tried and true.

This week instead of a main dish I made some artisan bread. 3 ingredients is all it takes. Super easy to make, you just have to plan and prepare ahead of time to have it. My grandma found the recipe and I can't wait to do some variations...think garlic and rosemary or white chocolate and pecans. Matt and I both give it a 5/5.

Crusty Bread

In a large bowl, mix 3 cups of white unbleached flour. To the flour, add 1 3/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of rapid rise or instant yeast. Mix together and add 1 1/2 cups of water. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it set for 12-18 hours on the counter top. Do not refrigerate. Dough will rise and be super sticky.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. As soon as it has heated place your pot with the lid in the oven and pre-heat for 30 minutes. 

Right after you put the pot in the oven, dump the dough onto a heavily floured surface. Shape dough into a round ball. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 30 minutes.

Remove pot from oven and carefully pick up dough and drop it in the pot. Put the lid on and put it in the oven for 30 minutes. Then remove the lid and bake for another 15 minutes.

Cool bread completely on a cooling rack.

*MY NOTES: I didn't have instant yeast so I had to activate my yeast beforehand. Just add the yeast to a 1/4 c. of warm water. Let sit and then add to flour/salt mixture. I set my oven to 425 because my fire alarm goes off every time and I am not tall enough to wave a towel high enough to cool it and Matt wasn't home so I didn't want to deal with it. Because of that the center was very slightly doughy so next time I will bake it at the right temp and when Matt is home. Also make sure you have a serrated knife to cut it. I don't so my slices weren't the best. Enjoy!