I realize that asking a question and trying to get or even FIND the answer is getting a bit ridiculous on the Crusty Bread page. This is by far the most popular post I have with over 1.2 MILLION page views. Who knew???? Oh my gosh. I knew the first time that I made this bread that I had to share it with the world. It’s so easy, yet so delicious and has SO many possibilities. Here is your turn to share, ask, comment, complain, or rave about your bread success.
Q: Do I have to use an enamel covered cast iron pan?
A: NO. You can use anything that can take the heat. The following have been used that I know of:
Clay pots with lids, Pizza stone with a bowl to cover the bread, insert from a crockpot, pyrex baking dish with a lid, stainless steel pot with a lid, baking dish covered with aluminum foil, old cast iron dutch oven.
Q: Do I have to use unbleached flour?
A: I always use unbleached flour. You can try bleached flour.
Q: Can I use self rising flour?
A: I don’t know. I would just stick to all-purpose.
Q: What size is my pan?
A: My smallest pan is 5.5 quart and the loaf barely fits.
Q: What type of yeast do I use?
A: I use SAF instant yeast. Any yeast should work.
Q: Why is my bread turning out flat?
A: I don’t know. You could try using less 1/4 cup less liquid. Or add a bit more flour. Make sure your dough appears to be dry when you first mix it. It will have more moisture during the rising time. There are many determining factors when bread making. Is your flour old? It does make a difference. Sometimes store brand, sale flour isn’t so great and should probably be left on the store shelf. Make sure your flour is fresh and a good quality brand and make sure your yeast is fresh and active.
Q: Can my dough sit out longer than 18 hours? Does it HAVE to be between 12-18 hours?
A: No. I have let some dough sit as long as 24 hours and the bread was beautiful.
Q: Have you tried Gluten-free?
A: No. I’m still waiting for someone to venture into the realm of Gluten-free. If you try it, let everyone know.
Q: Do I have to grease or oil the pan? Will my bread stick?
A: No you don’t need to grease the pan. I have never had the bread stick when using a cast iron pot. I haven’t tried anything else. The best way to be certain that the bread won’t stick is to form the loaf on a sheet of parchment paper and lift the bread into the pan using the sides of the parchment. Leave the paper in the pan. It’s won’t burn. When the bread has baked, just lift the sides of the parchment out of the pan. Voila!
Q: What temperature should my water be?
A: I just use cool water straight from the tap.
Q: Can I add sugar?
A: Sure.
My most recipe comment that will be so helpful to all of you. Thank you so much, Cory – Falling Star Lane:
Hi! Me again! I have some input – mostly add in ideas that have been huge hits! I found that using the parchment makes all the difference – to any loaf, it makes it easy to put in and take out and never burns.
Also, I reduced the baking time by 5 minutes for each step – more tender bred, and just as crispy crust.
I also add 1 T of raw sugar to each loaf – they rise higher for me.
As to add ins –
1. Turkey bacon and cheddar – huge hit
2. Rosemary, feta and sundried tomatoes – i found the ones in oil to bring a fantastic flavor
3. Jalapeno, and pepper jack – wow!!! used canned peppers – small can
4. Chocolate and cranberry
5. Rosemary and sharp cheddar
6. Chocolate chip and orange infused cranberries
7. Apricot, cranberry, and chocolate – I put too much in – so i had very dense bread – but it got eaten!!
8. Rosemary and Feta
9. Marinated artichokes and raw garlic – sliced 6 cloves very thinly – oh boy!
10. Orange infused cranberry, almond and orange zest
11. Lemon zest, feta, and rosemary
S0 far, none have been rejected, and I have become something of a bread baker to my friends – I bring a couple varieties to potluck, and they are very nicely received! I still need a 2nd dutch oven – days i bake 3-5 loaves it gets pretty hot around here! 🙂
I hope listing these is ok – i spent soooo long scrolling thru to see other peoples ideas, it seemed like this would be a good thing – found a few to try, and in fact making a pistachio and cranberry tonite, and an olive mozerella – new is good – but i get asked for the Jalapeno one most often!!
Thanks again for this blog post!
Most of the comments I receive are pretty fabulous like this comment. Keep them coming.
Since the first time a made this bread I can not longer go to my parent´s home without AT LEAST one loaf. It´s crazy good, and the last time (I put cantimpalo and onion in it) only last five minutes on the table!!
Thanks for sharing a fabulous idea.
Janet you are the best!
I made my very first loaves (3) for Christmas and everyone LOVED them. Thank you soo much, I made 1 plain, 1 italian seasoning, 1 whole wheat (2 cups whole flour and 1 cup all purpose) I might have sprinkled a little more yeast so it raised beautifully! Thank you sooo much. Merry Christmas and Happy New year!
XOXO
Can the dry ingredients be put into a plastic bag say? And given to someone ( not to sell as a gift) ?
I just picked up some coconut flour the other day 🙂 I will have to try a gluten-free version of this bread now! I will mess around with the recipe a little bit and see what happens…
Nicole, I would very much like to know how this goes for you. My mother-in-law is gluten free and I would love to bake some for her.
Hi, I was curious how the coconut flour turned out?
can I use rye flour, and if so, how much?
I tried a Rye loaf. It didn't rise as high. It was actually pretty flat with hardly any air bubbles, but I loved the flavor. I didn't play around with it too much. I really should because I love Rye bread.
Rye is a lower-gluten flour so you would need to use about 1/4 rye and 3/4 wheat to get enough gluten to make a decent-rising yeast bread. The gluten is what provides the framework for the rising. You may also find that part of what you actually like is the caraway taste that we often associate with rye bread, so adding a few caraway seeds or crushing them up into your dough may give you the flavor, combined with replacing about 3/4 cups of your flour with rye flour….. 🙂
To make Rye Bread, use 2 cups White flour and 1 cup Rye flour. It comes out Great! Use the same amounts for Wheat bread.
I know this is an older message but this might help someone.
If you substitute flour like rye, whole wheat, etc. there is less gluten in those flours, thus the flour doesn't rise as high. Buy some Wheat Gluten (its in the baking section, sometimes called Vital Wheat Gluten). You can also find it in Natural Food Stores or the Natural Foods Section in the store.
For every cup of flour you substitute regular white flour with a different type of flour, take out 1-3 Tablespoons of your "other" flour and add in that much gluten.
Voila! Your bread will rise beautifully. 🙂
The gluten is the stuff that traps the air bubbles that the yeast creates, and that is what gives bread its rise and character. Taking out gluten decreases the air-trapping factor, thus lower rise bread. That is also why there are many breads that are marked "Better For Bread". Their protein count (ie, gluten) is higher, thus making them better for trapping the yeast borne gas. 🙂
I make a rye loaf that turns out pretty good. Use 3/4C rye four and 2-1/4C bread flour. 1T caraway seeds make it tasty. Add 3T vital wheat gluten which will help it rise and make the crumb nice and airy, full of pockets.
I have a cast iron pan but it is only about a 3 quart, I think. Do you think I could cut the dough in half and make smaller loaves back to back?
Love your blog by the way!!
Tracey
Sure. You could, also, make the full recipe then just bake half of the dough at a time. You would have 2 small loaves. I would think that your baking time would be less. Watch it carefully so it doesn't burn.
I have the 3 1/2 quart Oval Le Creuset, and the loaf fits in perfectly without making any adjustments if you want just one big loaf. (it just has more of an oval shape, but not much.) My family and friends love this!
I have two 3 1/2 qt. cast iron pots: A taller Cuisinart and a wider Chantal. The recipe fits perfectly in both. I actually like the taller Cuisinart because the bread has less room to spread out and turns out higher. I was worried that the 3 1/2 qt. pots would be too small, but they are most definitely not!
Wha, wha, I followed the recipe exactly and mine didn't rise very much after 17-1/2 hours. The yeast was new with a 2013 exp date and the water was not cold nor hot….what/where did I go wrong?
Did the dough every look like it was kind of bubbly? Generally after several hours it looks like a sourdough sponge that starts to bubble…kind of. I would start by adding 1/4 cup more flour. How fresh is your flour? I use to buy store brand, whatever was on sale flour. I had a terrible time with my breads. I changed to a flour that was consistent with it's protein content. If you have King Arthur flour available, that might be a good start. Try some good all-purpose unbleached flour. This is a start. Let me know what happens.
Sometimes chlorinated water affects the yeast. Try using spring water if you don't have well water.
Cindy B
I made my first loaf with All-purpose Gold Medal Unbleached flour and it was a little soggy & hard to shape into a ball – but still turned out okay. Then I made two more loaves with King Arthur unbleached bread flour…bingo!
A little off subject- Janet – do you think brand name sugar makes a difference in your baking & if so which brand do you recommend? Thanks!
If you used a metal bowl that might be the problem. for some reason it affects the yeast.
If you seal the plastic wrap to tight (or put it in Tupperware), the bread can not get any air and will not rise.
I am making a rosemary and roasted garlic loaf tonite, I will let u know how it comes out, I can only imagine that it is going to be great.
Oh Yum. I can't wait to hear about the results.
I'm on my third batch of Fresh Rosemary, roasted garlic, and parmesan! I can't try anything else because everyone just wants this kind!!! It's rising right now and my mouth is WATERING!!!
I did this one last night and it was "freaking good" according to my family!
I did this and it was a huge hit with my friends. (I know that this is a year old. Sorry.)
If i double the recipe to make a larger loaf, how much baking time should I add?
I think that I would make two separate loaves instead of one large one. I just worry about the bottom getting to dark with and extended cooking time. I reuse the same pan when baking two loaves. Once one loaf is removed I just plop the other dough into the same pot, put the lid on and start the timer and repeat the process. I hope this helps.
Yay! I did it! Thank you for the recipe! We are getting excited to eat it and make the herb butter on your blog!:)
This is a perfect match for the herb butter. Oh yum!
Love it! So amazing! I have made two loaves. One all white flour no mix ins and one 2 parts white flour 1 part wheat. Amazing!
Thanks for sharing. So great to hear success stories.
A note to Lodge Dutch Oven users: the pot cannot be heated empty, so fill it about 1/3 full with water for the 30 minute heat up phase. Dump out the water after the pot is hot and you go to put your bread in.
Great advice. Thanks, Kate.
If it is a aLodge enamel covered pan it has to have water. The regular cast iron & seasoned cast iron are fine.
Whoa, thanks! I've been doing this wrong, since that's the brand I have. Good to know from now on!!
I heat my Lodge enamel-cast iron pot without the lid and it does just fine. Remember, too, that it's made in USA (Tennessee). WM has similar but made in China. No, I don't work for Lodge!
Bread is fantastic. All the blogs are so helpful. Thanks to all of you.
I have a Lodge brand and knew to take the knob off as it is only good for up to 400 degrees, but had no idea about the pre-heating with it empty. I have done this about 3 times and the pan seems fine. Not sure if need to start using water or not.
Nonsense, cast iron can be heated empty or full.
I have preheated my Lodge Dutch Oven with no problems. It initially smokes a little but after that no problem.
What problems have you experienced with preheating?
Thanks
Ok… I've got a whole grain version shaggy 🙂 I'm not a whole grain expert, so I went to whole foods and bought 50cents worth of about 6-7 kinds. I also got some whole oats to put on top. I used 2C white wheat and 1C whole wheat, so I had to add a little bit of water. Maybe a couple of extra tablespoons. Does it sound like I'm on the right track?
Kathe in IL
Way to play with this recipe. I can't wait to hear about the results. Sounds amazing!
So, my first try bombed. I went back and read every comment for ideas and then made a few modifications for round two. I added 1T each sugar and vital wheat gluten. Then I did NOT add extra water. It looked less shaggy at first, more like a regular bread dough, but it looked right after the overnight rise. I also let it rise on the counter for an hour before I baked it. I now have a beautiful, crusty, gorgeous, yummy loaf of whole wheat whole grain bread! Go me!!
Thanks Janet 🙂 your blog is a lot of fun to read –
Kathe
I used 2 1/2 cups of unbleached bread flour and 1/2 cup of whole wheat bread flour and my grown sons thought it tasted like a store bought Artisan bread! (High complement in deed!). It was delicious!
Also, for anyone with a Meijers near them – they had 5 qt enameled cast iron casseroles on clearance for $15.99. I bought a bunch for myself , my boys, and for friends 🙂
Kathe
Oh dear making bread is my passion, i've just made this loaf for the first time, i missed kneading it i love doing that, so i was quite happy for this bread to be a failure, i thought the amount of yeast 1/2TSP would quarentee failure, no chance this is the absolute best loaf to date i've made, real crusty crust, airey light crumb, oh and by the way i don't understand bleached or unbleached flour so i just used my strong white bread flour, beautiful loaf.
YES! Another one hooked. Thank you for trying the recipe when in doubt. I loved your comment.
Sounds like you are from the UK… you will probably get even better results using plain flour, or 2/3 plain flour and 1/3 strong flour to give you a flour protein around 12%. (All UK flour is unbleached btw)
Hi, everyone. I know there are a lot of questions about whether or not this recipe can be tried gluten free. Just wanted to say, I did the recipe with gluten free flour blend (2 parts brown rice flour, 2/3 potato starch, and 1/3 tapioca starch), and it turned out great! I will say, however, it's not very good the next day. So if you're doing it gluten free, I would suggest eating it still warm from the oven. Also, don't forget to add some xanthan gum or similar product to keep the bread together; otherwise, you will have a crumbly mess. Has anyone tried to make these into small rolls, instead of loaves?
This entry is from Blair:
We love you!! Thanks for giving GF a try. This will be extremely valuable information for many readers.
From Anon:
Made the bread this morning using whole wheat flour. It is awesome! I used a cast iron Dutch oven. I brought used for about $30 at a flea market. Cleaned it up, seasoned it, and it worked like a charm.
Thank you so much for sharing your success story. I love hearing that the whole wheat works well.
