Crusty Bread

I have never made bread from scratch. That is my confession for the day.

I have toyed with the idea of making bread but, I have never really had that "I need to make bread today" feeling. Bread and I (and M.) have a love/ hate relationship. It's not a staple in our home because it doesn't last very long. Also, when we want bread we can't eat rye, spelt or multigrain bread because when we crave or want bread it must be french bread preferably freshly baked from the local bakery. We become bread snobs.

This all changed when one day when my friends on Facebook were sharing a "crusty bread" recipe and  I noticed that people kept boasting about how easy it was and about all the different varieties they were going to try to make. The recipe is also vegan friendly! When I saw these Facebook posts during the cold spell we were having in December/ early January that is when I proudly yelled in my kitchen, "I am going to be making bread today!" M. was very excited.

Don't you love it when you decide to make a recipe and you want to make it ASAP but then realize that you are missing 70% of the ingredients especially after you just went grocery shopping? Nothing can be more frustrating. It can also not be pleasant for your partner when you ask them to pick up the ingredients on their way home from work.

M. "You need me to buy salt? Why? We have 7 different kinds of salt in the cupboards!"
Me- "But the recipe calls for KOSHER salt, not sea salt or himalayan pink sea salt but KOSHER salt."
M. "Will it really make a difference?"
Me- "In my mind it does."
M. "Kosher salt it is"

Gorgeous!

It was a welcome addition to the white bean stew we were having that evening. You can find the stew recipe on a previous post here.

A great midnight snack as well. 

Crusty Bread 

From Simply so Good

3 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 3/4 teaspoons of KOSHER salt

1/2 teaspoon Instant or Rapid-rise yeast

1 1/2 cups water

You will need at least a 5.5 quart cast iron pot

• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt and yeast.
• Add water and mix until a shaggy mixture forms.  
• Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for 12 - 18 hours. 
• Heat oven to 450 degrees.  When the oven has reached 450 degrees place a cast iron pot with a lid in the oven and heat the pot for 30 minutes.  
• Meanwhile, pour dough onto a heavily floured surface and shape into a ball.  Cover with plastic wrap and let set while the pot is heating.  
• Remove hot pot from the oven and drop in the dough.  
• Cover and return to oven for 30 minutes.  
• After 30 minutes remove the lid and bake an additional 15 minutes.  
• Remove bread from oven and place on a cooling rack to cool.  

There are many varieties of this bread that you can try. Next time I will try a roasted red pepper and feta!