After baking this easy homemade bread recipe several times during quarantine, I finally perfected it! There’s something therapeutic and so rewarding about making bread from scratch. You’ll likely have to make this recipe a few times to get it perfect as it depends on a few different factors like humidity and temperature in your house and where you live. Even with that said, the first loaf I baked tasted delicious! It just took me a few tries to get it to look pretty AND taste delicious. 🙂
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Ingredients
1 packet active dry yeast (~2 tsp)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1.25 cups warm water (pop in microwave)
3 cups all-purpose flour (may need more or less)
Directions
- Combine yeast, salt, sugar, and warm water in a mixing bowl and let sit for 5 minutes. I use my KitchenAid mixer for the entire process, but you could also do by hand.
- I use the bread hook that comes with the KitchenAid mixer. You can also do by hand … Add flour little by little until the dough becomes a dry dough ball. You don’t want it to be wet or sticky. This is where trial and error comes in. I usually have to use around 3 cups of flour to get the right consistency.
- Form the dough into a ball and coat all sides with a light dusting of flour. Make sure the dough isn’t sticking to the bowl. Cover with a dishtowel and let sit at room temperature or a warm place for 1 hour. If it’s warm outside, I like to pop my bowl outside for the hour. The warm air will help the dough to rise more.
- After the hour is up, your dough should have almost doubled in size. Flour your hands and shape the dough into a ball (it’s probably already in this shape). Ensure all sides are lightly coated with flour. Remove the dough from that bowl and place in another mixing bowl. Cover and let rise for another 30 minutes. While this is happening, move onto the next step right away.
- Pre-heat your oven to 460 degrees and immediately put your dutch oven inside your oven with the lid on. Right when you hit the button to start the pre-heat (don’t wait until the oven is pre-heated). I use my Le Cruseut 7.25 qt Dutch Oven (on sale!).
- When the 30 minutes is up and your oven is pre-heated, use oven mitts to remove the dutch oven (it’s HOT). Carefully remove the lid and place your dough ball inside. Put the lid back on the dutch oven and place it in the oven (with mitts, still hot!). Bake for 25 minutes.
- Carefully remove the dutch oven from your oven and remove the beautifully baked bread from the dutch oven. Place the bread on either a cooling rack or wooden cutting board (I use this one).
- Let cool a few minutes and enjoy!
- For storing, I use Bee’s Wrap. A sustainable and reusable food storage solution (replaces plastic wrap).
*Note: I know some of these ingredients might be hard to find during quarantine. Check with your local bakeries and restaurants – lots are selling these dry goods – yeast, flour, sugar, and salt!
Need more recipe inspiration, check out mine here!
Honestly, looks SO delicious! I think I need to try this!
Dana | The Champagne EditÂ