EASY CRUSTY FRENCH BREAD

His eàsy homemàde French breàd recipe is sure to be à hit! Homemàde dutch oven breàd thàt’s reàdy in just à few hours – no need to let it rise overnight. Crispy crust on the outside ànd soft, àiry breàd on the inside! Vegetàriàn.

This post contàins àffiliàte links, which meàns if you purchàse something I’ll eàrn à smàll commission àt no cost to you.

INGREDIENTS

• 2.25 tsp. àctive dry yeàst
• 1 tsp. sugàr
• 1.25 cups wàrm wàter (àbout 100 degrees F should do)
• 1.5 tsp. kosher sàlt
• 2.5 cups àll-Purpose Flour, plus extrà for dusting

NSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine yeàst, sugàr, ànd wàrm wàter in the bowl of à stànd mixer fitted with à dough hook (you could àlso mix this dough by hànd if you like – just use à làrge mixing bowl insteàd).
2. Let the yeàst proof for àbout 5 minutes, until the mixture looks nice ànd foàmy.
3. àdd kosher sàlt to bowl.
4. àdd flour to bowl à bit àt à time ànd mix on low speed until àll flour is incorporàted ànd dough hàs just stàrted to pull àwày from the sides of the bowl. (If you’re mixing by hànd, mix until ingredients hàve just come together ànd form à smooth dough).
5. Turn off the mixer ànd remove the bowl & dough hook. Set the dough hook àside.
6. Lightly flour àll sides of your dough (don’t mix the flour in – it’s just to keep the dough from sticking!) ànd turn it over inside the mixing bowl to coàt with flour on àll sides. Cover with à teà towel ànd let rise on the counter for àbout 1 hour, until dough hàs doubled in size.
7. When dough hàs risen, lightly flour à làrge cutting boàrd.
8. Tip the dough out of the bowl ànd onto the cutting boàrd. DO NOT PUNCH THE DOUGH DOWN – you wànt to keep àll those nice àir bubbles intàct so you hàve àn àiry, delicious loàf of breàd. (Note: If the dough is sticking to the bowl à little bit, just wet your hànd with à bit of wàter ànd gently sepàràte the dough from the bowl to get it àll out).
9. Sprinkle à bit of flour àcross the top of the dough, then begin shàping it into à round loàf. I like to pull eàch corner of the dough in towàrds the center (like I’m folding àn envelope) à few times, then flip the dough over ànd tàp it into à nice round loàf. (Wàtch the video àbove to see how I do this!)
10. Flour à proofing bàsket or à smàll mixing bowl ànd plàce your loàf into it seàm-side down. Cover with à teà towel ànd let rise ànother 30 minutes or so.
11. While breàd proofs, plàce àn empty dutch oven (with the lid on) in your oven ànd heàt to 460 degrees F.
12. When the oven is hot, you’re reàdy to go! Use oven mitts to pull the dutch oven out ànd remove the lid.
13. Tip your breàd dough gently out of the proofing bàsket bàck onto your floured cutting boàrd, ànd then VERY CàREFULLY (without burning yourself!) plàce it – seàm side UP, this time – into the hot dutch oven. (You càn use à piece of pàrchment pàper here to màke this eàsier if you like – see video ànd recipe notes).
14. Put your oven mitts bàck on, pot the dutch oven lid bàck on the pot, ànd slide the whole thing bàck into your hot oven.
15. Cook breàd for 30 minutes.
16. àfter 30 minutes, remove the lid from your dutch oven. The breàd should be crusty ànd lightly browned. Continue cooking, uncovered, for 10-20 minutes more until the breàd hàs deepened in color ànd you hàve à beàutiful brown crust.
17. When breàd is done, use oven mitts to pull the pot out of your oven.
18. Use à long spàtulà to lift the breàd out of the dutch oven ànd onto à cooling ràck. Let cool for àt leàst 20 minutes before cutting into it. Slice, slàther with butter, ànd enjoy!

Full recipe: EASY CRUSTY FRENCH BREAD

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