I love Bread, bread for me is the most important thing ever, I can eat it just plain, with cheese, with butter, with Nutella, give me a slice of bread and I’m a happy camper. One draw back… it has to be delicious and fresh!! Or I will not eat it. I know, I’m a bit spoiled. Growing up in Germany we always had delicious fresh bread, day in day out and I was determined to one day make my own bread, too. Well, life got in the way, kids keep me busy and of course I work and blog as well… But I found an amazing Pinterest Pin a few weeks ago and it was too good to be true. So I decided I would try it, what would I have to loose.

All you need to start the Crusty bread is:

• 3 cups unbleached all purpose flour
• 1 3/4 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon yeast
• 1 1/2 cups water
• Dutch Oven or cast iron pot with a lid

This is how to make it

Step 1
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.  Overnight works great.

Step 2
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.

The best part, very little kneading involved; all is done in one bowl till the dough is ready to be “Fluffed” and placed into the “Dutch Oven”…. that’s it!!!

Additional info: You can mix into the dough cheese and herbs or even fruit to make it a different bread each time; just make sure you mix your “flavor” of choice along with the dough and let it sit for an even better flavor combination; no oil or grease needed!!

Check out what the end result will look like… it will make you look like you slaved in the kitchen for amazing, HOT and Fresh Artesian bread for days…. and it is delicious. My kids LOVED it and we are experimenting with different flavor all the time; can’t beat the price of this bread either… No store can compare….We would love to hear from you how you enjoyed it or what your experience was….

I found this amazing recipe over at Simply So Good and had to try it.. it works perfect even on the first try :0).

Tagged as: baking, Bread, recipe