Simple Life = Simple Ingredients

This is the very first recipe that got me into homemade bread many years ago. Now, I bake exclusively with sourdough starter as my leaven. However, sometimes a simple yeast loaf is less intimidating for beginners or if time is of the essence.

This loaf costs essentially less than a dollar to make and has only 5 ingredients! Real bread is flour, salt, water, leaven, and maybe a little bit of sugar or oil. No additives or preservatives here! We’re getting back to the basics, because simple living means simple ingredients.

This recipe yields 1 loaf. Let’s dive in!

WHAT YOU NEED:

2 1/4 teaspoons of non-GMO active yeast
1 teaspoon of cane sugar
1 1/4 cups of warm filtered water (between 100 and 110℉)
1 1/2 teaspoons of sea salt
3-4 cups of organic unbleached, unbromated all-purpose flour
Stand mixer
Dutch oven

STEP 1

Combine the yeast, sugar, and warm water in a mixing bowl and let the yeast proof for about 5 minutes, or until it's foamy. Ideally you want the water to be between 100 and 110°F. Any colder and the yeast won't foam, any hotter and the yeast will be rendered useless.

STEP 2

If you are using a stand mixer, attach the bowl at this time. Or grab a Danish Dough Hook to help along the mixing process by hand. Once the yeast mixture is foamy, add in the salt and slowly incorporate the flour while mixing. When it comes to making bread, the dough may be too sticky or too dry depending on various factors like the humidity and the temperature. You may have to add more or less flour depending, so start with less and add more as needed. The dough should be elastic-like, but not sticky. (Don't worry if you are unsure at first. Practice makes perfect when it comes to the art of bread making. After time, you will come to discover what the perfect dough consistency is.)

STEP 3

Once the dough is mixed and smooth, form into a ball and lightly coat with flour. Place the ball of dough seam side down into a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a damp tea towel or plate and let it rise in a warm place. Let the dough rise for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.

STEP 4

After the dough is doubled in size, gently tip dough out of the bowl onto a clean, floured surface. Gently stretch the dough into a rectangle and fold the edges over. Build some tension in the dough by pushing it away and back towards you on the counter. Check out this video for a visual of the technique.

STEP 5

Place the dough seam-side up into a floured proofing basket (or towel-lined bowl) and let it rise for about 30 minutes. During this time, place your dutch oven in the oven and preheat it to 450°F. (If you don't have a dutch oven, an oven-safe stainless steel pot with a lid works great as well)

STEP 6

When the loaf has doubled and the oven is preheated, tip the dough onto a piece of parchment paper so the seam side is on the bottom. Coat with flour and score as desired. Learn more about scoring bread and how to do it here.

STEP 7

Gently lift the parchment to place the loaf into the dutch oven and cover with the lid.

STEP 8

Bake for 30 minutes with the lid on. This creates a steamy environment for the bread which will give it its delicious crusty crust. After the 30 minutes, remove the lid and cook 15-20 minutes more until the crust is a deepened brown.

STEP 9

Remove the bread from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack. Allow it to cool for at least an hour before diving in. This is such an important step, as bread continues to bake once it is removed from the oven and will ensure the best crumb if cooled completely.

STEP 10

Enjoy!

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