Hey everyone! Looks like a load of you on Instagram really wanted the recipe for my crusty white loaf. I’m only learning when it comes to bread making so I was really impressed with this one even if I say so myself!

My recipe just uses basic ingredients, no crazy flour just a simple plain flour. I wanted to make something with the ingredients I had at home and that were more available at this time.

The trick to making crusty bread is steam. Without steam there is no crust. I’ve wanted to make crusty bread for so long now but I was hesitant as I didn’t have a dutch oven. I thought it wouldn’t be possible. However, I just used a deep stainless steel pot I had with its lid. If your lid as a steam vent just wrap it up in some tin foil like me. (See picture below).

It worked amazing!!! I was so shocked. If you have a dutch oven by all means use it, unfortunately I didn’t have one and I had no way of find one at the moment. D.I.Y in the kitchen.

This bread has two rises. One after kneading and one after shaping. In my second rise I put it in a bowl lined with a tea towel covered in flour. You could use a proving basket for this either, D.I.Y AGAIN!!

I used a stand mixer to make my bread but you can do this by hand. This might just take a little longer kneading. Make sure you do this on a floured surface.

Crusty White Loaf

Prep time: 15-20 minutes

Total Prove time: 2 hour 15 minutes (Depending)

Cook time: 50 minutes

Ingredients

• 280 mls warm water
• 1 packet of dried yeast (7g)
• 1 Teaspoon sugar
• 1 & 1/2 Teaspoon salt
• 450g Plain flour

Directions

1. Place warm water, yeast and sugar in your stand mixer bowl with a dough hook and leave for 5 minutes.
2. Add in your flour and salt and knead for about 5-8 minutes until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl. If you need to add a little flour that’s okay.
3. Your dough will be ready when you poke a finger in it and it bounces back.
4. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with clingfilm or a towel and leave to rise till doubled in size. This will depend on the heat of your room. Mine took 1 and a half hours.
5. Once doubled in size, place dough onto a floured surface. Be careful not to knock out any air from the dough.
6. Gently form your dough into whatever shape you like.
7. Place onto a floured proving basket or a bowl lined with a tea towel and flour.
8. Leave prove for 45 minutes, covered. Preheat your oven to 240C/ 220C Fan.
9. I was using a stainless steel pot as a ”dutch oven’ so I just lightly floured the base of my pot.
10. Carefully place your dough seam side down into your pot. Score the top of your dough however you like. I did 3 stripes. There are so many ways you can do this.
11. Cover with secure lid and bake for 30 mines.
12. After 30 minutes remove the lid. This will give you some colour.
13. Cook for another 20 minutes with no lid.
14. If you want a darker colour on the base remove the bread from your pot and place on the racks in your oven for the last 5 minutes.
15. Your bread will be cooked when you tap on the base and it sounds hollow.
16. Let cool then enjoy!!

If you make this recipe I would love for you to tag me on Instagram! #Gills_bakesandcakes @Gills_bakesandcakes