Makes: 1 loaf

Prep time: 3 hours + overnight

Bake time: 45 minutes

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• 450g all purpose flour (see notes)

• 15g salt (about 2 tsp)

• 2 tsp active dry yeast

• 375 mL warm/hot water (not scalding. use your finger to test)

• Cast iron dutch over with lid (see notes)

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1. Add yeast to water & lightly mix to suspend yeast in water

2. Add flour and salt to a large bowl and mix

3. Add yeast water to flour bowl

4. Mix flour and water until all flour is wet, no more. A silicone spatula works best.

5. Cover bowl and sit in a warm room (ideally 70-80°F) for 3 hours. Check bowl after 1 hour, dough should have visibly increased in volume, if not the location is not warm enough.

6. After 3 hours, move bowl to the refrigerator to sit overnight. Dough can last in fridge up to 3 days. This is an optional step. See notes below.

7. Pull dough out of fridge and let come to room temperature (30-45 minutes).

8. Once at room temperature, turn dough out of bowl onto a floured surface and lightly sprinkle more flour on top (about 1/2 tbsp)

9. Put dutch oven in oven and pre-heat oven to 450°F

10. Pull 4 edges of the dough and fold back meeting at the middle, creating an X.

11. Flip dough onto parchment paper, with the X touching the paper.

12. Let dough sit for 45 minutes, at least, or until the oven has pre-heated.

13. Carefully take dutch oven out of the oven and place the dough with parchment paper in the dutch oven.

14. Place lid on dutch oven and put back into the oven.

15. Bake for 30 minutes

16. After 30 minutes, remove the lid and continue to bake for 12-15 minutes.

17. Bread is done when the top is a deep gold.

18. Remove bread and cool on a raised rack for at least 10 minutes.

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Notes

Proofing

The bread does not need to be refrigerated overnight. After the first, 3 hour proofing, you can turn the dough out and continue at step 8, but putting the dough into the fridge will hinder the fermentation of the yeast (the rising process) and in turn increase the flavor of your bread by converting starch into sugar.

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Other baking options

If you lack a cast iron pot, you can use other pots or pans, just make sure they have a flat bottom and are suitable for an oven at 450°F. This usually means no pots with plastic or wood handles.

 

If you lack a cast iron pot with an oven proof lid (plastic handles or glass lids are not recommended for the temperature at which we're baking this bread), you can use a baking sheet or other flat, oven proof item. You realistically just need something to keep in the water vapor escaping from the bread as it bakes. This helps form the cust.

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Weights vs volume measurements

When it comes to measuring out the flour, weighing the flour is generally recommended as you can get different weights of flour if measuring 2 cups of flour. Tamping the flour while measuring, would guarantee the same amounts, but this removes air from the flour and will negatively affect the taste of your bread.