Hi Everyone! I hope you are all having a good week so far! My week unfortunately went from bad to worse when the cold I caught this weekend turned into a nasty sinus infection, forcing me to spend most of the week sitting on the couch coughing and sneezing. At this point I think I’m going to start buying some stock in Kleenex, Ricola cough drops and Twinings peppermint tea! I don’t know about you, but whenever I’m sick, all I want to eat is cozy comfort food. I’m convinced that a bowl of steaming hot chicken noodle soup or some freshly baked bread will go a long way in helping you get better! One of my friends, however, has decided to make some grim jokes about it. Though I appreciate her trying to be sensible with the final expense insurance she mentioned, I don’t think I’m at death’s door from this! Still, it is worth considering for the future. Right now though, I just want to be cozy. And so, I made this Easy Homemade Artisan Bread a couple of days ago, and couldn’t believe how good it was and how incredibly easy it was to make! The bread is so soft on the inside with a wonderful crust on the outside, and looks and tastes like it came from your favorite bakery! All you need to do is mix a couple of ingredients in the evening, let the dough sit overnight and bake it off in the morning, and you have a beautiful loaf of fresh bread perfect to eat with a hearty fall soup or a delicious salad. Or, and this is the best way to eat it, still warm with a (thick!) spread of butter!
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EASY HOMEMADE ARTISAN BREAD
(Recipe from The Baker Chick)
*Makes 1 loaf*
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YOU WILL NEED
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp dry yeast
1 – 2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
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DIRECTIONS
1. Using a wooden spoon, stir together the flour, salt and yeast in a large bowl (adjust the salt according to how salty you like your bread). Add the water and mix the ingredients until you have a very wet dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put a kitchen cloth over it and let it sit in a warm place for several hours (I let mine sit overnight, for 12 hours. The original recipe says to let it sit for 8 – 18 hours).
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2. Once the dough is done rising, it should be very wet and bubbly. Turn it out onto a floured surface (it will be very wet and you will need quite a bit of flour) and shape it into a ball. Let it sit covered while you preheat your oven to 450 deg F. Prepare your Dutch oven by placing it in the oven while it is preheating, and cut out a circle out of parchment paper to line the bottom of the pot.
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3. Once the oven is done preheating, place the parchment paper on the bottom of your pot and carefully place the dough ball in it. Bake covered for 30 minutes, then take the lid off and bake uncovered for about 15 – 20 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. Let sit for at least 10 minutes before slicing.
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Happy Baking, Everyone!
Awww, I hope you feel better soon! Being sick just sucks. On the bright side, there is tea, this bread and maybe some TV??
Thank you so much! And you are right, at least being sick means getting to catch up on favorite tv shows! 🙂
Looks delicious! Hope you feel better soon – being sick is no fun 🙁
Thank you so much, Laura!
Im sorry you werent feeling well. Thats never fun! I bet the bread helped make you feel better though! A good comfort food always helps 🙂
Thanks so much, Kelley! You’re right, comfort food always helps when being sick 🙂 Thanks for stopping by! Have a great rest of your week! 🙂
Hope you’re feeling better now. Warm fresh bread is definately one of the best comfort foods! x
What Sarah Says
Thanks so much!
easy is definitely good! thanks for posting at the Show stopper link party http://willcookforsmiles.com/2013/09/show-stopper-saturday-link-party-apple-features.html. Deb@ Kneaded Creations
Thanks so much!
I love this bread.
It’s one of my favorites! So easy to make and so good! Thanks for stopping by!
I just booked marked this recipe it looks so simple I can’t wait to try it.
I hope you love this bread, Shawna! It really is super easy to make and is so good! Especially fresh out of the oven! 🙂 Thanks for stopping by, have a great day!
This bread is gorgeous!! I can’t wait to try it! It looks addicting, hope you’re feeling better soon!
Thanks so much! This bread really is addicting… one slice just isn’t enough! 🙂 I hope you love it! Thanks for stopping by, have a great day!
Don’t worry! I’m sick too! But this bread and some of your cheez-its are going to cure me! 🙂
I hope you feel better too! I hope you enjoy the bread and the Cheez-Its 🙂 Thanks for stopping by, hope you have a great day! 🙂
Looks great!
Thanks, Diana!
Hope you feel better soon.
One question though. Don’t you need sugar to start the yeast?
Thanks so much! And that’s what I thought too at first.. wouldn’t you need sugar to activate the yeast? But it rises perfectly without it, I don’t understand the chemical processes of it, but it works and tastes delicious! 🙂 Hope you love this bread! Thanks for stopping by, have a great day! 🙂
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I think the reason this rises without sugar is the exceptionally long rise time. Most breads rise for an hour or two, but this one rises for 8-18 hours. Sugar makes the yeast work faster. I can’t wait to try this!