I followed the recipe EXACTLY! and my dough looked exactly like yours in the pictures at each step! I let it rise for about 18 hours and it was GREAT! … Until I dumped it out of the bowl… Then it just went flat.. shapeless… blob.. I did put the blob into the heated pan and baked it for 30 minutes.. and it came out golden.. and crusty and smelling delicious… AND FLAT AND SHAPELESS! … What did I do wrong? =(
OH dear. This makes me sad. When you dumped the dough out did you knead it at all? I try not to fuss with it too much. I use my dough scraper to shape it into a somewhat round loaf. I don't deflate the bubbles out of the dough. Try adding 1/4 cup more flour to see if it will give your bread more substance. One other suggestion is to add 1/4 cup sunflower seeds, 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds and two tablespoons poppy seeds. This is the best looking loaf I produce. The addition of the seeds gives the bread substance and it's a bit firmer to work with. Tastes great as well. Let me know if this helps. 🙁
Hi,
I have made this recipe several times now. I had your trouble the first two times. I changed to the instant yeast and let the bread rest a full 30 minutes before putting it in the heated pot and since then I have had no trouble. It comes out great. The flat loaves tasted good, but were flat.
I have also been making a double batch of whole wheat. I use two tablespoons of honey, and half whole wheat flour with half unbleached all purpose. I have used several types of flour, bread flour, all purpose and whole wheat with no problems (it all depended on what I had in the pantry).
Great recipe, thanks
Thank you so much for the helpful tips. It's great to hear that most flours work. I think this is pretty much fool-proof.
Well I followed the directions exactly as the recipe states, and my dough looked exactly like the pictures here! I let it sit in a covered bowl to rise for about 18 hours and when I was ready to bake it it looked just like your picture here of your dough after it had risen. I preheated the oven, then the pan and went to dump my bowl of dough onto the flour covered counter and it just went totally flat.. it was a blob that I could do NOTHING with, it would not stay in a round shape at all.. I put my blob into the pan and baked it for 30 minutes just as the recipe says and it came out smelling lovely, looking crusty, golden… and flat and shapeless.. Any ideas what I did wrong? The yeast was in date so I don't think that's the problem… ??? =(
I wish I could just run over to your house and check out your dough. Flour can be a huge part of a baked item turning out or not. If the dough raised well, then we know it isn't the yeast. The dough pretty much is a blob. The first time I made it, the dough stuck to my hands fingers and anything it came it contact with, but the end result was successful. Try again. Don't give up. Keep in touch.
I've made five loaves, the first three turned out great. The last three were flat and heavy. I feel I've done everything the same. What should I change????
In the Lahey book there is a second rise after the 18 hours. After the 18 hours you fold into shape and then rest another 1-2 hours.
Made this bread today for the first time and it turned out great! I added cinnamon, sugar, and raisins. I used an old cast iron dutch oven (not sure of the brand), which had already been "seasoned." It produced a lot of smoke during the pre-heating phase. The bread was already quite brown when I removed the lid, so I did not need to add the 15 min. uncovered baking time. Question: Should I reduce the oven temperature, or maybe just reduce the baking time at 450? Did notice that the crust tasted slightly burned.
Sometimes that old cast iron still has some oil left in it from seasoning and other cooking. It can really smoke up a storm. I have placed my old dutch ovens out on my grill and close the lid until the old grease has smoked off. That helps it from smoking up my bread. That old oil can also leave a rancid taste in the pot that transfers to food. Heating it up is a good idea. You can try adjusting the temp down 25 degrees. I hope that helps or preheating it for 20 minutes instead of 30.
Does anyone know if you can put your crock pot insert in the oven with the lid? I know the glas can take the heat, but I wasn't sure about he handle. I don't want to ruin my handle, but I really wan to try this bread!
I believe that everyone that has tried this removes the handle or knob from the lid.
I have read about this before, Yes take your plastic handles off. Go to a hardware store and replace yours with one that can take the heat. I may have read this tip in "Mother Earth" magazine, they have an issue that is all about breads.
I have used my crock pot instert many times for this bread. I simply put the dough in and then cover with foil instead of the lid. The bread comes out great every time!
Yikes. I just mixed up my first loaf and it's rising now but I forgot to activate the yeast with warm water. I used warm water in the dough so hopefully it will rise…. :/
Let us know if you still have success. I think it will still work.
I did the same thing and it turned out fine. I'm about to make another and try activating the yeast and see if it makes much of a difference
I thought you didn't have to activate the yeast!
Now I'm confused. No where in the directions or the pictures does it say to activate the yeast with warm water. Help!
Maybe in the recipe on the original post you should put that you use the instant or rapid rise yeast and that if using regular yeast to activate in warm water first. I did the same thing and am hoping it rises too. Thanks for the recipe! Can't wait to try it (and will try it again and let the yeast activate if this one doesn't work!)
Lahey uses water which is 55 – 65 degrees. I just mix it all together and don't activate the yeast separately.
I've tried making this bread twice and while it always tastes good, it always falls flat when I put it out onto the floured surface before baking it and it doesn't look like yours above when covered by the plastic wrap on the counter. It also doesn't seem to rise when in the oven. One thing I have noticed is that when it's rising in the bowl for the 12-18 hours, it looks like your above picture by 6-8 hours. By the time it gets to the 12-18 hours it looks like its falling. What am I doing wrong? Thanks for anyone's help!
Your kitchen is too warm!! It happend to me with the 2nd loaf…
After a while, the yeast will eat all the sugar available y then it will start to produce alcohol instead carbon dioxide. The alcohol kills the yeast and then the dough collapses.
There you have it. You could, also, try reducing the rising time if you find your kitchen is too warm. I have only had this happen when I used rye flour. It is frustrating. Keep trying it will work out.
This is really interesting! We living Oklahoma where it's 80+ degrees 10 months of the year, and we keep our house at about 80 degrees during the heat to keep energy costs down. I noticed that 8-10 hours is really the best rising time for me, it starts getting a bit flat after that, but I didn't really know why. I bet this might be why? Thanks for the new forum page, Janet! I love this bread!
I live in AZ where it's pretty warm all year, too. In December, my ideal rise time was 12 hours. By 13, it starts to fall. My family absolutely loves this bread! 🙂
I must say that I live in southern NM and I ran into the same problem, our house is usually very warm. However, I did find that when the bread essentially over proofed because it was too warm it tasted like a yummy sourdough instead. Everyone still loved it 🙂
I tried this recipe last month and became an instant fan! I found myself at the King Arthur Flour store in VT last week, and bought a bag of their "Instant Sourdough Flavor," thinking that might be a nice addition to the recipe. I found that you need to add about 50-100% more than is called for to get the sourdough flavor to come through (they suggest 1 tsp. per cup of flour, I used a tablespoon and a half last time, will try 2 tbsp. next time). The two batches I've made so far came out a bit flatter…not sure if that is a result of the significant humidity we have had lately, or if it's the flavoring. Next time I'm going to add 1/4 more flour and see if that helps. Anyone who is interested in trying it can order the flour from the King Arthur Flour website.
Thank you so much for the tip. I wish I could find myself in King Arthur Flour store. I was in VT for a "whisk-a-way" weekend at NECI (so much fun) with my sister and a friend. We stopped in King Arthur and literally filled the trunk of our rental car with fabulous finds. When we were checking in our luggage and man lifted my suitcase and asked if I was taking home New Hampshire granite. I laughed and said Vermont maple syrup and king arthur flour. He slapped a "heavy" sticker on my bag. Sorry you just flooded my head with fabulous memories. Next time I place an order I will try the sour dough flavor. Just keep playing with that dough. You'll get it to work.
I LOVE King Arthur Flour ( and VT, where I live)!!! I "find" myself inNorwich once a year and do mail order inbetween.
All I can say is AMAZING!!! I couldn't wait for it to cool down, with Peanut Butter it was so good!! I can't wait to make more with the "add in's" Thank you!!
Please pass on any great "add-in" ideas. Peanut Butter??? Yum!
peanuts and dried blueberries. I call it my "peanut butter and jelly bread"
In the process of making my first loaf, super excited to try it out on my co-workers. Will be using my Grandpas old cast iron Dutch oven that has been collecting dust for years, he would be thrilled to know it us bring used again. Cannot wait for the a.m.!
Let us know how your bread turned out. My fingers are crossed.
I just want the recipe without all the comments.
ditto!
copy, cut & paste onto word
http://simplysogood.blogspot.com/2010/03/crusty-bread.html
Copy this address and paste it in your web address area, it will take you to the recipe! It is also posted at the top of this page in the article.
I have become an official family bread baker in our home thanks to your blog. I have played around with cheeses, fruits and seasoning. I even did a fajita seasoned bread which was a hit! The loaves barely have time to cool and the cutting begins! Thank you !!!
This bread recipe has been my absolute favorite find to date! I posted early about using my Grandfathers cast iron dutch oven, I am happy to report it turned out beautifully! My first venture was the regular bread, then today I made two more loaves one was your Cranberry, Almond, Orange zest. I served C,A,O bread at breakfast and within minutes it was gone. I then served a Cheddar, Black Olive loaf with lunch and again I was met with an empty serving bowl after a few short minutes. Everyone wants the recipe and ask where I got it, I tell them Pinterest and they are shocked, I have given several eager people your blog page, much excitement in our building over these breads. Thanks for the share!!!
All my Le Creusets love SoftScrub.
You asked about cleaning your lovely Le Creuset pot. I agree with you I love mine. It is really precious to me. Chef's catalog has an enamel cleanser and it is what I use to keep my pieces clean. So worth the price. I love the recipe
I use Oxiclean to soak the pan… comes out awesome.
I just use baking powder mixed w a little bit of water to make a paste, and just scrub when the pot is a little warm (or warmed up under hot water)
I use Barkeepers. It comes as a powder for similar to Ajax or a liquid form. I prefer the powder form. It's safe on all metals and glass.
Just pinned your recipe on Pinterest and I want to try the raisin, walnut & cinnamon bread.
My question is how much of these ingredients go into the flour mixture before adding the liquid
Just mixed my first batch cant wait to be able to bake it tomorrow – Annette (U.K.)
Janet, thank you for the great recipe!!! I have been making bread everyday, so excited to try different ones. So far I have made regular and Cinn. and sugar….put cinn. in the bread and when ready to cook, I sprinkled sugar and cinn on top…..it was so yummy was gone in about 5 min.
Thank you for such wonderful ideas and comments about cleaning pots. I can't believe what fabulous bakers you all are. Your mix-ins sound fabulous. I'm trying them all.
In the instructions for my Le Creuset oven, it states that the "black phenolic lid knobs have maximum use temperature 375 degrees F". But your picture shows them in your oven. I assume you have had no damage at the excessive temperatures? Thanks. I am trying the recipe right now but was concerned for the lid.
I seriously have not had any damage to my pots and my black knob is in good condition.
I just made my first loaf tonight, and it came out fabulous! But, sadly, my black nob lid did crack while it was heating up. Oh well! Just mixed up a double batch for tomorrow. Can't wait to try all the different "add-ins"
You can buy a stainless steel knob from Amazon that will hold up under any oven temperature. Just search for "le creuset knob replacement." That's what I did for my Rachel Ray plastic knob which was only rated to 350 degrees.
Thanks for the help re replacement nob. I will try out for one as I hate to damage my gear.
Just adding to that, when I bought my Le Creuset last year, the store told me the black nobs were okay up to 450*. I purchased a stainless one just in case, but I never made the switch. I have made this bread multiple times (with AWESOME results) and my pot and knob are both still in perfect condition. I hope that helps! 🙂
I bought a 5 and half quart Food Network brand dutch oven from Kohl's, which has a stainless steel knob and it's oven safe to 500°F. Perfect for baking bread! :o)
My le creuset knob melted at 425* and smoked up the kitchen! but the bread was fine! Now how to get the melted plastic mess off my pan lid?
LC makes two different black knobs!! One is only guaranteed to 375. But… you can replace the knob very inexpensively in any hardware store, just use an all-metal cabinet knob.
Love you post, I am SO trying this! BTW I love my L cast iron pot too! All you need to do to clean them is combine some baking soda with water to make a past, gently scrub that in and on you pot, I use a sponge. You can then rinse off or let it sit for a few minutes, they should shine up quite a bit…you may have to repeat that process a few times before your pots are back in ship shape order.
-Ashley
Love it, love it. this recipe is awesome. I added minced garlic with parmesan cheese. Yum! my son ate up almost the entire loave. Today I am making bacan bits, monterey jack cheese and raw sunflower seeds. I cannot wait to taste it.
Thank you for sharing.
Just found this recipe via Pinterest and now have two loaves proofing on the counter. One plain and one black pepper parmesan. The dough was a little wet so I added a bit more flour, but was afraid to add too much. Guess I'll see how it turns out. Very excited to try many variations of this recipe! Thanks, Janet, for a great blog!
~Merridith
Please report back and let me how your bread turns out.
Hey Janet. Did you know the guy who developed this recipe has amended it for a shorter proof time of about 4 hours? He did a video with a gentleman from NYT's. The recipe is SLIGHTLY different.
Thank you so much, Anon. Everyone should watch this. So fun to see. I'll try the changes and report.
My mom, grandmother, and I have made this several times now and in several flavors. We've shared it with several people. It's so good. We bought a bag of shredded cheese for one loaf and had the best toast for breakfast ever. Even just the plain loaf was fantastic bread!
I really like baking it in stoneware – there's no clean up – dust off the flour once it's cool. We have a big stone bowl with a lid that we have made large loaves in – we also usually proof it in a big ole' tupperware bowl.
Thanks so much for your recipe! It's a family fave!
Thank your for sharing your ideas. I guess I need to invest in stoneware.
Glad to see someone using stoneware. I plan to use my Pampered Chef stoneware baker for my first go at this recipe. Can't wait!
Just sliced my bread and it is sooooo good…. want to submit a photo, but don't know how to do that…….
Hmmm. Email me with an attachment to simplysogood@hotmail.com I'd love to see it.
I'm so excited to try this! My mom-in-law is here and she's vegan. The base recipe definitely qualifies as vegan acceptable! Yeah! Another recipe I can serve when she's here!
For great Vegan recipes click the link "my new roots". It's listed on the blogs I follow. She has a Vegan Cashew Corn Chowder that is simply AMAZING!!!! She has many wonderful vegan recipes as well. Good luck with that Mother-in-law.
