Crusty Bread Recipe - My Gorgeous Recipes (2024)

Published: Mar 29, 2020 · Modified: Jun 22, 2022 by Daniela Apostol · This post may contain affiliate links · 3 Comments

This crusty bread recipe is one of the easiest homemade bread recipes you can make with 4 basic ingredients: bread flour, water, yeast and salt, and nothing else. A rustic loaf with a golden crust, but white and fluffy on the inside, this bread fills the kitchen with a fantastic aroma that reminds me of childhood.

I've baked and eaten so much bread lately, that I am pretty sure I am close to a carbs coma. I blame (of course) this crazy situation we all are in. Being at home 24 hours can drive one crazy, that's for sure. And cooking and baking is one of the best ways to keep me sane.

Unfortunately, I have run out of yeast, and can't find anywhere, so, until I get my hands on some more, there will be no more traditional bread recipes. Which means, no more dinner rolls, or sandwich bread either. Hopefully, the shops will stock up soon, I will definitely makesome more bread then.

So, country bread! Dead simple, as good as you can possibly get, with no milk, eggs, cream etc added, just simple ingredients, which makes it suitable for vegans too. It's the perfect everyday bread that our grandparents used to bake every day in past. Oh, the good old times when not only bread was simple, but life too.

How to make crusty bread

Unlike classic bread recipes where you have to wait for the dried yeast to activate for at least 10-15 minutes, with this bread, there is no unnecessary waiting. You still have to let the bread prove twice, but that's pretty much it, you can get on with other things while the yeast is working its magic.

• add the yeast to the warm water, and give it a good stir so it can dissolve.
• in a large bowl, sift the flour, add the salt and yeast mixture, and knead gently to get a smooth, elastic dough. Dust some more flour over the dough if it sticks to your hands.
• Cover the bowl with clingfilm, and leave it to prove for about 2 hours or until the dough is double in size.
• Transfer the dough onto a floured work surface.
• Shape it into a ball again, but flatten it gently, and place it onto a baking tray lined with non-stick paper.
• Leave to prove again for about 1 hour, covering it with a clean kitchen towel.
• Preheat the oven to 220 degrees Celsius (430 degrees Fahrenheit).
• Add one cup of hot water to the dripping pan in the oven (or another tray you have around), place the bread on the middle rack of the oven, and bake for 20 minutes, or until the bread is golden, and if you turn it over, it sounds hollow when you give it a sharp knock.

What makes a crispy crust

There is something so satisfying about slicing a crusty bread, or hearing that hollow sound it makes when you knock it. I know, the little things in life! I could eat one loaf all by myself, just on its own or with butter. Although toasted it's also amazing.

That perfect crust is due to the fact that the rustic bread is usually lean, which means it uses just water, flour, salt and yeast or starter. The steam created by the hot water added to pan which goes on the bottom rack also helps getting the crust we love. Plus, the bread is baked at a high temperature, where other type of breads are baked at a much lower temperature.

It's hard to choose between breads, I absolutely love a good sliced bread, but this crusty bread has just become my favourite ever! Just when I ran out of yeast!!!

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