Easiest ever homemade bread! No kneading, just a quick mixing and let the dough rest overnight then the next day bake in a cast iron pot in a hot oven. It has a deliciously crisp crust and a soft chewy interior, you'll instantly fall in love after one bite!
Servings: 10
Prep10 minutesminutes
Cook45 minutesminutes
Resting12 hourshours
Ready in: 12 hourshours55 minutesminutes
Ingredients
3cups (15 oz)all-purpose flour(preferably unbleached, scoop and level to measure)
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt and yeast. Pour in warm water and stir mixture with a wooden spoon until a shaggy ball forms (you can add a little more water or a little more flour if you feel it needs it).
Cover bowl with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 12 - 18 hours (on the counter at room temperature).
Heat oven to 450 degrees. Once oven has reached 450 degrees, place an enameled cast iron pot covered with lid into preheated oven, heat pot for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, turn dough out onto a well floured surface, or onto a floured sheet of parchment paper (oven safe to 450) then shape dough into a ball. Cover shaped dough with an extra large bowl and allow to rest while pot is heating, about 30 minutes.
Remove pot from oven and with floured hands, or holding the corners of the parchment paper, carefully drop dough into hot pot (you don't need to grease the pot). Immediately cover with lid, then return pot to oven and bake 30 minutes (at 450 degrees).
After 30 minutes, remove lid from pot and bake uncovered for 12 - 15 minutes until nicely golden brown.
Remove from oven and allow bread to cool on a cooling rack before slicing.
Notes
If you'd like bread to maintain a crisp crust then store in an opened paper bag, for a moister loaf store in an airtight container.
I've made a wheat version of this using 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour, 1 1/2 cups white flour, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp yeast, 2 Tbsp honey combine with 1 1/2 cups warm water (or use a little more if needed) and rise and bake according to directions listed. Delicious!