We love bread in our house and once I saw this recipe I knew I had to try it! I just took my first loaf out of the oven and I am amazed that I actually created this wonderful smelling masterpiece! Can't wait to try different flavors!
You are such a great baker. Way to rock the bread.
i have made this bread several times and tried a bread using Herbs de Provence and it was delicious. The hint of lavender made it a good bread to eat with butter and/or marmalades and coffee. I can get really carried away eat it warm right out of the oven.
LOOOVE lavender. I'm going to have to try that one. Thanks for sharing.
I recently was fising on-line for no-bake recipes, found yours and another one using pilsner beer. Now I cannot find the beer one, after I went out and bought a six pack of the beer. I don't usually drink beer.
Hahaha. Let me know if you try the beer version. Does it give the bread more of a sourdough flavor. I would think that it would.
I tried brioche dough from this blog: http://www.artisanbreadinfive.com/2008/09/24/brioche-dough-recipe-and-all-of-its-wonderful-uses
I treated it the same way I would the no-knead bread recipe. The dough was pretty lumpy. It made a ton and after refrigeration it was still very sticking. I just quickly made the dough into cinnamon rolls. The tasted really good. I'm going to play around with the recipe and tweek it a bit here and there. It makes a ton of dough, but it can sit in the refrigerator for 5 days. It has potential. I ordered the cookbook hopefully after I read that I will produce a better brioche. I keep you all informed.
Oh dear… I'm so worried. My dough was not shaggy at all and very goopy. I have my fingers crossed for it to be ok, but right now it's just sitting at the bottom of my bowl in a soupy pool?
I used good quality flour and active dry yeast! :/
Uh oh 🙁 You may need to add more flour. Try 1/4 cup more and let me know if that helps.
Just want to know if you can divide the dough into individual servings…like buns?
Sure can. I baked them on a pizza stone. They turned out just great. You can check out the post at: http://simplysogood.blogspot.com/2012/05/another-use-for-no-knead-bread-dough.html
I have been making this bread…daily! We've had carmelized onion with swiss cheese, jalapeno with jack cheese, rosemary herb bread, sun dried tomato with smoked provolone, pumpkin spice (I added raisens)…every loaf is a huge hit!
Oh yum pumpkin spice. Love it. In fact I think I might try adding 1/2 cup pumpkin puree with the water and throw in some pecans. Thanks for inspiring me with your fabulous ideas.
This has become my go-to bread, it is so incredible. A friend told me that it was published by Mark Bittman (How to Cook Everything, The Minimalist in NY times), although as you say, it has been around. Thanks!
So is it Mark Bittman or Jim Lahey??? Anyone know??
I believe, the original recipe was by Jim Lahey, and Mark Bittman did an interview with him and made it go viral. I just got a dutch oven for Christmas and this bread recipe was the first I got to try in it! So delicious! I have a loaf of roasted garlic and rosemary rising now! We'll see how it comes out.
According to the video above, its Jim Lahey's recipe, Mark Bittman published it under his byline in the NYT.
Jim Lahey. Mark Bittman did put the recipe in the Times but the recipe is that of Jim's.
jim lahey as reported and videotaped with and by Mark Bittman of the times. great job with the rolls, i need to try that and with the tomatoes!
i too haven't had my LC black knob crack yet. also getting very discolored in the pot now that I've been making bread. i was surprised because roasts don't discolor it, but a hunk of dough that plops in and out turns it all kinds of brown??
You mentioned that one could use an inverted Crockpot insert on top of a bread/pizza stone in lieu of the fancy enamel-covered cast iron. I looked on the Crockpot website, and they say that their inserts are only rated to 400 degrees F, which is less than the 450 degrees F required for the recipe. Has anyone chosen this route, and if so, did the insert withstand this extra 50 degrees?
I have not tried a crockpot insert. Those who have tried it, do remove the knob off of the lid. They haven't mentioned having any trouble with the insert cracking or heat issues. If you are concerned, try lowering the heat 50 degrees and add a few minutes of additional baking time before removing the lid. I hope this helps.
I use my crockpot insert with it's own glass lid ( the handle is glass as well) and have not had any problem with heating up to 450 empty or baking the bread… For the past 5-6 years! I don't have the directions to my old crock either!
I, too, have used my crock insert with all-glass lid and so far have had no problems. (though I secretly wish I might so I would have a good excuse to get a beautiful new enamel coated cast iron pot, lol!)
-Renee
I would love to make smaller loaves to use a bread bowls for soup. Any suggestions, such as adjustments for baking time?
If you divide the dough into 4th's, you could cut the baking time down to 20 minutes covered then just keep watching until they are golden brown. I made some individual rounds on a pizza stone and didn't cover them. They weren't as crusty, however.
Hello- I can't wait to try this. Looks fabulous!
My question, I was looking at cast iron pans in Marshalls and they had a Cuisinart brand one that was good up to 500 degrees but the lid only to 350? It wad a hard plastic handle but it looks like the Le Cruset ones do too? Do you even care?,It's fine or will the handle melt? I was thinking about using my pizza stone and a pyrex bowl but they all have warnings about cracking/exploding glass.
I was thinking about using a baking dish and tin foil but not sure how good it would come out. Love that crusty bread!
You can remove the plastic knob from the lid. You can cover the pot with aluminum foil. I believe the person that tried the pizza stone covered the bread with a stainless steal bowl. I don't think I'd chance pyrex exploding. That's a huge mess. Scroll up and Steve put up a link to buy a stainless steal knob for the lid of Le Creuset on Amazon. Good luck.
Hi!
Does anyone know if this bread freezes well? It sounds like it'd be a great gift and so easy to make a bunch at a time!
Thanks!
It does freeze quite well. Just make sure you take it out of a plastic bag to thaw. That way the crust will remain chewy instead of going soft.
I have made this wonderful bread several times and have been delighted each time I have taken it out of the oven. I live in the mountains at 7000 feet and even though I often baked bread when I lived "down below" have been unsuccessful up here until this recipe came into my life. I use Fleischmann's Active Dry Yeast in the jar and King Arthur's bread flour. Not sure if this makes any difference. I do bake the bread in my vintage Descoware (pre Le Creuset) dutch oven. Thanks so much for this recipe!
Thank you for sharing your success. I'm sure King Arthur flour plays a big part in your bread turning out so well. I'm a believer in good quality flour. Happy baking way up there.
Oh my gosh! I made this today. I was SO nervous to take the lid off after the initial 30 minutes that I'm pretty certain I wasn't breathing! IT WAS BEAUTIFUL! Wow! My lovely round loaf is cooling right now and I can't wait to see if the taste lives up to the comments! My head is swirling with the possibilities!!! I have a loaf of cinnamon raisin rising right now because I just couldn't wait to make more! Thank you, thank you for this recipe!!
Oh my gosh! I'm so excited for you…really! Make sure you pass on whatever swirls through your head. Thanks for sharing.
I agree with Cori! I made this today and it was delicious!!! Both my boyfriend and I loved it! I'm so excited to try the different possibilities! He got all excited when I mentioned trying the jalapeno pepperjack! I also wonder how the rosemary feta is and maybe more of a dessert one with white chocolate chips and cranberries!
Thanks again!!
I love, love, love this recipe! Made it the normal way sevwral times and always turns out perfect! However, I got kinda lazy reading through all the posts, I am curious about the add-ins. Do you add at the beginning? How do you decide how much of each ingredient to put in? I aleays double the batch since it never last long. Thanks for a great recipe!
You put the add-ins at the same time as the flour, salt and yeast. Add water and let it sit. The amounts depend on your own personal taste. For cubed cheese, chocolate chips, nuts and add anywhere from 1/2 cup to 1 cup. Depends on how loaded you want your bread.
I didn't have unbleached flour, so I made it with regular all-purpose flour. I just took it out of the oven, and it is so good. I added lemon zest, rosemary, and sharp cheddar to my recipe. OH-MY-GOODNESS!! I just had a slice with butter and honey. I'm thinking it might not make it until my hubby gets home at 6:00 p.m. 🙂 Thank you so much for the recipe. This may replace some of my candy and cake balls for Christmas gifts this year!
Sherri
Oh my yum!
can you freeze this bread, and if so, what is the best way to thaw it out so that it maintains it's crispy crust and tender inside?
You can freeze the bread in a plastic bag. Just remove from the bag to thaw to help maintain the crisp crust.
Tried it … great bread. One thing, crust was way crusty. Almost too crusty to cut. Was my oven too hot maybe? Can't wait to try the variations.
It is pretty crusty and can be tough to slice. You can try putting it to cool on a cutting board rather than a cooling rack. I think it would soften up the bottom crust a bit. You could, also, try only preheating the pan for 20 minutes instead of 30. I hope this helps.
I had same problem. I lowered to 425. and only 5 min. after took lid off. it turned out beautiful. Love that bread. Cant wait to try some of the flavored ones.
I know most people are saying the bread doesn't last long in their homes… but, here with just the two of us…. how would you store it for the next day without loosing the qualities of the bread?
Anyone try the new faster rising Lahey recipe for this bread?
He uses the basic recipe and adds a 1/4 tsp of red wine vinegar and uses hot water instead of the tepid. Rise time is 3-4 hours vs. the 12 – 18.
It is hard to store and retain the same crisp crust. I leave the bread cut side down on a cutting board then cover the bread with a clean dish cloth. That works for a day.
I actually DID try the rapid rise method just this past Saturday. I actually loved it. I had forgotten how much red wine vinegar to use so I threw in 1 tablespoon. I loved the texture and flavor of the bread. Yes I did notice a difference. I even noticed that the bread had more of an uneven texture with large holes, that I just loved. It worked great. I did let it rise for about 7 hours, just because that's when I got around to baking it.
We put this in a brown paper bag, and loosely closed it. The bread crust doesn't soften, and it still remains tender the next day. It doesn't last more than 3 days around here, with just the two of us!
I place the bread cut side down in a large brown paper bag and use a clip to keep the bag closed, that seems to keep the bread crisp.
Ken
I haven't read all the posts but felt that probably no one had mentioned using einkorn flour in their bread yet. I tried it today. It's very nice – nice taste, crust and chewy.
Einkorn is a cousin to emmer wheat, which is the ancestor of modern wheat. Einkorn has more beta-carotene in it and has a higher protein content – thus makes a denser bread. It is much more expensive, and harder to find, but creates less insulin resistance than modern wheat. In the States, Jovial is one supplier. I get my grain (which I usually grind in my home mill) from Prime Grains in Saskatchewan.
I reduced the salt to 1 tsp but still found it too salty (maybe because of the salt in the butter I spread on it – yum!)but I would reduce the salt again to 1/2 tsp. I increased the yeast to a scant tsp. I used parchment paper and a round metal enamel roasting pan that most people have. Since I'm assuming that the thinner metal heat faster, I only pre-heated the pan for 15 minutes.
I think my total "overnight" time was about 13 hours.
I took a couple of photos but don't know where to put them, if anyone is interested in seeing them. It mostly looks like regular bread – a bit different in colour.
I found your post most fascinating. I have never heard of Einkorn OR Emmer wheat. I'm going to start looking for it. Thank you so much for the tip. Salt is definitely a subjective ingredient. I agree with you, I don't love the bread too salty. My altitude requires a bit more salt to flavor foods. I generally reduce like you do. Thank you so much for opening my eyes to a different grain.
I will be trying this bread very soon and I'm super excited. So if you had to choose the rapid rise vs. the method you've been doing all this time, which would you choose?? I'm so impressed with your keeping up on all these comments and questions, thank you so much. You are committed to our success with bread! 🙂
Either. It depends on your schedule. If you find it convenient to make before you go to bed because of a busy morning schedule, then do that. Or if you're like me and forget the rapid rise is a great way to go. You should try the vinegar method and let me know what you think. I thought there were large holes in the bread, which my sons's love for grilled cheese sandwiches because the cheese melts through the holes and gets all crispy. My son's are 26 & 30 and still love their grilled cheese. Thanks for your comments.
This is an awesome recipe! I love making bread from scratch for my family and have for several years. But this recipe is much faster and I can mix this and go vs. the waiting and kneading ect. it usually takes several hours. I used whole wheat flour that I grind myself. And this made an amazing loaf as well. I have found that my whole wheat flour is ground much smaller than the whole wheat flour bought in the stores. So bread is a bit more healthy than white flour and just as yummy!
Thank you for your blog….I love it!
I need to perfect my whole wheat version. I personally prefer whole grain breads. Thank you so much for sending us your comments.
I just made this today (I used a stainless steel pasta pot with lid). It looks beautiful and tastes great but I did have similar issues to others with the smooshy blob that baked into a flat loaf. But after having read all the comments I can't wait to make it again! Thanks so much for this awesome recipe!
One question…how do you gauge how much mix-in to add for the single loaf?
Try adding more flour to your dough by 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup. I hope that solves the problem. I add pretty much 1/2 cup to 1 cup of add ins. Depends on how much you like in your bread. I tend to add about 1 1/2 cups cubed cheese. I put in about 1/2 cup nut, raisins, etc.
I LOVE LOVE this bread I have never baked my own bread before, made a double batch my first time and they turned out
great. Made one rosemary asiogo cheese the other plain. Have a pumpkin spice and jalapeno cheddar rising on the counter right now, Thanks so much
I'm just dying to try this recipe it looks fabulously easy. I want to address the problem of your 'well used' cast iron cookware. You asked for hints to clean. I use oven cleaner, spray on Easy-Off. I leave it on for 5 minutes and then wipe off. It'll do the trick. 🙂
Hi Janet! Yesterday, a very, VERY picky Brazilian chef came to dine with us, at a friend´s house. He went ABSOLUTELY NUTS with this bread!! I made the simple version, split in two, rub both loafs with olive oil before cooking and give them a ciabatta shape. Result: crispy bottom, soft silky-shine top and a lot of large holes. Once again, the same problem came to the table: both loafs were gone within five minutes 😉
PS: I made the potato pizza last saturday for a couple of friends (only that I switched the shallots for leeks). Guess what? New Girls´ Night In tradition.Yesterday a very, VERY picky Brazilian chef dine with us at a friend´s house. He went ABSOLUTELY NUTS with this bread.
