This easy crusty bread is soft on the inside and crusty on the outside. It serves well with a bowl of soup or with a delicious bowl of soup and it is fantastic with a bowl of fine olive oil and balsamic vinegar with salt and fresh ground pepper to dip the bread in.
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Making An Easy Crusty Bread Recipe
Going out to your favorite bakery or restaurant the crusty bread really seems to make the meal for me. When they bring out that heavenly loaf of crusty goodness my heart fairly swoons. Bread lovers know what I mean, right? I was always sort of intimidated by these crusty loaves of bread for some reason. I started making sweet bread first, then just general loaves. But this one is a no fear variety of bread. Jump on in and try this easy crusty bread recipe today.
What To Use This Easy Crusty Bread For
This bread is delicious and would be perfect to go with a yummy Caesar salad, your favorite soup, sliced to your liking, and make a cold cut sandwich, grilled cheese, or just serve it with your dinner with some soft butter. If you don’t eat it fast enough and it goes a little stale, this will taste wonderful as breadcrumbs for cooking or croutons for your salad or make them for your favorite dressing recipe to have with your dinner.
What you will need to make this crusty bread recipe
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Baking stone, cast-iron skillet, or baking sheet
- Apron
- Mixing bowl
- Oven Mitts
- Large mixing spoon
- Small saucepan
- A stand mixer (optional)
- Spatula
- Plastic wrap
- Metal rack for cooling the bread
- Bread Bag
- Bread Slicer
- Bread knife
Easy Crusty Bread Recipe
- 2 3/4 cups of unbleached flour plus flour for the counter
- 1/2 teaspoon of active dry yeast
- 1 Tablespoon of sugar
- 1 teaspoon pink Himalayan or gray sea salt
- 2 Tablespoons of good olive oil – extra oil for the bowl
- 1 and 1/8 cup of warmed water for a really crusty loaf or 1 and 1/8 cups of milk warmed for a softer loaf
- Cornmeal for dusting the pan
Directions For Easy Crusty Bread:
Pour the water (or milk), oil, and sugar into a small saucepan. Warm the water (or milk) until when you insert your finger and drop it on your wrist it is just warm. Pour the water (or milk), sugar, and oil into the bowl to your mixer. Measure out your yeast and sprinkle it on top of the warmed liquids. Allow to sit and proof the yeast. When the yeast looks bubbly and puffy sitting on top of the liquid it is ready to continue, if not let it continue to sit in a warm area of your kitchen until it is done.
When your yeast is puffy begin to add your dry ingredients. Measure the flour and salt and slowly incorporate them into your dough. If using a stand mixer you will need to use your dough hook attachments. If you are making it by hand you will end up turning your dough out onto a lightly floured counter as the dough gets thicker because you will no longer be able to mix it with a spoon.
When your dough is nice and smooth form into a nice ball. In a large clean bowl that is large enough to hold your dough when it doubles in size, pour a little olive oil and spread it all over the bowl. Place the dough inside the bowl and rub the oil on the dough as you turn it around to get all sides covered in oil. Cut a piece of plastic wrap and put a bit of oil on one side. Cover the top of the bowl with plastic wrap and set it in a warm spot that is free of drafts in your kitchen. We like to put it on the counter near the stove where we have a teapot boiling, a pot of soup on, or just put some water in a pan to boil to give it moisture and some heat. Don’t put it too close, you don’t want it to cook, just rise. This will take about an hour.
When your dough has doubled in size, put a little dusting of flour onto your countertop. Remove the plastic wrap from the top of the mixing bowl and punch down the dough. Remove it from the bowl onto your lightly covered counter. Shape the dough into a square.
In a cast-iron pan, baking sheet, pizza baking stone or other pan place a little bit of cornmeal. Take your shaped dough and place it onto the baking pan. Take your plastic wrap and lightly cover the dough again and set it someplace warm and draft-free. Let rise until it doubles in size again. Preheat the oven to 425 F (220 C).
When your loaf has doubled in size carefully remove the plastic wrap and place it inside your preheated oven.
Bake it for 40 minutes or until the top is golden and the bottom sounds hollow when you tap it. It is now done.
With a spatula or hot pan holder, remove the bread from the pan and place it on a metal rack to cool to keep the bread from getting mushy on the bottom.
Tips For Making This Easy Crusty Bread Recipe
- For a slightly softer use swap the water for whole milk.
Print This Easy Crusty Bread Recipe:
Easy Crusty Bread Recipe
A delicious easy crusty bread recipe that is soft and delicious on the inside.
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cups of unbleached flour plus flour for the counter
- 1/2 teaspoon of active dry yeast
- 1 Tablespoon of sugar
- 1 teaspoon pink Himalayan or gray sea salt
- 2 Tablespoons of good olive oil - extra oil for the bowl
- 1 and 1/8 cups of water warmed or 1 and 1/8 cup of milk warmed
- Cornmeal for dusting the pan
Instructions
- Pour the water (or milk), oil, and sugar into a small saucepan. Warm the water (or milk) until when you insert your finger and drop it on your wrist it is just warm. Pour the water (or milk), sugar, and oil into the bowl to your mixer. Measure out your yeast and sprinkle it on top of the warmed liquids. Allow to sit and proof the yeast. When the yeast looks bubbly and puffy sitting on top of the liquid it is ready to continue, if not let it continue to sit in a warm area of your kitchen until it is done.
When your yeast is puffy begin to add your dry ingredients. Measure the flour and salt and slowly incorporate them into your dough. If using a stand mixer you will need to use your dough hook attachments. If you are making it by hand you will end up turning your dough out onto a lightly floured counter as the dough gets thicker because you will no longer be able to mix it with a spoon.
When your dough is nice and smooth form into a nice ball. In a large clean bowl that is large enough to hold your dough when it doubles in size, pour a little olive oil and spread it all over the bowl. Place the dough inside the bowl and rub the oil on the dough as you turn it around to get all sides covered in oil. Cut a piece of plastic wrap and put a bit of oil on one side. Cover the top of the bowl with plastic wrap and set it in a warm spot that is free of drafts in your kitchen. We like to put it on the counter near the stove where we have a teapot boiling, a pot of soup on, or just put some water in a pan to boil to give it moisture and some heat. Don't put it too close, you don't want it to cook, just rise. This will take about an hour.
When your dough has doubled in size, put a little dusting of flour onto your countertop. Remove the plastic wrap from the top of the mixing bowl and punch down the dough. Remove it from the bowl onto your lightly covered counter. Shape the dough into a square.
In a cast-iron pan, baking sheet, pizza baking stone or other pan place a little bit of cornmeal. Take your shaped dough and place it onto the baking pan. Take your plastic wrap and lightly cover the dough again and set it someplace warm and draft-free. Let rise until it doubles in size again. Preheat the oven to 425 F (220 C).
When your loaf has doubled in size carefully remove the plastic wrap and place it inside your preheated oven.
Bake it for 40 minutes or until the top is golden and the bottom sounds hollow when you tap it. It is now done.
With a spatula or hot pan holder, remove the bread from the pan and place it on a metal rack to cool to keep the bread from getting mushy on the bottom. If you like the crust a little softer, rub a bit of butter on the outside of the loaf while still warm.
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