Best 3 Effortless Rustic Bread Recipes

EFFORTLESS RUSTIC BREAD

Steps:

• Mix water, yeast, and salt together in a large bowl until mixture becomes foamy, about 10 minutes. Stir flour into yeast mixture until well incorporated. The dough will be loose and look wet. Cover bowl loosely with a damp towel and let sit for about 5 hours.
• Shape dough into 2 loaves using damp hands. Place loaves on a cornmeal-dusted work surface and score the tops a few times with a sharp knife. Allow loaves to double in size, 30 to 60 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Place loaves on a baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven, spraying the surface of the dough occasionally with water, until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

RUSTIC BREAD RECIPE

Steps:

• Mix water, yeast, and sugar in a large mixing bowl or stand mixer. Let sit for about 5 minutes until bubbly.
• Add flour and salt. Mix until combined into a soft dough. (The dough should be slightly sticky to the touch, but not so that much comes off on your hands. If it's too sticky to handle, add ¼ cup flour at a time.)
• Cover loosely with plastic wrap and kitchen towel. Let rise for 1-3 hours, if possible! I've run out of time before and let it rise for only 30-60 mins and it still works, but the longer, the better!
• Preheat oven to 450°F and put a pizza stone or flipped-over cookie sheet in the oven to heat up.
• Fill a baking dish with 2 inches of water and place on the bottom rack to create steam for an extra crispy crust.
• Sprinkle flour on the counter, turn out the dough, fold on itself, divide in half and form it into 2 balls. Don't knead or handle it more than you need to. Add a little flour if it's too sticky.
• Cut an X shape on the top of the balls with a sharp knife.
• Place on a lightly floured pan, then place on top of the hot pizza stone or cookie sheet.
• Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.

SIMPLE CRUSTY BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl or plastic container, mix yeast and salt into 3 cups lukewarm water (about 100 degrees). Stir in flour, mixing until there are no dry patches. Dough will be quite loose. Cover, but not with an airtight lid. Let dough rise at room temperature 2 hours (or up to 5 hours).
• Bake at this point or refrigerate, covered, for as long as two weeks. When ready to bake, sprinkle a little flour on dough and cut off a grapefruit-size piece with serrated knife. Turn dough in hands to lightly stretch surface, creating a rounded top and a lumpy bottom. Put dough on pizza peel sprinkled with cornmeal; let rest 40 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough or refrigerate it.
• Place broiler pan on bottom of oven. Place baking stone on middle rack and turn oven to 450 degrees; heat stone at that temperature for 20 minutes.
• Dust dough with flour, slash top with serrated or very sharp knife three times. Slide onto stone. Pour one cup hot water into broiler pan and shut oven quickly to trap steam. Bake until well browned, about 30 minutes. Cool completely.