Oh my if you didn't just make my day!! You must have made some fantastic bread to knock the socks off of this picky chef. Kudos to you.
Thanks! It was a great experience, being able to cook with not only a professional chef, but also a foreing one. Tomorrow after school, i´m trying the whole wheat version, maybe a longer rising time is better? About 24 hours?
clean the outside of your Le Crueset pots with a can of Barkeeper' Friend. It is also super and safe for glass cooktops – gets the cooked on goo without damaging the surface.
or you can use Bon Ami…. works GREAT!
This is officially my new favorite thing! I have made this bread twice in the last week and am having so much fun experimenting with add-ins. Today I made it with raw garlic and shredded parmesan — YUM!!
My question is this (and I tried to search the comments to make sure it wasn't already asked, hope I didn't miss it!): how do you measure your flour? Because I tend to fluff my flour up in the cannister, then sprinkle it into the measuring cup and lightly, carefully level it off, so I am never packing or shaking down my flour to level it. My breads are coming out fantastic but FLAT, and the second time I made it I used 1/4 c. less water which helped but it still wasn't right. I'm wondering if maybe you are using more flour than me simply because of how we might be measuring it out differently?
I pretty much measure my flour the same way you do. I do not pack in the flour. I lighten up the flour by stirring it a bit then gently shake off the excess. You may want to try a bit more flour into your recipe next time. That should do the trick. Use any where from 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup more flour.
Just found this on Pinterest and am excited to try my first loaf of homemade bread…EVER! Has anyone used a clay pot for this? I also have a Calphalon dutch oven. I'm not fortunate to own a Le Creuset…yet (HINT to Santa). And from the sounds of it I should probably wait until Texas cools down a bit 😉
Both should work. I'm not sure if the dough sticks to these surfaces. You may want to try some parchment in the bottom to prevent sticking. Other than that…happy baking.
Yes, we'll…this bread is great! All versions have worked for me except……oat flour. The good news is, I have a 5 lb. hockey puck for sale if anyone is interested.
BAHHHHHHH!!!! My family is wondering why I'm laughing. I have produced a few hockey pucks myself. Thanks for sharing the oat flour results. You made my day.
Janet, I just posted on the original thread about GF. Can you move that comment over here or should I repost it?
Hi, just to let you know, don't use the insert from a crockpot to make this bread at the temperature it says to use. I tried making it with my insert and didn't realise until afterwards that a crockpot insert is not meant to cope with that high heat. Mine cracked and is now useless. I'm thinking if you are going to use a crockpot insert you would need to lower the temperature and cook for longer to compensate. Not sure if this would work as I can't try it out now! lol
Oh that just breaks my heart. I'm so sorry about your crockpot. I have not tried that method. I'm glad you posted this comment. It will help others avoid this same heartache.
I tried this recipe, it started off fine, looking like all the pictures, but when I tipped it out the bowl it kind of slopped onto the counter and was crazy sticky! I scraped it into a roundish shape and left it covered for half an hour before dumping it into the pre heated clay pot that I was using. Even after half an hour it wasn't done, and after the time I left it to cook it then wouldn't come out, being stuck to the bottom. Should I have greased the pot before I put it in? And then the inside was still slightly doughy, not like bread, if you press it it stays with your finger print, but the crust was super crunchy, like too hard to cut through! I'm in Scotland so converted the oven temp to 230 degrees celsius. I'd added the cheese, rosemary and lemon zest like suggested, and used active dried yeast instead. Should I have done something differently??
Looks like I need to make a trip to Scotland so I can see what went wrong. Apparently this dough sticks to clay pots. If you have access to parchment paper, I would suggest using that in the bottom of the pot. I just put the dough onto the parchment paper, then lift the paper and sit it into the hot pot. It's ok to bake the parchment in the pot. It won't burn. It just appears that you did everything right. Try adding 1/4 cup more flour. It's possible the dough was just too wet. Increase the baking time with the lid ON. Try 35 minutes with the lid on the remove the lid for an additional 15-20 minutes. If the dough still appears too wet add an additional amount of flour. It could be your humidity, altitude, flour, etc. I hope I have helped in some way. Let me know if you are able to correct the problem. Happy baking, Janet
Maybe the dough was over manipulated after the rising? I get the best bread when I use an enormous amount of flour in my cloth and then I barely touch the loaf.
Oh, and the cornmeal in the bottom of the clay pots, like when you make the pizza, works like a charm.
Just read through all hundred million comments! You are a popular lady, and for good reason! Okay, I tried GF! In fact, I've been making them and selling them at our Farmer's Market for the past 4 weeks. I sell out every time! They are beautiful, but not quite as round and smooth as yours. Can't wait to try leaving it on the parchment paper, what a gooey mess!
I have to increase the water by 50% so I use 2 1/4 C water. I have tried Pamela's Bread Mix and Better Batter Bread Mix, they get pretty close to the same results. The only other alteration that I've had to make is I throw it in my stand mixer and let it go on low for 5 to 10 minutes. When it's GOOD AND BLENDED, I add the extras! The one that I came up with that sells out fastest is the "No Thyme" loaf. It has parsley, sage, rosemary and …. oregano?
WaaLa! Thanks for making "That Gluten Free Lady" look like she knows what she's doin'!
This was posted by Kathleen the gluten free lady. Thank you, Kathleen, so much for the fabulous information.
I just read your narrative and looked at the beautiful pictures. I love BREAD!!
I love to bake. I'll be baking this sometime soon and hope it turns out as goo as it looks.
Anne
Bar Keeper's Friend will help make your pans sparkly clean. Thanks for the wonderful recipe!!
I just took out my first loaf of bread!! It is a beautiful Cheddar/Jalapeno and I have another loaf in now….Cranberry/Pistachio. I would like to make a Cinnamon/Raisin and a pumpkin spice. Any ideas about the amounts of add in ingredients to use for these? Thank you sooo much for your blog….looks like I need to head to Costco for a huge bag of flour to fuel my new obsession!
I'm pretty sure I mentions that I went through 100 lbs of flour in 3 months with this bread baking obsession. I started purchasing 200 lbs at a time from my local Costco. Thanks for your photo's. Fabulous looking bread. I think I used about 1/2 cu raisins, 1/2 walnuts (optional) and at 1 teaspoon cinnamon you can add the same pumpkin pie spice as well. Sounds divine!
Fantastic recipe. Made my first with Rosemary (from my garden), 3 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbps cracked pepper. Wow – it disappeared in the first 10 minutes!
Next batch is almost ready: cranberries, orange zest and walnuts.
I have just GOT to try the cracked pepper. Sounds amazing. Thanks for sharing.
I tried mozzarella and cracked pepper with absolutely awesome results! I am definitely going to try the Rosemary & olive oil!
Janet, I assume you have an electric oven. How would this turn out in a gas convection oven? That is my newest toy. I haven't had much chance to bake in it yet, so don't know the quirks. Anyone else had luck with gas convection and have an idea how to adjust the temperature settings or time? Thanks!
When ever I use convection, I lower the temp by 25 degrees. Time is generally the same.
Thank you! I will try it that way!
This must be miracle bread. My yeast was expired AND I forgot to activate it. So my dough looked fairly limp and flat when I put it into the pan. However, just took the lid off after the first 30 min of baking time and the loaf looks BEAUTIFUL. Smells amazing too. I mixed in garlic powder and dried herbs (basil, dill, rosemary). Cannot wait to taste it! Thanks for such a great recipe!
Yes, it is pretty forgiving. So happy you had success.
Comment from Jayne:
Janet, I tried to read ALL the posts, you are a very popular lady! Just a quick note, when using whole wheat flour add 2 Tbsp. of lemon juice to 4 cups of water. Got this off a Rogers flour bag in Canada. It is a natural dough conditioner when baking with no additive flours. Love all the variations on this bread! I was very fortunate to have my mother-in-law show me how to make bread step by step. I'm sure there are many happy families out there because of this recipe.God bless
Thanks for the great tip Jayne.
There are far too many posts for me to read through to see if anyone else has achieved gluten free success. I made a loaf of bread today using 2 cups of the Cup4Cup gluten free flour (from William Sonoma) and 1 cup of Bob's Red Mill oat flour. I added a little extra xantham gum (the C4C flour has some) to ensure the bread would not be dry and crumbly, especially with using the oat flour. My bread came out wonderful, with a crusty exterior and a lovely, doughy center. Although the bread is a bit more dense than its glutenous counterpart, the taste is reminiscent of my pre-gluten free days. Thank you so much for a wonderful recipe that was not intimidating and easy to follow. After being gluten free for over two years, I finally felt brave enough to try baking my own bread thanks to this recipe, which I found on Pinterest (of course)!
Fabulous! We have many comments on people wanting to try gluten-free. I'm glad you sent us a success story. I have a couple of other recipes on this long list of comments as well. You have made some bakers very happy. thank you so much for sharing.
OK, just made this bread per instructions and all I can say is WOW!!!!!!!!!! this was my first foray into making bread and the results were stunning!!! I can't wait to play about with flavored versions!!! this rocks!!! I used my Calphalon 4.5 qt sauce pan and lid – oven safe to 450! score!!! I swear that was my biggest obstacle!!! came right out of pot too!!! just stunning and wicked good! Used King Arthur's flour (I think they rock) and it couldn't have been easier!!! give it a whirl today!!! Thanks for the post found via PInterest!!!
You rock! Thanks for sharing.
What is the self life of the bread once it is done baking?
Hmmm. I've never had it last more than a day. I would say it could last 3-4 days, but would be a bit on the stale side.
I have had my first loaf last almost a week. Being my first loaf it was too wet and turned out more flat than round. I just reheated a chunk in the toaster oven and it brought it back to life!!! Almost like it was fresh out of the oven. And since it is flatter like a ciabatta, I am going to use it for my chicken sandwich tonight. http://www.closetcooking.com/2012/05/tequila-lime-grilled-chicken-club.html
I have left a small crusty heel wrapped in plastic wrap for up to a week, but one loaf started to mold sooner than that. If you wrap it in plastic, it keeps well without going stale for several days. I am trying to find a non-plastic way though to keep the bread longer (since its only my husband and I).
Hi Janet – I wanted to share with you my trick to make 2 loaves at once of this fabulous recipe. I make 2 separate bowls of the recipe (using 2 cu flour, 1 tsp salt, 3/4 tsp rapid rise yeast, 1 cu warm water). One recipe I make savory or plain, the other recipe I make as sweet bread such as cranberry/walnut/orange – I make the recipes up at night – then bake first thing in the morning. I place my cheap Sam's 6.5 qt. knockoff pan in the cold oven and allow to warm up to 450. Using parchment paper as you suggest I place both loaves in my pan (shaped long and narrow) baking 2 loaves at the same time. They fit snugly but rise beautifully. I enjoy reading how your followers have adapted this recipe and the delicious new breads they have created. Thanks for your commitment to this blog so we can continue to learn how to make new delicious recipes !!!
Fabulous suggestion. I never thought of putting both loaves in the same pan. I'm so glad someone told us all about the parchment. It sure makes this recipe much easier. Thank you so much.
I have made both plain and cinnamon raisin and they turned out beautifully. Has anyone made this bread with pumpkin puree? Just curious if you add the pumpkin in addition to the water and how much to use??
I did. I add 1/2 cups pumpkin puree in place of 1/2 cup water. I added pumpkin pie spice and pecans. It was delicious, but just a little denser. It was great toasted for breakfast.
I wonder if you could do apple sauce instead of the water then as well? Has anyone tried?
Thanks! That sounds like a winner for thanksgiving dinner.
I was also wondering about Banana… I don't suppose anyone has tried that?
Do you have to activate the active dry yeast before adding to the flour? Also if you do not activate do you need to use warm water in the dough or will cool work as well?
I never have. I just toss in the yeast and water straight from the tap. Other readers have mentioned that they did activate their yeast. It's not going to hurt to try it.
For Canadian readers, this KitchenAid cast iron pot normally goes on sale at Canadian Tire for about 29.99 every couple of months – just keep an eye on the flyer:
http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/8/KitchenBath/1/Cookware/Roasters/PRD~0428577P/KitchenAid+Cast+Iron+Roasting+Pan.jsp?locale=en
Here you go Canadians…great tip.
The only thing I have with a lid that is oven safe is my Pampered Chef, covered baker. BUT….it says not to preheat (or it'll crack). Read one comment about someone preheating another type of dutch oven with water in it… Any tips or anyone used their covered baker to make the bread…?
Steph
Can anyone out there help. I don't have never used Pampered Chef. You don't want to crack your baker. I think using water is the way to go.
I just backed my bread in Pampered Chef stone ware (round straight edged pan with the bowl as the cover). I did not know about the preheating. Mine worked well. I have had other stones crack in the past but there was food in that item.
I used a pampered chef and it worked great!! Didn't crack (knock on wood!)
It'll crack if you preheat and then put something frozen on it. I've never had a problem with room temperature items on a PC stoneware.
I use my PC deep dish covered baker to bake mine! It hasn't cracked, yet. I don't know if this info will keep me from making this divine bread! ;)I've made garlic parmesan, plain and sharp cheddar loaves. My family LOVES it. I do about 3 loaves each time and give 1 or 2 away!
I use my Pampered Chef Deep Covered Baker for this recipe all the time. I put about an inch of water in the baker when I preheat it, then just pour out the water (carefully, it is hot!) before adding the dough. It works perfectly every time!
I just tried your recipe. Love it!!! So easy. Thank you so much for sharing!! One thing, the bottom of the bread was tough. I used a crock pot liner & covered it with foil. Could that have been it?
Thanks again. My husband loved it!
Yes the bottom of the bread is a bit tough and sometimes takes a little muscle to cut through. I find that putting the pan in the oven right when you turn it on, then once the oven temp reaches 450 drop in the dough helps with that. It will still be a bit crunchy.
Janet, I just finished my loaf and it came out flat,the bread was a bit dense. Not sure what i did wrong. I am wondering if I handled it too much once I took it out of the bowl…..I only turned it onto the flour a few time. Just took the second loaf out of the oven and although is not as flat, it is smooth on top. Darn it….it has to be something that I'm doing.
