Crusty Yeast Bread

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups (420 g) bread flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons fine salt
• 1 teaspoon (3 g) instant yeast
• 1 1/3 cups (315 ml) water, lukewarm at 100–110°F
• 2 tablespoons (15 g) bread flour, for shaping

Method

1. 1

   Step 1. Allow about 4 1/2–5 hours: 20 minutes hands-on work, a 2-hour first rise, 45–60 minutes final rise, 40–45 minutes baking and 1 hour cooling. Use a large bowl, parchment rated to 450°F, a lidded 5–6-quart Dutch oven with oven-safe handles, thick mitts and a rack. Use a Dutch oven whose manufacturer permits empty preheating at 450°F, including its lid and handles. For repeatable results, weigh the flour; if using cups, spoon it in lightly and level without packing.

2. 2

   Step 2. Stir the 420 g flour, salt and yeast in the bowl. Add the water and mix until no dry flour remains. Cover and rest for 20 minutes, included in the first rise. The dough will be sticky; do not taste it raw.

3. 3

   Step 3. With clean hands, lift one side of the dough and fold it toward the center. Turn the bowl and repeat four times. Cover and leave for another 40 minutes, fold again, then let rise for about 60 minutes more, until puffy and roughly doubled. A cool room may need longer.

4. 4

   Step 4. Dust the counter with the shaping flour and gently turn out the dough. Fold the edges inward to form a round, turn seam-side down and cup it into a ball. Set on parchment in a bowl, cover and let rise for 45–60 minutes until puffy. Use a bench scraper to help shape the sticky dough rather than kneading in extra flour.

5. 5

   Step 5. During the final 30 minutes of rising, heat the covered Dutch oven in a 450°F oven. Using mitts, set the hot pot on a heatproof surface. Slash the loaf top about 1/2 inch deep with a sharp blade. Lower the dough into the pot using the parchment, keeping hands clear of the hot sides, and cover.

6. 6

   Step 6. Bake for 25 minutes covered, then 15–20 minutes uncovered, until the crust is deep golden and the center is about 205–210°F if checked with a thermometer. Transfer carefully to a rack and cool at least 1 hour before cutting into 12 slices.