I love a good loaf of bread. Thanks for the detailed instructions, I need them!
I love a good loaf of bread too! Especially fresh out of the oven… there’s just nothing like it! Hope you enjoy this bread, it’s so easy to make and so good! Thanks for stopping by! Have a great day!
I love bread~ Looks delicious…I agree, nothing better than a warm slice of bread fresh out of the oven.. except maybe the melting butter:)Thanks for sharing at Tasty Tuesday! Lynn @ Turnips 2 Tangerines
Thanks so much, Lynn!
seriously, baking bread is one of my all time favorite things to do, what a gorgeous loaf
Thanks so much, Heather!
I love this recipe and I make it all the time! Nothing better then fresh bread
I agree… there’s nothing better than fresh bread! And isn’t this recipe the best!? So easy and so good! Hope you have a great week!
I totally know how you feel. I was sick last week with the same thing… just gotta ride it out!
This is such beautiful bread!! Looks better than what I buy at the farmers market! Thank you for linking up to Wake Up Wednesdays! Pinned!!
Thank you so much!
Oh it looks and sounds so yummy! I found your post on Super Saturday Show and Tell, thanks so much for linking up! I do not have a dutch oven, is there something else I can use to make this?
Hi Cheryl! You could definitely make this bread in just a large casserole dish, I’ve done that before and it worked just fine! Let the casserole dish warm up while the oven preheats just as you would let the Dutch Oven warm up. It’s worked for me fine before, so I don’t think you should have any problems with it! Hope you love the bread! Have a great week! 🙂
If you use the casserole dish do you need to cover the bread with something while baking? Thanks for your replies! I drooled a little at the sight of your bread. 🙂
Yes, use a casserole dish with a lid and just bake the bread the same way as if you were using the Dutch oven. Hope you enjoy it, it’s delicious! Have a great weekend!
Can you make this in a crockpot? I don’t have a Dutch oven
I’ve been in hospital for the past 5 days and have been avoiding Pinterest like the plague as I’ve been on a fast. I am goin home today and will celebrate my homecoming by baking this bread. It looks divine!
I hope you have a wonderful homecoming from the hospital and that you enjoy this bread! Happy New Year to you!
I made these today as I’ve been wanting to make a couple soups and wanted crusty bread to go with them (french onion, roasted tomato…mmmm…) Everything went great and they turned out REALLY well! I split the dough into two small boules because my larger pot has rubber handles and I had two Corningware dishes I could use instead. Those were fine and I didn’t have to mess with the parchment because they’re glass.
One question, how much bench flour did you use after turning out the dough? I used probably another cup or more and they were still pretty sticky going into the oven. I had to get enough in for them to hold a shape. They turned out good (nice crust, tender middle) I’m just wondering. I’m in a dry area and usually need MORE liquid to make things right, rather than less.
Also, have you tried this with any variations? Partial wheat flour, roasted garlic cloves, herbs?
That sounds wonderful, Amanda! I usually just make the bread plain, but I’ve been wanting to use some seeds and herbs, so I’ll have to give that a try next time! Also, I used a little bit of flour after turning out the dough, not too too much, just enough for it to form a shape. The dough is SUPER sticky though, so however much flour you need to use is fine, I think!
This is the best bread ever I make a loaf ever other day So easy and wonderful
It really is so easy and so delicious!
Do you have to have a Dutch oven? I don’t own one and I want to make this bread…is there any way to make it without one?
Hi Brenna! I’ve actually made this in a large round casserole dish with a glass lid before, and it worked just fine for me! Hope it works for you!
Did you use instant yeast or regular dry yeast.?
Hi Natalie! I use the regular dry yeast. Hope you enjoy the bread!
I found your recipe last night on Pinterest and started the process at 1:30 a.m. because I wanted bread by midmorning. This was so easy to do and it looks beautiful. It is in the cool down stage, so cant wait to slice and eat it. Thank you for a great blog and a recipe that gave me a professional looking loaf of bread.
I hope it’s delicious, Marilynn! Thanks so much for stopping by to tell me 🙂 Hope you have a wonderful week!
Absolutely the best bread I have eaten for a long time and the recipe is so easy to make. When I form the bread in a ball I put it on the parchment paper and then when the pan is hot enough I just lift the parchment paper with the dough on it and lay it in the pan. Works great for me. Love, love, love this recipe.
I’m glad you like the bread too, Dorothy! I love this recipe, so easy to make and the bread always turns out delicious! Thanks so much for stopping by! Hope you have a good rest of your week!
How big should the Dutch oven I be? I have a 3 qt. one. Will that work?
Hi Chris! That should work, I think. Hope the bread turns out great!
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