Ok Louisa, let's do a check list. Is your yeast and flour fresh? Do you think your dough was too wet? Did the dough somewhat hold it's shape after you turned it out of the bowl? If your dough seems too wet while mixing, try adding 1/4 cup more flour. After I add the water and mix it into the dry ingredients, it still appears to have flour that is not completely incorporated into the mixture. That's ok. I just leave it and the standing time takes care of that. I generally turn my dough on the floured surface a few times like you did. So I don't think that's the problem. Let's start with the moisture in the dough first. If that doesn't work, it looks like I just might have to come to your kitchen and and see first hand the problem. I hope you live some where fabulous and exotic 🙂 Good luck. Let me know if you have success.
Hi Janet
I'm the online development manager for Shipton Mill in the UK. We mill a range of organic, stoneground flours for artisan bakers both professional and home bakers. We are also the Royal Millers for the Prince of Wales Duchy Estate. We are very keen to get people baking and use our website and social media presence to encourage people to try new reicpes. One of our readers posted a link to your fabulous blog on Crusty No Knead Bread on our Facebook page. We think it's one of the best we've seen and would love to feature it on our website. Would that be OK with you?
Sam Livy
@Tortepane
Buono come il pane. Like to eat. Love to bake.
Shipton Mill Ltd
Long Newnton
Tetbury
Gloucestershire GL8 8RP
(+44)1666 505050
http://www.shipton-mill.com
Mixed ingredients last night…added garlic salt and parmesan cheese to recipe……baked this morning….Mmmmmmmm. Second batch in bowl right now. Tomorrow I want to try a cinnamon loaf, maybe with cranberries…..
Oh yum! Pat yourself on the back.
Added cinnamon & raisins to the dry …..Put some warm honey in the water….. My favorite so far!
When you use cheese etc. in the bread is it ok to leave it out for the 18 hrs? I am always paranoid about food spoiling.
I haven't had a problem with the dough going bad. It seems to be just fine. I worried about that at first, also.
Cheese is fine to leave out… In fact, if you visit a cheese monger, you'll see most familiar cheeses are at room temp! flavor will be even more developed after the rising time.
When using feta cheese how much?
??? How about 1/2 to 1 cup. Depending on how strong of a feta flavor you want.
Hi new this forum…love it! i have a question I couldn't find instant yeast so I purchased the 3 pack of Fleischmanns active dry yeast. Would anyone know if I can use this?
thanks
jane
Of course you can. Some people just throw it in with the flour and salt. Other's like to activate the yeast by dissolving it in 1/4 cup warm water then adding it to the dry ingredients. Either way should work.
I have just used that yeast and throw it with the flour a d salt and worked perfect!
I used Fleichmanns active dry yeast and just threw it in with the flower and salt. Worked great for me.
Can you shape these into long loaves like baguettes? I was thinking of trying that for sandwiches but don't like to handle it much. Also it is delicious but kind of dense. Ideas? Thank you!
As long as you can fit them in a pot. You could put them on a pizza stone then figure out a way to cover them. I put them on a stone and didn't cover them and I thought the were great. They were so crusty, which made it easier to eat. And yes the bread is a bit denser.
Has anyone ever tried using a covered roaster? I have one that has a smooth bottom, the blue-speckled type?
you can shape dough – place on stone, or big sheet pan then cover with a big foil throw away type baking pan (like for turkeys etc)
Ack,it is not coming out! I store my flour in the freezer. Should I have let it warm up before mixing? I am not a cook at all…5 pounds of flour a year. I will try it again.
It's not your baking skills its the dang pot you are using (I always try to blame something else). Try some parchment paper on the bottom of your pan. It will change your life. Yes, you keep the parchment in while baking. You will never have an issue with the bread sticking again.
I would recommend dry canning your flour instead of freezing it. It keeps it out of any moisture, is simple to do, and frees up your freezer.
http://voices.yahoo.com/how-flour-dry-goods-long-term-storage-11293640.html
The recipe looks like something even "I" – the non baker – could make. Question though, before I go shopping. My house is kept a pretty constant 68 degrees in the fall/winter (energy conservation and heating bill reduction) – will that make a difference in rising time???
I don't think so. The 12-18 hours of rising time should be fine in a cooler home.
I just made my first loaf. I have to tell you I was worried because I made it with 1 cup whole wheat flour and 2 cups white flour than saw the comments about the problems with whole wheat flour. I did not need to worry. I just took the bread out of the oven and it is gorgeous. I looks like it came from a bakery. It smells wonderful. I cannot wait have a slice for breakfast tomorrow morning.
Give yourself a big pat on the back. You are a fabulous baker!
HELP! I just went to take my bread dough out of the bowl and it's very runny, can I add flour to this now? And will it turn out okay if I do?
Alecia, I'm sorry I did not get your comment earlier. I have been away from my computer. I'm sorry you had a runny mess. I have not tried adding for flour after the proofing time. Next time either add 1/4 cup more flour or reduce the amount of water. The dough should look more dry that wet when first mixed. It's ok if all of the flour isn't completely mixed in. Don't give up. Let me know if you try again.
LOVE this! I made it for the first time last week for a family gathering. No one could believe that I had actually made it and not purchased it! I made my second loaf a few days later. It was a bit flatter but still tasted great! I borrowed my sister's LeCruset the first two times. Tonight I went out and bought a Food Network Cast Iron Dutch Oven. I'm hoping tomorrow's loaf turns out just as well as the first two!
Made my first loaf yesterday morning, baking it last night after I got home from a long day at a festival and dinner with friends. I must say making this recipe was pretty painless and the result is awesome. I added garlic and Colby Jack cheese to mine as I'm making spaghetti for dinner tonight. Thanks for sharing the recipe. I'm sure I'll be making loaves all the time now. Can't wait for the next one and am now pondering what mix in's I'll be using for that one. The possibilities are endless!
I use the parchment paper. It works great. However I have a lot of flour on the bottom of my loaf. Could I be using too much flour to let my loaf rest on while the pot is heating up??? Can you post a picture of the bottom of your loaf so I can what it is supposed to look like? Thanks.
I'll have you know I am now required to bring at LEAST one loaf of bread to every holiday get together and family dinner. And I don't mind it at all, because it is SO easy. I really would love to try the lemon, gruyere and rosemary. So far I have only gotten as adventurous as cinnamon raisin, plain, herbed and my favorite (which is currently in the oven to take to my parent's for dinner) is roasted garlic and cheddar. I take a bulb of garlic, set the oven to 400. Cut the top off so all the cloves show. Rub in about 1-2 tsp olive oil with your fingers, wrap in tin foil and put on the rack for about 30 minutes. Take it out and unwrap, cool till you can handle. You can use your fingers to squeeze the garlic out of it's coverings. Sometimes I slice it really thin, but this time I just mashed it and added one cup of cheddar to mix with the dough. Turns out DELICIOUS!
Thank you so much for this recipe. My husband, who has grown to love my bread making, asked if I would like a breadmaker for Christmas. I told him 'thanks, but those are for amatuers,' but I DID send him to the le crueset website 😀
Oh and what is the consistency on the inside supposed to be. Mine seems a little spongy.
i just found this recipe and i cant wait to try it..i've never made bread before so i'm excited. my kids and husband all want me to make it. i am gonna make it this week and if everyone likes it i plan to make it for thanksgiving. my husband will love to eat turkey sandwiches on fresh bread the day after thanksgiving.
KAREN LANGSTON/ FROM SELMA ALABAMA
So you add the cheddar, for instance, before you let it sit for 12-18 hours? I wasn't sure if the cheese was ok to sit at room temp that long. But would it mess the bread up to add the cheese in later?
Thank you so much for this awesome recipe. Just made bread today! Put dough together last night and baked in am! This mother of three kids under four years old needed something quick and easy. Can't wait to try other flavors!
I haven't had any problems with the cheese going bad when I mix it in with the flour then letting it sit for 12+ hours. So far so good.
WONDERFUL RECIPE !!!!!!!!!!!my family loves this and I am making a bunch as a gift I wanted to thank you for sharing this recipe everyone should make this bread >>>>>>>>>>> it is AWESOME
I agree. Thank you for sharing your success.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this recipe! For my first attempt, I decided to stick with the original recipe. I actually left the mixture sit out on my kitchen counter for almost 19 hours of which I was a little worried that it would be too long. I don't have a dutch oven or Le Crueset pot, so I used my Pampered Chef Rectangular Baker w/lid. I had read in the comments about using parchment paper so I was prepared to try that. I have the Reynolds Genuine Parchment Paper and on the box it said it was only good to withstand oven temperatures up to 420°F. I was a little worried since the recipe calls for the baking temp to be 450°F. So I actually called the Reynolds Customer Service hotline to ask if it would be OK. The gentleman I spoke with said the paper would start to break down after being exposed to that high of a temperature for 30 minutes. It would be OK for a shorter time like maybe 5 minutes, but not recommended for anything longer than that. So I decided to not use the paper and just lay the dough directly in the pan. So as to avoid the risk of my Pampered Chef stoneware pans from cracking, I put them in the oven and let it rise to the 450 temp and still kept it in for 30 minutes before putting the dough in. The end result was amazing as it all worked beautifully! The bread was gorgeous, came out easily without sticking and…my oh my…tastes wonderful! I can't wait to try it with other variations!!!
Thank you for doing your research. My parchment does brown a bit and is a bit brittle, but still withstands the temperature. I hope you will start to play with the flavor variations. You have a lot of great information for others in your comment. thank you so much.
I have had this recipe for a month or so now and have been dieing to try it! I even went to a local flea market with the mission of finding a cast iron pan to bake it in! 🙂 I finialy had time to mix up a batch and baked it this morning! All I can say is WOW!!! LOVE IT!! It came out perfect. Just like the picture….Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe. My favorite part is listening to it crack while it is cooling. 🙂 Cant wait to try the flavored breads. Thanks again…
Have used this recipe many times. Regular loaf, orange cranberry, pepperoni and cheese just to name a few. Tonight the recipe is roasted pepper and cheese with some red pepper flakes. Now comes the hard part waiting. Fixed a 2nd loaf for my son, he will be so happy. Thanks for sharing all the great ideas.
Wow. This recipe is great! The first one I made was the cranberry, orange, almond – turned out great – so easy! (King Arthur flour worked great!) I have two more loaves waiting to bake tomorrow: blueberry/ lemon zest/ toasted almond slivers and a roasted garlic/sharp cheddar/rosemary one. I also want to try to figure out the gluten free and was thankful to see the posts on GF versions. I have a quick question – if anyone knows – the kind lady who said she tried Pamela's mix and it worked great – did she just use the mix in place of the 3 cups of all purpose flour and then do it exactly like your recipe shows or did she make it with the eggs, etc, that the Pamela's mix calls for? I would really like to figure out the GF version. Also the gentleman who used the Williams Sonoma flour – did he do the same – just follow your recipe and substitute the all purpose flour for the GF flour? Thank you so much! I am going to try to make the breads tomorrow in my pampered chef rectangular baker/bowl. The Le Creuset worked great! Friends asked if you had to use the enameled cast iron and I told them no after reading through your blog – so I am going to try the stoneware next. THANK YOU SO MUCH! I am looking forward to giving these for gifts!
I hope you get an answer regarding your GF questions. Sounds like you are baking up some awesome bread.
Does the water need to be a certain temperature? I have not tried the recipe yet, but I plan to soon. Looks amazing!
The water does not need to be a certain temperature. I just generally take it straight out of the tap.
Has any one tried apple pie spice and apple chips with nuts?
No, but you SHOULD. That sounds fabulous. Ok…that's my next bread. I will definitely add the nuts. Thanks for usch a great idea.
Sucess!!! I'm a domestic goddess. I did a plain loaf yesterday and it came out BEAUTIFUL after a little trial-error issue with yeast. I used the non-instant yeast, but didnt realize I needed to prep it (put it in warm water, etc.). Then, once I realized this and it wasnt getting bubbly after about five hours, I tried adding some more yeast with water that was apparently too hot and killed the little yeasties. Waited a few hours, nothing happened, then, third try adding yeast came out just right. Anyways, despite a drama filled dough-rise-watching day, it finally came out and it came out perfect! I was so impressed with myself, I went ahead and started preping new dough immediately after and added dates and walnuts to it. And it just came out of the oven perfect again! I feel incrediable! Thank you, Janet!
Hello Janet….do you know how to make sour dough bread with this recipe? Any suggestions?
Thanks for a great recipe, I can't stop making bread all kinds!!! I think I'm obsessed with it 🙂
I had one comment suggesting to add lemon juice to the mix. I added 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. I didn't notice a strong sour dough taste, but I loved the large holes it acid produced in the bread. I have, also, noticed that the wetter the dough the larger the holes will be, which I love. I have added red wine vinegar and still don't think it was a strong sour dough flavor. Letting the dough proof longer just made the bread taste yeasty. Unless you added a sour dough start to your first mixture. Why not. I need to get a sour dough start so I can try this. I hope I haven't completely confused you while I ramble. Best of luck.
I think the best way to get a real great sour dough flavor would be to add a bit of a sour dough start. I have had a comment that someone added lemon juice to their mix. I tried this and didn't notice a strong pronounced sourdough. flavor, but I loved the texture and the bread had large holes in it, which I love. I have added red wine vinegar as well and didn't notice a strong sourdough flavor, but loved the texture. I hope this helps. Looks like I need to get a sourdough start and play with it.
I cannot thank you enough for putting this recipe up for all of us – everyone now thinks I am a bread master, all because I spent 3 minutes prepping this dough. I'm making a loaf a day – insane!
Tomato, basil, and parmesan is my favorite.
For anyone looking for a more affordable pot than the Le'cuisette Costco is currently selling an 8qt enameled cast iron kirkland pot. I have a round one they have now discontinued. The one they are selling now is more of an oval gore 49.99. Great pot for the money. They are stamped made in France. I am guessing they are probably make at the same plant.
Gosh, I feel so guilty-proud… so, so easy! I was sure it wouldn't work or it certainly wouldn't look like yours if it did. My timing was off so my dough actually sat for about 27 hrs. I wasn't sure about it but it still looked okay and I didn't want to waste it, so I decided to go for it. I made it plain for my first attempt. I baked it in my Pampered Chef Deep Covered Baker. IT'S BEAUTIFUL! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thank you for all of your great success stories. You are awesome bakers. I'm so impressed with the creative breads you are baking. They inspire me.
