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Crusty White Bread
Crusty White Bread
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Crusty White Bread

5 stars (571) Rate this recipe
Preparation
20 MIN
Cooking
1 H
Waiting
45 MIN
Raising
12 H
Makes
Makes 1 loaf, about 1 2/3 lb (750 g)
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Ingredients

Bread

Coating

Preparation

Bread

  1. In a large pot, combine the flour, salt and yeast. Add the water. With a fork, stir until the flour is completely moistened, but not necessarily smooth. Cover and let rise at room temperature for 8 to 12 hours, or overnight.

Coating

  1. In a large bowl, place the whole wheat flour. Set aside.
  2. With your hands, directly in the pot, fold the risen dough onto itself, about 6 times, or until it is smooth.
  3. Transfer the dough into the bowl with the whole wheat flour and turn to coat the entire surface of the dough. Cover and let rise for 45 minutes at room temperature or until it has doubled in volume.
  4. Meanwhile, with the rack in the middle position, preheat the oven to 450°F (225°C). Place a 12-cup (3 litre) Dutch oven or ovenproof pot with its lid (not glass) in the oven, and heat for about 30 minutes.
  5. Remove the pot’s lid. Drop the floured bread dough in the centre of the hot pot. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and continue baking for 30 minutes.
  6. Let the bread cool on a wire rack or in the pot. Remove any excess flour.

Note

This recipe was inspired by the bread recipe created by Jim Lahey and presented by food writer Mark Bittman in the New York Times.

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Comments

  1. Fantastic and super easy! I made the dough ball in a large plastic bowl, let it rise 16 hours or so. Then transferred it to a preheated Le Creuset (enamelled) dutch oven. The pre-heating must prevent the sticking b/c the loaf lifted right out. Delicious bread!

  2. The video looks easy enough and it encouraged me to give it a try. Everything mostly went as per the video except the cooking part. I used a stainless steel, heavy bottom dutch oven. The dough spread over the entire bottom and to the side of the pot. When cooked, I had a shallow, crusty loaf that was totally stuck to the pot. The video doesn't show removing the loaf from the pot. So, I ended up with a somewhat ragged, flat loaf but it did taste nice especially the crust.

  3. Great receipe, few ingredients, little work and a great result. I advice everyone who have not tried it yet, to rise the dough in the fridge for 24 hours prior to baking, as supposed to rising It in room temperature For 12 hours. It ends up fluffy, but yeast delivers an easier to work with dough and a slight zesty flavor when cold rising. You can let it rise in the fridge for 3 days if you want to, but more than that does not give any benefit. I am going to to try this receipe for baguettes!!

  4. This is the Best Bread I ever eat. Ones I purchased 620 gr Loaf of Bread for C$4.69 I considered the best, From now I tested this Bread my family loves it - this Bread is # 1. And the 820 gr the Loaf cost only approx. 40 Cents Canadian. (All ingredients from Costco). I baked the Bread in Pyrex covered with a glass lid with Aluminum Foil for the first 30 min. I also put under the dough Nonstick Pergament Paper for 425 F and on the top, I sprinkle flour mix with Oatmeal I had no correct Pot, so I improvised.

  5. My second time making this bread. Yes you can use bread flour. I also adjusted the time with the lid off. Depends how crusty you want the top. Did mine for only 10 minutes. Just a delicious bread. Merci Ricardo.

  6. Best bread I have ever made! Thank you! I did have to manipulate the temp and time a bit for the baking portion. I also did not have instant yeast. I am grateful that you have this site. I found this in a random search for crusty bread. I will use this site more!

  7. It's an easy enough recipe, but against my better judgement, I cooked it for the thirty minutes without the lid on it in the oven and to my dismay, my loaf was burned to a crisp... are people really supposed to cook this thing at 450 for an hour?! Seems excessive, and it actually looked delicious at the 30 minute mark when I took the lid off...

  8. Does this recipe work with Bread Flour instead of all-purpose?

  9. This is a Great Recipe. And, so easy to make. I will be making this one often. Thank you so much. Diana

  10. I made it with 3 cups of organic white and 1/2 cup integral wheat bread flour. Simple and delicious!

  11. Really really easy and tasty.

  12. Great Bread. First time for me. Problems though, I used a black enamel coated roaster which i believe is the reason the bottom got too dark, almost black. Other problem when i dumped the bread into the hot pot the top of the bread had no dry flour and that's what hit the bottom of the pot. It stuck. next time will sprinkle some flour on the bottom of the pot before dumping it in. will also use a stainless steel roaster instead, cant use a pyrex-glass. This recipe will also make a lovely pizza dough.

  13. been making Lahey's recipe for 5 years now--always a winner especially the cheese one (add 200gms cubed cheese and cracked pepper to the initial recipe) just a note--for organization the bread can sit longer than 12 hours. I usually put it together between 2-4:00PM and work on it the next morning and have it out of the oven by Noon :)

  14. good afternoon ricardo. I do not have dutch oven too heavy for my arthritis hands can you suggest another method please thank you monica

  15. Fantastic! So easy and so delicious! I make it often and it always turns out fabulous. I get rave reviews from everybody who tastes it!

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Recipes with the "Healthy Pick" stamp have been evaluated by a registered dietitian member of the Ordre professionnel des diététistes du Québec.