Baking bread is easier than you think! This easy Crusty & Salty Homemade Bread is so addictive and is a no-fail if you have never made bread before! There is literally almost nothing better to eat than a homemade loaf of bread that is warm and fresh out of the oven.
This post may contain affiliate links. By clicking on one of these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. For additional information, please view the site Disclaimers here.
This is a no-knead bread recipe, making the prep for baking less hands on. Typical bread recipes have less water than this recipe. The wetness within this dough allows the yeast to work and form gluten and create the fluffy, chewy bread.
Being a wet dough, handling this dough it the hardest part. Be certain to flour your surface and hands while handling. If it sticks a bit, don’t fret just scrape it off.
This dough must sit for at least 12 up to 18 hours to proof. This means the dough must sit to allow the yeast to work and ferment, letting the dough rise and create an airy texture. This means planning ahead when you have a hankering for this yummy bread!
Dutch Oven
Making this bread in a dutch oven is the best method to create a good crusty crust for your loaf. An enameled cast iron dutch oven, preheated in the oven prior to baking conducts the heat all around the bread dough while baking. A dutch oven keeps all the moisture in, resulting in perfect crust with amazingly soft inside. I have this dutch oven here and love it!
I love a salty loaf of bread…so I top this with coarse sea salt. You can however get creative, top with garlic salt and italian seasonings, or add some sesame seeds! Share your variations with me, I would love to hear how you made this recipe your own!
Crusty & Salty Homemade Bread
Ingredients
- 3 Cups All-Purpose Flour
- ¼ TSP Instant Yeast
- 1½ TSP Salt
- 1½ Cups Water
- 1 TSP Course Sea Salt
Instructions
- Mix together all the ingredients in a large bowl until combined into a shaggy dough, reserving the coarse sea salt to finish the bread before baking.
- Cover with the bowl with plastic wrap and allow to rest for at least 12 hours at room temperature.
- Flour your work surface. Remove dough and fold twice on the floured surface. Dough will deflate. Allow to rest for another 15 minutes.
- Sprinkle the dough with flour to handle. Shape into a ball. Allow to rest for another hour.
- While dough rests, preheat oven to 450°. Place dutch oven into the oven to heat for at least 30 minutes.
- Carefully place the dough ball into the hot dutch oven and sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Place lid on the pot and return to the oven.
- Bake undisturbed for 25 minutes. Remove lid and allow to bake for another 10-15 minutes. The bread is finished when crust is a golden brown.
- Remove from pot and allow to cool on a rack.
- Store in an airtight container once cut. Do not refrigerate.
Crusty and salty crust with soft, airy center makes this bread incredible. You will never go back to cold, hard loaves from the grocer’s bakery! Big pockets formed by air bubbles create the perfect for melty butter to pool. Let it dribble down your chin!
Please check out these othergreat recipes!
- Brown Sugar Ricotta Cheesecake
- Spiced Snowflake Sugar Cookies
- Irish Cream Cheesecake with Chocolate Ganache
- Nutella Swirl Banana Bread
- Key Lime Cheesecake With Marshmallow Cream Topping
Strawberry Lemonade Thumbprint
Maryland Style Crab Cakes
Classic Chicken Piccata
You should never put an empty enameled Dutch oven in the oven to heat. You should use a non enameled Dutch oven. I’ve baked for years in an enameled Dutch oven with no issue but I’ve just been lucky.
Thanks for the advice Dominic!