Okay here goes nothing, I made my dough yesterday at four and I'm popping it in the oven in 30 min. The pot is heating up now. I'm so excited, it's my first time. I'm making my famous Chk salad and taking it over to my girlfriends house at noon. I'll let you know how it turns out. So far it looks perfect! I can't wait to try every version I love to bake and maybe I'll become the bread lady in my neighborhood! Janet you're so kind to respond and take your time out to help everyone on here. I'll let you know how it turns out… One more hour!!
BAHHHH! I can't wait to here about the results. Good luck with your luncheon. I'm sure you will be the new bread lady. Let me know how you fancy it up. Thanks for your kind comment.
Hey try baking soda and water to clean your pots…. someone told me it works awesome… haven't tried it yet but I will.. make a thick paste and let it just sit on it for hours.
Good Luck… can't wait to try this bread.
Debi
I bake bread every week for my family. It's a different recipe, but I found if you take only a third or less of rye and whole wheat flour and use more than half of all purpose flour it's not too heavy. Also you might need a little more yeast to have it rise more.
I like to play around with the liquids. I use potato water (makes it moist), buttermilk, a little olive oil and some molasses in my bread.
I don't know if it'll work with this recipe though.
I will try it for sure!
Thank you so much for the information. I think it's worth trying. Someone commented that they used orange juice for the liquid. I would like to try potato water for sure. I would think it would make for a softer bread. Let me know if you try something that's wonderful.
I did a Red, White & Blue bread with Cinnamon: Cranberry, Blueberry & Almond. It was AMAZING.
Hi Janet! Thank you so much for this recipe! The first time I made it I followed the recipe exactly, but my bread turned out pretty flat and I found it to be too chewy. After reading some of the comments on the recipe as well as doing some research of my own, I changed up the recipe a little bit on the weekend: I used warm water instead of water at room temperature; I added the yeast to the warm water, along with a teaspoon of sugar, instead of mixing it in with the flour and salt; I waited a few minutes for the yeast mixture to become milky before adding it to the dry ingredients; and I reduced the baking time by 5 minutes for each step. It worked a treat! If you would like to see a photo, you can visit my blog at http://misslings.blogspot.de/2012/11/caramelised-onion-gruyere-and-bacon.html
I'm telling everyone about your amazing recipe! Thank you thank you thank you!
Ling =)
Never baked a thing in my life before this bread. I cook quite a bit(im a picky dude and the restaurants in Topeka are …lacking), just never baked. I followed the instructions and used my enamel cast iron dutch oven and it came out absolutely perfect and delicious (jalapeno/cheddar). Thanks so much for this.
Way to go Kevin. Give yourself a big pat on the back you are an official baker.
Has anyone posted about the amount of ingredients used in this bread recipe if you live in higher altitude? Have not been here in the Springs, CO that long and find baking to be a challenge at times.
I live at about 5000 feet above sea level and I haven't made any changes to the recipe. It works great at my altitude. Are you higher than 5,000?
Sooo good! The first one I did was plain, using part white whole wheat flour. added a bit more water but came out great. Next one I'll try is rosemary lemon (no cheese – forgot to buy the gruyere!). Then I'll probably try orange zest, a bit of the orange juice as part of the liquid and ground cardamom! Yummm!
Oh yum. Orange and cardamom. What a great combination. I would love to try that. Thanks for sharing.
I just made my first two loaves, plain and Cranberry Citrus (3/4 c of craisens and the zest from one lemon and one orange) and I am just flabbergasted that they're just as gorgeous as the loaves I saw on this blog.
Thanks for sharing this discovery! I know what nearly everyone on my Christmas list will be getting this year. :^)
Your friends will love you forever. What a great gift.
Is there a place where you list the amounts of the extra goodies you put in the breads??? Like how much of each ingredient you put in to the loaf. Thank you and I can not wait to try this. diannescrappycreations@yahoo.com
Hmmm…I haven't listed ingredient amounts. I just start tossing in. I think I add about 1 cup of cubed cheese, sometimes more. I usually just add the ingredients by a handful. I know this isn't helpful what so ever. It's amazing how it just always works out. I would start out conservative until you decide how chunky you like your bread.
Hi there, I love this bread, I've made about a half dozen loaves already of the plain and want to try some add-ins, but I'm a recipe girl. What's a good rule of thumb for how much stuff to add in??
I would start with half a cup to see if you like the flavors. I add about 1 1/2 cups cubed cheese, because it's so dang good. But with raisins, chocolate chips or other things I'd start with a lesser amount and add more
How long will these stay in the freezer? If I make them tomorrow (Thursday 11/14) and put them in the freezer later that night, will they be ok in the freezer till NEXT Thursday (11/22)? When should I take them out to thaw? I am needing to make 6 loaves for two Thanksgiving dinners and two for this Friday, so wondering if I can make them all together and then freeze 6?
Curious to know the answer to this as well. Thank you!
This bread freezes well. Just remove it from the plastic wrap while thawing or the crust will go soft. It should stay good in the freezer for at least a week or more.
I replaced 1/2 cup of the water with some sour dough starter that I had. Was wonderful. Can't stop making this bread. Did an italian herb with parmesan.
Thank you for trying the sour dough start. I'll give it a try. Sounds so delicious.
just set my bowl of flour, salt,water and yeast to rise! Bet this will REALLY go well with the meatloaf that hubby just made and is in the oven! He made 3 loaves!!
I have a question about the Pampered Chef covered baker that I will use to bake my bread. I've read all the posts here and saw 2 "ideas" – one was to put water in the baker to preheat it, and the second was to not preheat, just put the bread in, then put it in the oven and turn the oven on to 450 and bake for 30 minutes covered. Does anyone have any results from either way, or can recommend which way is better???
Also, about the sourdough flavor: I make my own homemade yogurt. Whey is often a by-product of this process. I drain the whey off my containers into a separate container and keep kt to use in baking and cooking. I've used the whey in bread machine bread recipes to replace water or milk, and it gives a wonderful sour tang to the finished product. I've also used the actual yogurt in bread recipes instead of milk or water. If you don't make your own yogurt (I HIGHLY recommend doing so!), you can take a container of plain yogurt and strain it (I often use a coffee filter in a strainer over a bowl) to get the whey. In that case, your finished product will be Greek Yogurt plus the whey that has drained out.
I'm SO looking forward to my beautiful loaf of fresh bread with dinner tomorrow night!!
Hi Rhonda, I think you are supposed to put the pan in the oven while the oven heats to 450 degrees, THEN put the bread in the pan, cover and bake for 30 minutes with the lid on then 15 minutes with the lid off. I would probably start with water in the pan to preheat, just to protect your pan…just in case.
Thank you so much for the whey idea. Love it. I will try that. I just throughout the whey…what am I thinking????
I don't make bread since I have arthritis in my hands and can't knead dough for 10 minutes. So I tried Jim Lahey's recipe. Mixed it up last night and just baked it now. I can't get over how easy this was AND how beautiful and tasty it came out. I will never be held hostage by the grocery store again when I want fresh crusty loaves. Thank you so much!!
I made it with only whole wheat flour. I just added an extra 1/4 c. of water and everything else was the same. Then I added 2 T. Cinnamon, 3/4 c. raisins, and 3/4 c. chopped pecans. Turned out amazing!! Tonight I'm making a whole wheat jalapeno cheddar. I'm hooked. So excited about it.
The bread is baked, out of the oven, and I've already had a slice with some homemade strawberry freezer jam. Because my baker is rectangular, I elongated my round loaf for a better fit. Is there a way for us to post pictures of our creations?
Some observations: *I have decided that I need one of the round or oval dutch ovens that have HANDLES!! It was very hard using the Pampered Chef covered baker – VERY HEAVY, VERY HOT, not much to grab onto!!! *The bottom crust IS hard to cut and eat! Do you think that might have been because of the stoneware? *Also, I was afraid mine was going to burn (there's a small ridge that did get overly brown), so the last 15 minutes without the lid, I turned the oven down to around 400. *I love the ease and flavor of this bread (can hardly wait to make some flavored varieties), but though I love "crusty" bread, this seemed a bit too crusty. If I brushed the crust with butter after I take it out of the oven and pan, then wrap with foil, do you think that might lessen the crustiness? I don't want to cut it out completely, just tone it down some.
All in all, this was a pleasant baking experience and I'm totally happy with the results. I can see me getting everything ready in the afternoon, then getting up in the morning and popping it in the oven before going to school. YUMMY warm bread for the faculty lounge!!
I made this bread yesterday using gluten free flour (Cup4Cup brand) and it was so beautiful! Really crispy crust, soft inside. Next time I will definitely add flavoring because I think it needs a little something, and I didn't use instand yeast so it didn't rise as much as it should have, but it was totally worth the effort.
Just found this, really can't wait to try it. About cleaning your pots, Just use baking soda n water make a paste let set a minute or two then scrub. should take care of them.
We just returned from Europe where the bread is so great. I couldn't wait to try your recipe. It is easy, but my dough is dense and kind of damp in the middle. I tried baking it longer, but the top of the crust really got dark brown (like burned)
What am I doing wrong? I really want to get this recipe down.
I read the comments and will buy fresh flour next time. If you have any suggestions, let me know. I used the exact measurements you gave.
Thanks, Ruthie
The bread is a bit denser than most. Plan on that, but shouldn't be doughy. I would put your pan in the oven at the same time you begin to preheat. When the oven just reaches 450, put the dough in. Leave the lid ON for 35 minutes. This will help the bread to continue to cook and not brown as much. Remove the lid and bake until it's the color you want. I hope this corrects the problem for you. If you don't get the results you want, you just might have to go back to Europe…I'll meet you there. Thanks for your comment.
Can I use bread flour to make this recipe?
Yes, I believe you can based on other comments. I have not tried it, but it does work just great.
Thank you so much for this recipe! After 10 years of failure, I've recently become a bread-making addict! I'm working on making regular bread as good as my mom made it (I'm getting close!), but in the meantime I tried this recipe last night. To the basic recipe I added 1.5 cups of cheddar cheese, and 1 tsp each of basil, oregano, and rosemary. I loved it and so did all my friends! I've passed on the recipe for them to try, and I'm quite sure I'll be making more very very soon! Photos of my bread are posted here: http://www.toaprettylife.com/2012/11/herb-and-cheese-crusty-bread.html
Wow! Amazing photo's of your bread. Thanks for sharing.
How much sugar would you add if you were making the cinnamon raisin bread? Or would you wait and add afterward w butter?
You could add 2 tablespoons more if you like it sweeter. The raisins add some sweetness. The addition of sugar may make it rise quicker. There was a comment where someone added brown sugar, I'm not sure of the amount you can just play with it. Yum.
Put the recipes/measurement up for all the new add on ingredients! I'm trying out the cranberry, almond and orange zest recipes on your first page! The regular bread is a hit! Thanks
I'm sorry I don't have lists of amounts. I rarely measure the amount of the stuff I just toss it. I should really spend time to figure this out. The bread is quite forgiving and seems to work no matter how much or little it toss it. I'll see what I can do.
Post the actual recipe/measurements for the add in ingredients. I'm interested in rosemary and sharp cheddar bread!! I made this bread the other day and it was awesome except the bottom was super tough. Next time I'll use the wax paper and cut the time by 5 minutes during each baking step.
I would add 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary (because I LOVE it) and 1 cup cheddar cut into small cubes. You are going to LOVE the cheese in the bread. You can correct the dark bottom by not preheating the pan for 30 min. Just put the pan in the cold oven and heat the oven to 450. Drop in the bread. This should help. I probably wouldn't use a waxed paper. I think the pan is just too hot, but parchment paper works fabulously.
i just made this, and added olive oil (half a cup OO, plus one+ cup of water) and rosemary. it smells amazing! we are going to have it with dinner
Just wanted to say thanks so much for this recipe. I made my first loaf today. And despite the smoking pot (when I took my pre-heated pot out of the oven, smoke came billowing out. I was quite thankful for my range fan today.) it came out wonderfully! I tried the rosemary and feta add-ins, and it is simply amazing. I will be making this every weekend for a while. My husband is starting a trooper academy, and will need to make a 6 hour trip every Sunday to the academy. I wanted some special bread to use on his sandwich I will send with him for his on-the-road dinner. So thank you again! 🙂
~Kristen
What a great wife you are. Rosemary feta sounds amazing. Thank you for your comment. Happy baking.
I am really having fun with this recipe. Made about 6 or 7 loaves now, using parchment paper in my Le Creuset. My only complaint that i have with the way it's turned out is that while the outside looks perfectly beautiful, the inside always seems a little too moist. Like it hasn't cooked all the way through. I have toyed around with the cooking time, but I just ended up with a burnt bottom crust (even with parchment paper). Any suggestions?
-Kealani
Place the pot in a cold oven and heat oven to 450 degrees. As soon as the oven reaches temp then drop the dough in. Bake as usual. This tends to help with the darker bottom. Happy baking.
Can you make this with whole wheat flour? If so do you just do everything else the same?
yes you can, it is more dense, but works. You can try 50/50 as well. You will find that the flour does not absorb the water as well. Try this: 1/4 cup flour less and 1/2 cup more water and cooked it 5 less minutes. I hope it works.
Hi all–I call this "the miracle bread." I have always been an aspiring bread maker, but I have historically had little success–this is the first bread that turned out for me. Just one tip for high altitudes: I have made this bread quite a few times now. It has always turned out well, but the first couple times the inside was just barely undercooked (I have a somewhat picky audience). So…I think this was because I live at just over 5000 feet above sea level. To fix my little problem, I now cook the bread for 38 minutes with the lid on and 15 minutes with the lid off…turns out perfect…
My husband was wanting a sweet cinnamon loaf, so I gave it a whirl. To the basic recipe I added 1/2 cup sugar and 1 1/4 Tbsp cinnamon. I also added a couple of handfuls of cinnamon chips that I had made. The taste was great (a bit sweet for me, but what can I say, the guy has a sweet tooth) BUT the bottom burned. (I am assuming it was because of the sugar???) Any suggestions on changes to recipe or cooking temp/time/ etc to have a non-burned-bottom loaf? I would love to hand these out as Christmas presents this year not so crispy!
