Artisan Bread

I could quite literally cry over this recipe. After numerous failed sourdough starters and baking attempts, I came to the conclusion that maybe bread making wasn’t for me. That was until my friend suggested to try making artisan bread to which I can say is my new bestie. Not to mention it came out so crispy yet light and fluffy??? Obsessed is an understatement.

✽ 450 grams of bread flour
✽ 1 1/2 - 2 cups warm water
✽ 2 tsp active dry yeast
✽ 2 tsp salt

Mix together the flour, salt, and dry active yeast. Then, gradually mix in the water until you have a wet, tacky dough. I started with 1 1/2 cups of water and added a little at a time until it reached the right consistency.

Cover the dough with a towel and let it rise in a warm place for 2-3 hours, or until it doubles in size. During the last 30 minutes of rising, preheat your oven to 450°F with the dutch oven inside.

Once the dough has risen, dust your work surface with flour. Scrape the dough out of the bowl and onto the surface. Using your hands or a dough scraper, fold the dough 6-8 times inward to form a rough ball shape.

Transfer the dough to the preheated dutch oven using parchment paper, flipping it upside down. Once in the dutch oven, gently reshape it into a round shape. Don’t worry too much about the shape here—the more ridges, the crunchier the crust! Cover with the lid and bake for 30 minutes. Then, uncover and bake for another 14 minutes or until golden brown.

Let the bread cool for 25-30 minutes before slicing. Enjoy! 🤍