this recipe. Something I seldom do. I have made this loaf 8-10 times. It always comes our perfect. I modified it to 1.5 tablespoons of salt and about 3/4 cup discard, as well as the yeast, just to give it a bit more tang. Once a week I take my starter out of the fridge, feed it, and use up the discard in this loaf. With such a huge loaf we then have great bread for a week.
Your list of ingredients does not list sugar, but your video mentions sugar but doesn't say how much? I combined all the ingredients listed and its rising in my counter right now. Will the bread come out okay?
A perfect loaf! I didn't have Rapid Rise, used original, Followed the recipe carefully. Everythng was excellent! A really nice loaf. Great crust. Easy peasy!! Thanks so much for sharing. This is a game changer.....Carefree bread=baking! These days it's even a a money-saver.
Hi. Can you cut a slit into the top before baking. Other dutch oven recipes call for it
Hi! I’ve made this bread from your recipe before and I absolutely loved it. So easy! It’s been a WHILE since I made it though and I have a question. I have halved the recipe and saw your note to cut the bake time down. Approximately how long do you recommend I bake it for? The dough is currently proving :) I can’t wait to have this with dinner!! (We’ll see if it makes it past that because it’s just too yummy haha)