The bottom turns pretty brown with the addition of sugar and the cinnamon chips. We had the same result with chocolate chips. Try heating the pan right when you turn the oven on. When the oven heats to 450 add the dough. You may want to add only 2 tablespoons of sugar.
Has anyone tried using a sour dough starter withg this recipe?
Scroll up a few comments and you can see the results. Yes it has been done with great success. I believe they added 1/2 cup start.
I made this bread for the first time for Thanksgiving (got recipe from Pinterest). Everyone ate the dinner rolls I baked instead since they were soft and light. So I put the crusty loaf in a large ziplock bag and sliced it the following day to make turkey pepperjack cheese paninis and OH MY GOD, they were fabulous. I have since made another loaf and served paninis to my neighbors. They are SOLD. If you haven't made grilled cheese or other grilled sandwich with this bread, you must try it!!
Grilled cheese sandwiches are the BEST with pepper jack cheese bread. So fabulous dipped in homemade tomato soup. I have even cubed the bread for croutons on top of soup. Thank you so much for passing this on.
Has anyone tried substituting baking powder for the yeast? I am very allergic to yeast and wonder if this easy recipe could be modified. I miss bread.
That's a good question. I personally have not tried baking powder. Hopefully someone out there will have the answer for you. I would miss bread terribly.
crockpot ? how ?
Use the crockpot insert to bake the bread in. Follow instructions for baking bread and heating pot. I believe most comments say that they have filled the pot with water while preheating to prevent cracking. Then remove the plastic knob from the pot and bake. You can also just cover the pot with aluminum foil.
Fun to make and a JOY to eat and to share with others. Made a white loaf this AM, had warm bread, butter and Huckleberry Jam. Tonight put together a rosemary, thyme, sage, Asiago cheese, Kalamata olives and toasted pine nuts. Don't know what is going to happen, but I am looking forward to it. I have been wanting to do pine nuts but really don't know what mix they would go in—-so, it will be a surprise. I have done all the other mixes, I like savory over sweet. I found out about your site from someone on AR, what a lucky find that was for me. I enjoy this bread so much. I love to share it. Thank you.
Thank you so much for your comment. You HAVE to let me know how the new concoction turns out. I think it sounds amazing. It makes my mouth water just thinking about it. Thanks for sharing and I'm so glad you found me.
My loaf did not do all that great, BUT, made a very good Fratata. Guess I put too many things in my loaf and I did get carried away with the olives. Live and learn. Just took out a WW loaf about an hour ago. I use 1 c WW and 2c white, Love the WW bread. Again, thank you for all the info and pictures you have placed in your blog. Friends are always asking for MORE bread. I do not do store bought bread any longer. Mine is better. I have several friends doing their own bread now, it is so easy and so good. Thank you.
Can I tell you how much I HATE making bread? I don't like messing with yeast, I'm too lazy to knead, and I'm too cheap to buy a bread machine. I fully expected this recipe to wind up on the list of "stuff that looks good on Pinterest, but sucks when you try to make it." I can happily report that our house is now fully obsessed with this recipe!
Our first loaf was just the plain white. Fantastic. Next, we had to go with cinnamon raisin. I decreased the salt to 1 teaspoon and added 1/4 cup of brown sugar, 1/2 cup of raisins, and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Just stirred it right in. Absolutely delicious. My husband said he wanted it a little sweeter, so I mixed up a thick powdered sugar glaze and poured over the top. Fantastic!
Last night, we tried black olive parmesan. I have a recipe for black olive focaccia that I sometimes make, so I decided to throw those same ingredients in: 1/2 cup of finely chopped black olives and 1 cup of parmesan. I didn't add any dried herbs this time, but might throw in some oregano or basil the next time.
I'm using a big Pampered Chef stone bowl with the stone pizza dish that doubles as a lid. Today, I totally forgot to even put the lid on when I baked it! The bread was a little dark, but tasted just fine.
This is so easy that I'm planning to make TWELVE loaves for our church's bazaar this Saturday. Four of each kind. And I'm going to check my local thrift store for some additional things to bake them in so I don't have to use the stone bowl for 6 straight hours!
I just made my first loaf, and I can't believe how easy this is! I used a Tramontina cast iron Dutch oven that was on sale at Sears, and it worked just fine. After reading some of the comments, I was afraid to take the lid off, but it looks just like yours. Thanks for sharing this recipe! I am going to make some for Christmas presents, along with some flavored olive oil for dipping.
I know I just posted recently, I'm the wife making bread for my husband's sandwiches, but I had to post again. I just made my third flavor combo, this time with caramelized onions and blue cheese. It is AMAZING! So again, thank you for this recipe, and if you haven't tried this flavor combination, it's one that's definitely worth trying! 🙂
~Kristen
What is the best way to store these loaves of bread?
I found you on pintrest last night and went straight in the kitchen and made my dough….got up this morning and baked it!!! I am sooooo proud of myself!! I posted pics on FB and tasted it before my husband gets home…well I tasted 2 slices…but if you turn it around you'd never know!!!! I am so excited I am gonna make it for christmas gifts wrapped in a dish towel like you showed!!!!! THANK YOU!!
I love this recipe. I made my first loaf of bread and it turned out great with one exception. The parchment paper stuck to the finished loaf. I used brown paper for package mailing. Is there a special parchment paper? The paper is set the Dutch oven so it is on the sides and bottom and the dough sets in.
Anyone else have this problem.? I don't want to ruin my new Dutch Oven. Thank you, Janet, for sharing this recipe and anwering all of our questions.
I no. I'm sorry. There is a special parchment paper made for baking sheets. I buy sheets by the 100's and use them for baking cookies and other things so I don't have such a mess with clean up. You can buy rolls of parchment paper in the grocery store by the waxed paper and aluminum foil. This should correct the problem. The parchment will darken a bit, but not burn and the bread NEVER sticks. Good luck.
I made this today and it is wonderful. I have to step away from it to avoid eating the whole loaf!
Baked it in my old cast iron dutch oven and it turned out perfect. I also ended up leaving it for closer to 24 hrs rather than the 12-18 hrs. Seemed to have no negative effects by letting it rise for a full day.
No comments for awhile – so I will add something… I came across your bread page and have been a bread making fool.
So far… probable in the neighborhood of a dozen plain loaves (4 today with 8 proofing as I type… the 8 isn't included in the dozen) – sundried tomatoes and fresh basil (my fav) – garlic (too much) – italian herbs x 2; all dried herbs (awesome) – cranberry, orange, almond (good) – lemon/rosemary (meh) – bacon/cheddar (ok) – fresh jalepeno/cheddar (fab) – I will be buying a 50# bag of flour tomorrow or tuesday. Thanks for sharing!!!
So, question – your recipe calls for 1/2 t of yeast… I have since come across the same recipe calling for .25 t of yeast… but they also have a second rise time of a couple hours with a small amount of kneading (I don't know why they call it no knead bread) after the inital 12-18 hours of rise time. Does the 1/2 t make it so the kneading and second rise is unnecessary?
Another question – has anyone ever not given the full 12 hours… I have been wondering if anyone has baked it at hour 4 or 6 or 8 or… you get the idea… how much of a difference does this time make?
A discovery… I am just too cheap or poor (not sure which) to buy a cast iron skillet and I was tired of heaving my crock pot insert in and out of the oven… not to mention I wanted to be able to do 2 loaves at a time. My answer… those cheap steel 6 Qt stockpots made by imusa that they sell at walmart. I find I get the same results as when I was using my crockpot insert. I have tried letting them stay in the oven for the 30 minutes… I have tried putting them in when I turn on the oven and just letting them stay in until the oven is up to temp… and I have tried just putting them in for 10 minutes… I find each method of preheating the stockpots give the same result. I don't believe it would be the same with a cast iron one… but it works well for these $10 stockpots.
Thanks so much for such a great recipe!
Fabulous comments. Thank you so much. It's so great to hear the additions and creations you are making. Yes, I have found a quicker way. I just made some on Saturday and the rising time was 4 hours. Add 2 teaspoons of red wine vinegar and warm water. Cover and let rise in a warm spot. It should be ready to go in 4-5 hours. My loaf wasn't as large as the longer rising time, but still great for a quick through together early afternoon.
I already posted a comment on the crusty bread page but I just had to post again here to make sure you knew how excited I was lol. I've never baked bread in my life but loved your presentation of this recipe and believed I could do it, although I really didn't expect mine to turn out as good as the pics I was not scared. It looks just as amazing as the pictures posted, and I still can't believe it! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. It truly only took 2 minutes to mix up and is very forgiving (I really thought I ruined it with my "tweeking" mentioned in the other post) I truly was able to use anything with a lid that could take the heat and it didn't stick! Still in shock, should I hold out hope it will turn out so well the next time, hahhha? Is this a fluke, I just HAVE to make more to find out. Mine looks and tastes just as good if not better than any artisan bread I've bought at a bakery, and I'm so looking forward to trying new variations with this recipe. Thanks again!
Post a comment as often as you like. It's very helpful for readers. It is forgiving. Keep up the great baking.
I am just starting and I've only made one loaf, but I can't wait to try sundried tomato, bacon, and green onion?
Is there an edit to the plain version to make it just a bit more …. flavorful? I loved the crust but the bread itself was a bit bland.
On a different slant, do you have any suggestions or advice for a successful sourdough version?
Baked this bread this morning and it is awesome!!! I'm a bread-baking grandma who has baked for years and I love this recipe. I activated 1 pkg of yeast in 1/2 c. of warm water; then added the other 1 c. of water to the flour/salt mixture, along with the activated yeast. Baked it in my crock pot, using aluminum foil for a cover. It worked great! Can't wait to try some of the variations!! Thanks for posting this on Pinterest!
I like breads sweeter. How much honey or sugar would you suggest I start with for my own experimenting?
I would probably start with 1- 2 tablespoons
Thanks! I have since made a Cranberry Orange version and a Cinnamon Version. Both came out wonderfully! BTW: I used the "quick" method for the cranberry orange. Tonight, I am going to try a sundried tomato/fresh basil/feta version for dinner gathering. SO EXCITED!!!!
If you add cheese, can it sit out for that long and not be bad to eat?
I haven't had any problems with letting the cheese sit out. We are all still alive.
Hi, thank you for this recipe. I have all the ingredients to start, but want to know if you sift your flour first?
No sifting required.
So I've fallen in love with this recipe and your blog. I've made two loaves that have disappeared. The first was cheddar/colby jack cheese, cracked black pepper, and cayenne (we eat cayenne on everything) and it was gone in two days. The second was whole wheat with honey which was great for our breakfast sandwiches. I'm currently baking 6 loaves of the cheddar/cayenne to send out as Christmas gifts. Thank you so much for the recipe and for everyone's great add ins!! Can't wait to try some of them out. Merry Christmas!!
I just took mine out of the oven. Can't wait to try it. I used your unbleached flour basic recipe and added slivered almonds, a hand full of oatmeal and a hand full of cranberries. Can't wait to try it. I looks amazing. Thank you so much!!!
We love this bread! I have made it several times already, I tried once with chopped kalamata olives and came great! Now I am baking for Christmas gifts for the teachers at my boy's school!
I need to start trying with different favors now and I was thinking about making them in small rolls or something like a ciabatta, without touching the dough too mucho, but I guess I need a bigger cast iron to put several in on pan and they don't become just one bread!
Thank you, love this bread, it just lasts one day in my house of 4……not good for my waistline, so I workout harder when I make!
My dough was dry when I mixed it. I am using an unbleached bread flour. I added an extra cup of water. I hope it turns out okay. I will know tomorrow.
Thank you for this wonderful bread recipe! Just made my first loaf and it came out exactly as pictured. Bought a cast iron pot especially for this bread. Can't wait to make more! Your tutorial was also excellent. Thank's again.
I just made two loaves in my lodge dutch oven. One plain (added 1T of honey) and one with cheese. So delicious and easy to make. I tried using the parchment paper with the cheese loaf and it stuck to the bottom of the bread. I'm guessing because of the cheese. I had no problems without it so I don't plan on using it again. I'm not good at making my own recipes so I had to guess about how much to add and what to put in it. If you share your add ins please please please give some measurements so people like me know what to do. I didn't have anything fancy to throw in it so I made the cheese loaf with what I had lying around. I used 1 teaspoon of salt (instead of 1 3/4 teaspoon) and added 1 teaspoon of spike seasoning (not what it's usually for but I'm not good with seasonings) and 1 1/4 cup of shredded colby jack cheese. I added the spike seasoning because I was worried the mild cheese wouldn't have enough flavor on its own. It came out very good. The flavor was mild enough to go with anything but not so mild that it couldn't be eaten by itself. Thank you so much for the recipe!
Weird. I have never had anything stick to parchment paper. Even with the cheese bread. Your ideas and creations sound fabulous. Thanks for your comment.
I have been making and giving away loaves of this bread for about a month now. No one has ANYTHING negative to say! "I'll take two loaves a week," came from one friend. For Christmas I made one where I added about a 1/4 cup of fresh rosemary (chopped) and 1 cup of cheddar cheese shredded. Even my fussy thinks-he's-a-foodie son-in-law complimented me on the flavor. By the way, I use my 3.5 quart Corningware casserole dishes. Works perfectly. Found extras at Goodwill for about $5. It keeps the loaves nicely uniform in size too. Thanks Janet! Love this bread!!!
I haven't read thru the ba-zillion comments..yet.. so hope I am not duplicating. I used my old cast iron dutch oven. Smoked a bit when heating, but generally was ok. Made one loaf, added fresh parm and oregano. It was beautiful and so delicious. Can't wait to try more combo's this weekend. Thanks so much for this recipe!!
Janet! I have a question. I just got a new cast iron pot for Christmas and am super excited to use it! Is there anything i need to do to season it like you have to for a cast iron pan?? I don't wanna ruin it!!
