Faded Blue Jeans: Homemade Bread Success!

I love homemade bread, but I never make it. There is something intimidating about baking bread, because when it is good, it is really good. But when it doesn't come out right, it's pretty disappointing. I'm not a huge bread eater in general, so when I do eat some, I want it to be killer.

Well this bread was KILLER. It was crispy and crusty on the outside and chewy and moist on the inside. It almost had a light sourdough taste to it and was just the teeny tiniest bit salty. It was delicious a few hours after I baked it and still just as delicious toasted up two days later.

I can't remember exactly how I stumbled across the recipe (I mean, she titled her post, "The recipe that changed my life". It's just that good.). I don't even think I was looking for anything having to do with bread, but call it fate. I made the most basic version this time, but have already bought fresh herbs to add to the next loaf. Because there will most assuredly be a next loaf. This jumped out of nowhere and punched me in the face with how good it was. Give it a try and you won't be disappointed.

Look how airy!

Homemade White Bread
Servings: 1 loaf
Prep time: 15 hours
Cook time: 30-45 minutes

Ingredients:

3 cups flour (I used bread flour)
1 1/2 cups water (I used warm-ish water from the faucet)
1/4 teaspoon yeast
a little less than 1 tablespoon salt
olive oil or cooking spray for coating
extra flour, wheat bran, or cornmeal for dusting

Procedure:

Mix all of the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl. Add water and incorporate with a wooden spoon or spatula for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Lightly coat the inside of a second medium bowl with olive oil or cooking spray and place the dough inside the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 12 hours at room temperature (approx 65-72*F)
Remove the dough from the bowl and fold once or twice. Let the dough rest for 15 minutes in the bowl. Next, shape the dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel with flour, wheat bran, or cornmeal. Place the dough seam side down on the towel and dust with flour. Cover the dough with a cotton towel and let rise 1-2 hours at room temperature, until more than doubled in size.
Preheat oven to 450-500*F. Place a dutch oven in at least 30 minutes prior to baking to preheat. Once the dough has more than doubled in volume, remove the pot from the oven and place the dough in the pot seam side up. Cover with the lid and back 30 minutes. Then remove the lid and bake 15-30 minutes uncovered, until the loaf is nicely browned.

Notes: I turned my oven to 500*F and when I checked on the loaf after 30 minutes (covered) it was plenty brown and actually a little burnt on the bottom. I took it out at that point and didn't cook it uncovered at all. The burnt bottom ended up not being an issue (and was easy to cut off if it was). The next time I will cook it at 450*F.