Crusty Bread Recipe

A slice of buttered bread with the rest of the bread on a wooden board

4.10 from 11 votes

This crusty bread recipe is one of the easiest homemade bread recipes you can make with 4 basic ingredients: bread flour, water, yeast and salt, and nothing else. A rustic loaf with a golden crust, but white and fluffy on the inside, this bread fills the kitchen with a fantastic aroma that reminds me of childhood. My country white bread is the simplest bread recipe you can made.

Prep Time5

Cook Time30

Proving Time3

Total Time3 35

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: International

Servings: loaf

Calories: 988kcal

Author: Daniela Apostol

Equipment

Oven

Ingredients

250 g flour
160 ml warm water
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon yeast

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Add the yeast to the warm water, and give it a good a stir so it can dissolve.
In a large bowl, sift the flour, add the salt and yeast mixture, and knead gently to get a smooth, elastic dough. Dust some more flour over the dough if it sticks to your hands.
Cover the bowl with clingfilm, and leave it to prove for about 2 hours or until the dough is double in size.
Transfer the dough onto a floured work surface.
Shape it into a ball again, but flatten it gently, and place it onto a baking tray lined with non-stick paper.
Leave to prove again for about 1 hour, covering it with a clean kitchen towel.
Preheat the oven to 220 degrees Celsius (430 degrees Fahrenheit).
Add one cup of hot water to the dripping pan in the oven (or another tray you have around), place the bread on the middle rack of the oven, and bake for 20 minutes, or until the bread is golden, and if you turn it over, it sounds hollow when you give it a sharp knock.

Notes

If you'd like to see the ingredients listed in cups and ounces, please check the US Customary Link.
Also, the amount of ingredients changes depending on the servings, so click on the number listed to change it to the number you prefer.

Nutrition