Artisan White Bread
Rate this recipe
A basic artisanal loaf to give you the feel for working with wet dough also called high-hydration. It's a fantastic way to learn how to make a nice airy bread with a chewy crust with minimal effort.
Ingredients
- 3 ⅓ cups (500g) flour
- 1 ½ cups (360mL) water
- 1 tsp (5g) salt
- ¼ tsp (1g) yeast
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add flour, water, salt and yeast. Stir together with the back of a spoon until a shaggy dough forms. Cover and let side overnight at room temperature.
- The next day, wet your hands. Gently remove the dough from the bowl onto a clean work surface.Using damp hands, grab a top section of the dough. Stretch and bring it to the opposite side. Do this for each side. This will create tension.
- Line a colander or a bowl with a lint-free clean towel. Dust the towel liberally with flour. With damp hands, pick up the dough and place it seem side up in the container. Dust the top and fold the towel over. Leave for approximately 1-3 hours or until double in size.
- Place one rack in the middle of the oven and the second rack as close to the bottom as possible. On the bottom rack, place a pan filled with 1/2" (1cm) of water. Do not use a glass container for the water as it could break or shatter due to thermal shock. Preheat oven 450F (230C.)
- Gently remove the top towel and invert the dough onto a baking sheet in one swift movement. If the towel sticks, wet your fingers and gently pull the towel away while pressing on the dough.
- Slice the top with a sharp knife quickly about 1/8" (3mm) deep and the length of the bread.
- Open the stove carefully, as the steam could burn you.
- Bake 40 - 45 minutes. Center of bread should reach 212F (100C.)
- Let bread cool completely on wire rack before serving.
Notes
An important note on dry yeast: Instant dry yeast is used in this recipe, which can be mixed directly into the dry ingredients or dissolved in water before mixing. If you're using active dry yeast, modern varieties generally don't need to be dissolved in warm water first, although some manufacturers still recommend it. Rapid-rise yeast may affect rising times.
Always check the manufacturer's instructions on your yeast package for the best results.