Super Simple 4-Ingredient Homemade Bread
Don’t let homemade bread baking daunt you. This very easy project will leave you feeling like a pro …a pro with a very delicious loaf of bread!
Photo by Jennifer Burk on Unsplash
Making bread at home seems like it would be labor-intensive and time consuming, which is a big reason why many of us resort to buying commercially-made bread at the store. But what if I told you that baking your own fresh bread at home is incredibly easy and requires just four simple ingredients? And if you’ve ever tasted homemade bread before, you know that it is somehow always the best bread you’ve ever tasted!
Making your own bread at home comes with so many benefits as well! For one, you’ll be saving some money as well as a trip to the store during this covid-19 quarantine. You also don’t have to worry about purchasing a bread with a nearing expiration date that will likely grow mold soon after purchase, since we’re never exactly sure when the commercial breads we buy have been baked. With homemade bread, you’re always in-the-know. Also, with just four ingredients, you don’t have to worry about additives or preservatives that may potentially induce symptoms or are simply unnecessary to consume.
Here’s what you’ll need to make homemade bread,
and the steps you’ll need to follow:
Supplies:
Dutch oven or casserole dish with lid (this is the one I use & love)
Plastic wrap or a clean cloth
Medium/large clean bowl (the bowl I use)
Ingredients:
3 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 ½ - 2 tsp. kosher sea salt
½ tsp. active dry yeast for baking (Red Star is my go-to)
1 ½ cup warm water
Instructions:
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and dry yeast.
Gradually add the water to your dry mix and stir.
Form the dough into a ball and transfer the dough ball to a clean bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a cloth and let rise for 12-18 hours.
When the dough is ready to be baked, place an empty Dutch oven or casserole dish in the oven and preheat the empty dish to 450ºF.
Sprinkle some flour on the dough, cover with plastic wrap, and let it sit for 15 minutes. Cut an “X” at the top of your dough and lightly brush the top of your dough with water.
Carefully take your dish out of the oven, place your dough in the dish, cover dish with a lid, and put the dish back in the oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, take the lid off and bake for an additional 8-15 minutes or until the top of the bread is golden brown. And, voila! You have delicious homemade bread, just how you like it!
Already a pro bread baker? Comment below with your tips & tricks!
Tag us on Instagram @laurencornellnutrition with photos of your homemade bread. We’d love to see your final product!
““The smell of good bread baking, like the sound of lightly flowing water,
is indescribable in its evocation of innocence and delight...”
- M.F.K. Fisher, The Art of Eating”