Steps
Step 1 — Wake Up The Yeast
1
Put into a big mixing bowl 300 g lukewarm water + 4 g instant yeast.
Give it a little stir and leave it for 5 minutes.
You don't need the water hot. Think pleasantly warm, not bathwater-for-a-baby hot.
Give it a little stir and leave it for 5 minutes.
You don't need the water hot. Think pleasantly warm, not bathwater-for-a-baby hot.
Step 2 — Add The Flour
2
Add 400 g bread flour.
Mix with a wooden spoon, spatula, or your hand until you have no obvious dry flour left.
It will look, ugly. 😂
Lumpy, sticky, shaggy, weird.
PERFECT.
Cover it and let it sit for 20 minutes.
This little rest lets the flour absorb the water and makes your life MUCH easier.
Mix with a wooden spoon, spatula, or your hand until you have no obvious dry flour left.
It will look, ugly. 😂
Lumpy, sticky, shaggy, weird.
PERFECT.
Cover it and let it sit for 20 minutes.
This little rest lets the flour absorb the water and makes your life MUCH easier.
Step 3 — Salt + Olive Oil
3
Add, 7 g salt and 10 g olive oil.
Now comes your first official bread-person moment.
Mix/knead the dough right in the bowl.
You don't need to aggressively beat the crap out of it.
IGrab an edge → stretch it upward → fold it over the dough.
Turn the bowl → repeat.
Do this for about 5 minutes.
The dough should gradually become smoother and more elastic.
It will still be sticky.
DO NOT ADD FLOUR YET.
If it's sticking horribly to your hands, wet your hands lightly with water or rub them with a tiny bit of oil.
Now comes your first official bread-person moment.
Mix/knead the dough right in the bowl.
You don't need to aggressively beat the crap out of it.
IGrab an edge → stretch it upward → fold it over the dough.
Turn the bowl → repeat.
Do this for about 5 minutes.
The dough should gradually become smoother and more elastic.
It will still be sticky.
DO NOT ADD FLOUR YET.
If it's sticking horribly to your hands, wet your hands lightly with water or rub them with a tiny bit of oil.
Step 4 — First Rise
4
Cover the bowl.
Leave it somewhere reasonably warm for about 1½–2 hours.
But here's the important part, we don't actually care about the clock.
We're looking for the dough to become roughly double in size.
So if your kitchen is chilly and it takes 2½ hours? Totally fine.
If it's warm and it's ready in 75 minutes? Also fine.
We're going by the dough, not the timer. 👀
CHECK STEP 5 before waiting the whole timer.
Leave it somewhere reasonably warm for about 1½–2 hours.
But here's the important part, we don't actually care about the clock.
We're looking for the dough to become roughly double in size.
So if your kitchen is chilly and it takes 2½ hours? Totally fine.
If it's warm and it's ready in 75 minutes? Also fine.
We're going by the dough, not the timer. 👀
CHECK STEP 5 before waiting the whole timer.
Step 5 — Your First Dough Fold
5
After about 30 minutes of rising, give it a fold.
Wet your hand.
Grab one side of the dough.
Stretch it upward.
Fold it over itself.
Rotate the bowl 90°.
Repeat about 4 times.
Then cover it and leave it alone.
This gives the dough structure without you having to knead it like you're trying to settle a personal.
Wet your hand.
Grab one side of the dough.
Stretch it upward.
Fold it over itself.
Rotate the bowl 90°.
Repeat about 4 times.
Then cover it and leave it alone.
This gives the dough structure without you having to knead it like you're trying to settle a personal.
Step 6 — Shape Your Baby
6
Once the dough has doubled, lightly flour your counter.
Gently turn the dough out.
Don't squish all the air out. We're trying to keep those lovely bubbles.
Fold the edges toward the middle, then flip the dough over so the seam is underneath.
Cup your hands around it and gently drag it toward yourself across the counter.
Rotate and repeat.
You want a tight little round ball. Not perfect. Not Instagram perfect. Just reasonably round. 😂
Gently turn the dough out.
Don't squish all the air out. We're trying to keep those lovely bubbles.
Fold the edges toward the middle, then flip the dough over so the seam is underneath.
Cup your hands around it and gently drag it toward yourself across the counter.
Rotate and repeat.
You want a tight little round ball. Not perfect. Not Instagram perfect. Just reasonably round. 😂
Step 7 — Second Rise
7
Put your loaf onto parchment paper.
Cover it with a clean kitchen towel.
Let it sit for about 45–60 minutes.
It should look noticeably puffier.
Cover it with a clean kitchen towel.
Let it sit for about 45–60 minutes.
It should look noticeably puffier.
Step 8 — The Cool Part
8
Heat your oven to 230°C.
Let it preheat properly — ideally 30+ minutes.
Right before baking, dust the top of your loaf lightly with flour.
Then take a very sharp knife and make one long slash across the top, about 1 cm deep.
This gives the bread somewhere to expand.
Let it preheat properly — ideally 30+ minutes.
Right before baking, dust the top of your loaf lightly with flour.
Then take a very sharp knife and make one long slash across the top, about 1 cm deep.
This gives the bread somewhere to expand.
Step 9 — Bake That Baby
9
If you have a Dutch oven, put the loaf inside, cover it, and bake at 230°C — 20 minutes covered.
Then remove the lid and bake 20–25 minutes uncovered until it's deeply golden brown.
No Dutch oven?
NO PROBLEM.
Put a sturdy baking tray in the oven while it preheats.
Put your bread on another tray, then immediately pour a little boiling water into the hot empty tray to create steam.
Bake approximately 230°C — 20 minutes with steam then remove the steam tray and continue 20–25 minutes.
The steam helps us get that gorgeous crust.
Then remove the lid and bake 20–25 minutes uncovered until it's deeply golden brown.
No Dutch oven?
NO PROBLEM.
Put a sturdy baking tray in the oven while it preheats.
Put your bread on another tray, then immediately pour a little boiling water into the hot empty tray to create steam.
Bake approximately 230°C — 20 minutes with steam then remove the steam tray and continue 20–25 minutes.
The steam helps us get that gorgeous crust.
Step 10 — Do Not Cut It Yet
10
Let it cool for at least 45 minutes.
The inside is still setting while it cools. Cutting too early can give you a gummy interior.
Then...🔪🍞 Cut.
Listen for the crust. Look at the little holes. Smell it.
THAT'S IT.
The inside is still setting while it cools. Cutting too early can give you a gummy interior.
Then...🔪🍞 Cut.
Listen for the crust. Look at the little holes. Smell it.
THAT'S IT.
Nutrition Facts
Per serving250 calories
Calories from
- Protein 13%
- Carbs 80%
- Fat 7%
-
Fat Low 2 g 3%
-
Saturated Fat Low 0 g 0%
-
Carbohydrates 50 g 16%
-
Fiber 2 g 8%
-
Sugar Low 1 g 2%
-
Protein 8 g 16%
-
Cholesterol Low 0 mg 0%
-
Sodium 400 mg 16%
% Daily Value is based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Servings isn't set, so the recipe counts as 4.
Notes
Did an extra 7 min in the oven.
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