Is you cast iron pot enamel covered or a black "Lodge" cast iron pot. If it's enamel, it's ready to go no seasoning required. If it's a black cast iron pot like a Lodge brand, sometimes they come pre-seasoned and ready to cook in. Most cast iron pots come with seasoning instructions. If it's "raw" and unseasoned, I would go google for cast iron seasoning because it definitely needs to be seasoned before using. Good luck. That pan will last you forever…really. They are great pans.
My bread didn't brown as nicely as yours. I baked in Pampered chef stoneware. Could that be the reason?
It still tastes good. I'll try again with add-ins.
Just bake the bread a few minutes longer after the cover is removed. Remove the bread when it is nice and brown. The stoneware should not be a problem, but I'm not sure because I haven't used one.
Hey! I hope this is not a duplicate question because I didn't read through everyones. Can this be done in the bread machine? How would you suggest if so. Thanks
I surely don't know. I have never used a bread machine and I have not had any one comment on using one. I have had several comments stating that they will never use their bread machine again, because this is so easy. You can try it and let us all know about your results. I hope this helps.
Just wondering; what kind of salt did you use? Table salt? Kosher? I know it isn't really a bit deal, but I was just curious.
I always use Kosher salt.
Found this on Pinterest earlier and have been obsessing over this all night. I have a batch proofing on the kitchen counter now…but I'm slightly worried about the house temps. We're in the middle of a snow storm here in NY, lol. Hopefully I can update you with positive results tomorrow afternoon. Wish me luck!
I don't know what I did…I did this recipe twice, and both times it was a dense, flat bread. I let the first rise too long by accident because I couldn't get off of work…I planned for the 18 hours perfectly and then I was about 5 hours late leaving for work :/ So I knew it wouldn't come out. But the next, I let rise for 12 hours and it was still a mess. I didn't have a nice LeCrueset cast iron pot…instead, I used a NEW Sur la Table enameled stock pot…and nearly ruined it! I know what happened the first time but honestly I don't know what happened the second time…I finally gave up – all those hours waiting for it to rise, wasted…dreaming of the crusty goodness…I didn't see the comments where you listed what other pots would work…next time I'll use the crock pot insert I have that's ceramic…is it OK if the lid is all glass? Thank you…if the third attempt doesn't work, I guess I'll have to give up LOL…thanks!
Hi Donna, Don't give up. I have left my dough out for a good 24 hours and still had success. I'm sorry our ruined a pan. I am amazed at the various containers people have used to bake the bread in with success. If you use the crockpot insert, make sure you remove the lid knob. I'm sure it's not oven safe. If you have any corningware, that works. Just a baking dish with a lid has worked for many folks. You can even cover an oven proof container with aluminum foil. I hope this helps. If not, I'll just have to come to your home and figure it out with you.
I have a problem..it was so good my boyfriend and I ate the whole loaf:) Any idea how many calories are in this amazing bread?!
I have no idea and I don't want to know 🙂
Janet,
Love your blog and wanted to send a thank you! Love the clear precise instructions with pictures!
Here is a my first attempt and it's made my home smell yummy on this 1st day of 2013!
Julie
Try using a Mr Clean sponge on your pots and a bit of Bar Keepers Friend if the build up is really stubborn. Both work wonders to keep pots and pans in beautiful shape.
Thank you for making me look like a super baker! My family loved the bread. It turned out perfectly, just like you said. As an FYI, I have a large enamel cast iron dutch oven and I used the water in the oven technique to preheat the pan. It worked great. Nice chewy crust, soft and fragrent inside. A keeper! Staci
Hi Janet! Thanks so much for this great recipe. Saw it (and pinned it) on Pinterest. Finally got the nerve up to try it. Can read about it here http://meanderingmoodys.blogspot.com/2013/01/we-made-bread.html It was pretty near perfect. It might have needed a tad more time in the oven. Just moved into this house and think the oven might not heat as hot as it should?? If I were to add a few minutes to it, would it be in the covered or uncovered stage? Thanks again!
Thanks you for all the kind comments. I love hearing success stories and I love the combinations you are all creating. Keep it up. Happy baking.
Lynn: I have never activated my yeast. If you use "instant yeast or rapid rise" you just toss the yeast in with the other ingredients. Some comments state that they activated the yeast in 1/4 cup warm water. I have never activated in with great success. If you feel like you need to activate it go ahead and stir it in 1/4 cup warm water, but delete that amount from the water you use in the recipe. Good luck
A million Thank you's for everyone that keeps voting for my husband. Happy baking 🙂
I found your recipe 2 days ago= bought the flour and yeast yesterday, mixed up loaf baked today it came out FABULOUS!!! My kids and husband loved it. I can't wait to go mix up more tonight for tomorrow. thanks for sharing.
Hi, I just made your bread. It came out great but just had no taste. It really does need sugar. How much do you suggest to be able to notice. I would preferably like to use brown rice syrup.
Thanks, Kristy
I think I'd start with 2 tablespoons. Work up from there, if you want it sweeter. Let me know if you think the bread browns more with the addition of sugar.
Thank you!! what an incredibly easy recipe! wish I could post photos…. NUMMY one Kalamata olives, fresh basil. fresh rosemary,capers, garlic cloves, feta cheese, I substituted the salt with Cavenders greek seasoning,,, sprinkled the top of the loaf with trocomare seasoning salt!
So, when I first tried this recipe, I put it in my 15 inch cast iron skillet and covered it with tinfoil (my dutch oven had rusted while on a camping trip so I had to clean it-yet- my bread was ready to go in the oven) and it came out beautifully. I have, so far, made it in my dutch oven with the lid as well as in a pyrex bowl(thinking it may shape it) and cast iron skillet both only covered with tinfoil. I have (luckily) NEVER had a problem with what I have put in it either. (my most recent exploration was using 1/2 cup of whey from some home made Greek yogurt I had made in lieu of water- gorgeous!)Also, I have put it in my oven at about 170 and it only took about 3 hours to rise rather than 16. My only complaint is how hard the bottom crust becomes, I can barely cut it with my bread knife! So, next time I think I will not heat the pan beforehand. Additionally, I'm going to try doubling the recipe to make one large loaf since my boyfriend complains "the slices are not big enough for sandwiches". All in all, AMAZING, keep up the good work and thanks for sharing!!
Thanks for your comment, Kelly. This is such useful information. I have had great comments on using whey. I need to try it myself. As far as your hard crust, I would put the pan in the cold oven and let it preheat to 450 with the oven. Then drop in the dough. That has seemed to help because the bottom crust does get pretty hard sometimes. Thanks for your kind remarks.
Well, I have been letting it heat up while the oven preheats. I think it may have something more to do with I'm at 180ft above sea level compared to your 4000. I'm going to try turning the heat down just a bit and see. My science project has lasted months though, at it's delicious too!. I recently started adding 2 tbsp of sugar (based on a sujestion from another poster) to make it rise a little better, and boy did it work! Today: Italian herb and garlic.
I would like to try cinnamon raisin, has anyone tried it yet & any tips for this?
I am on my 2nd try for GLUTEN FREE loaf!! The first time I mixed my own gluten free concoction of flours, this time I am using the GF all purpose flour and adding xanthan as well – but I see on the side it says yeasted breads may need eggs and vinegar – that will be my next try if needed.
PS – I made this bread, original form, for my husband and kids and it was absolutely delicious.
PSS – I have a Lodge 7.5 dutch oven and it didn't ruin my pot (and I've used this recipe 2x … so I don't think its the brand.
I'd just like to thank you for posting this recipe! Everywhere I bring the bread it's a huge hit! Unfortunately for me, I always open my big mouth and say how easy it is and that I'll email everyone the link to your blog, now they're all going to be able to make it…. Oh well! I've tried a lot of flavours so far. I think my three favourites have been (1) sauteed onions and garlic with cheddar cheese, (2) sauteed mushrooms with mozzarella, and (3) rosemary and cranberry. They're all delicious! I'm intrigued by your suggestion of adding chocolate and may have to try it! If anyone finds a good recipe for a really dark rye bread, I'd love to have it. That's my uncle's favourite and he always complains that he can't find it anywhere! Thanks again!
Has anyone tried Rosemary and Olive Oil? I really love that kind of bread, but I am unsure as to the measurements. Any Suggestions?
Yes, someone has tried this version. Somewhere among the thousands of comments and I can't remember their exact measurements. I would start with at least 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary. Maybe 2 tablespoons EVOO???? Start there. I just start playing with my dough and tossing in handfuls of this and that. Sorry I can't be more precise. Let me know what you come up with.
Is there anywhere I can find different recipes with measurement. I made a plain loaf and it was awesome. I have some garlic roasting right now to mix in but i would love some actual tried and true recipes!
Try the link below. Maybe there are exact measurements there. It looks like it's time for me to start measuring what I toss into the flour. Let me work on a few recipes. I know that someone has used roasted garlic, but I'm don't recall them giving actually amounts. There are so many comments and ideas, I have a hard time remembering and I just can't tell you where to look. I'll see if I can't come up with some figures.
Let me know what you try. thanks so much.
HOLY COW!! I just made bread! ME! I'm 60 years old and this is the first time I've attempted it.
Mine looks just like yours. I found this on pinterest (my latest addiction). I'm going to save your blog and read it often. You are a fantastic teacher! I've already got another bread proofing on my counter…can't wait to try all of the variations! Thanks so much for posting this great recipe!!
Well, Dee in Texas. You just made my day! Thanks for the kind comment. Just think about all that bread baking talent that has been waiting to spring out! congratulations on your success.
Catherine Newman has a version of this recipe that I've been using for years; it contains some whole grains and is delicious! http://spoonful.com/recipes/fantastic-fearless-five-minute-bread
Great source. Thank you so much.
has anyone added the add in goodies AFTER the 12 hours? success? just curious!
thanks
I kind of decided after the fact that it might be fun to add in the orange and cranberries, but the dough has already been on the counter for 12 hours
let me know!
Alright, I give up. I have NEVER commented on a food blog ever, though I browse them multiple times per day. I (skeptically) tried this bread, because your pictures are amazing, and I have been searching for the perfect bread recipe. Tried many, all failed. Until NOW!!!! This recipe is hands-down, the BEST recipe I have ever tried. It just came out of my oven 45 minutes ago, smells amazing and has the best crust and texture that I have ever managed to produce. I was worried because the dough came out pretty wet and didn't really hold its shape after taking it out of the bowl, but it came out great (maybe a little flatter than normal), and I will be starting another batch as soon as I am done typing. THANK YOU for posting this, it deserves every view, like, and re-pin that Pinterest can throw at it. I will send you a picture as soon as I can stop shoving perfectly baked bread in my face… 🙂
Yeast Question/Comment: First off, thanks for putting your blog together and for taking the time to help all of us out 🙂 I made my first batch of dough last night and was so excited to get up and look into the bowl! But nothing had happened…it had barely risen. Bummer! Now that I have read the forum (should have done that last night), I see that I did not use "active" yeast, but regular, and I did not use warm water to proof it. So I am wondering if you could alter your directions by stating 1/2 tsp of "active" yeast. It may help first-timers like me? Just a thought. So now here I am with a flat little ball of dough that has been sitting for 9 hours. Is there anything I can do to fix it now (like mixing in more activated yeast)? Thanks again for everything. I will try, try again 🙂
Hi Natalie, I hope this helps. I borrowed the info from King Arthur flour:
Most yeast IS active dry yeast. I have used both interchangeably in this recipe without having rising problems what so ever. I use the SAF-instant yeast the most because I really like the results. This is what I'd do with your dough…what have you got to loose. Dissolve some 1/2 teaspoon of the yeast that you already have and a pinch of sugar in 1/4 cup warm water. Let it sit for 10 minutes or so. If the yeast begins to foam up then you have yeast that is good. I would stir that into the dough you have. It might be difficult to stir in, but work it the best you can. You could try adding 2 teaspoons of red wine vinegar to your mixture and it will proof in about 4-6 hours. If that doesn't work, I would probably just pitch the dough and start over. If my chance your yeast does not foam up, you probably need new yeast. Let me know what happens. Here is the King Arthur info:
what’s the difference between active dry yeast (ady) and instant yeast?
In days gone by there was a significant difference between active dry yeast and instant yeast. Today, the difference is minimal, and the two can be used interchangeably – with slightly different results. Let’s look at ADY first.
Active dry yeast: The classic ADY manufacturing process dried live yeast cells quickly, at a high temperature. The result? Only about 30% of the cells survived. Dead cells “cocooned” around the live ones, making it necessary to “proof” the yeast – dissolve it in warm water – before using.
These days, ADY is manufactured using a much gentler process, resulting in many more live cells. Thus, it’s no longer necessary to dissolve ADY in warm water before using – feel free to mix it with the dry ingredients, just as you do instant yeast.
However, if you want to make sure that your ADY is alive and ready to work in your bread dough, proof it first, as follows:
Place ½ cup of 110°F water (slightly warmer than lukewarm) in a 1-cup liquid (glass or plastic) measure. Add the yeast called for in the recipe, plus 1/2 teaspoon of sugar, stirring to dissolve. Wait 10 minutes; the yeast is active and healthy if the foam has risen to the 1-cup mark. If you don’t see any activity, buy a fresh supply of yeast. Once you’re sure the yeast is active, continue with your recipe.
ADY, compared to instant yeast, is considered more “moderate.” It gets going more slowly, but eventually catches up to instant – think of the tortoise and the hare. Many bread-bakers appreciate the longer rise times ADY encourages; it’s during fermentation of its dough that bread develops flavor.
Fleischmann’s and Red Star are the two brands of active dry yeasts you’re most likely to see in your supermarket.
Instant yeast is manufactured to a smaller granule size than ADY. Thus, with more surface area exposed to the liquid in a recipe, it dissolves more quickly, and gets going faster than ADY. While you can proof it if you like, it’s not necessary; like ADY, simply mixing it into your bread dough along with the rest of the dry ingredients works just fine.
One caveat: in dough that’s high in sugar (generally, more than ¼ cup sugar per 3 cups of flour), the sugar evens things out, and instant yeast and ADY will perform the same.
SAF instant yeast, produced by France’s LeSaffre company, leads the way among instant yeast brands, with Red Star also commanding a good percentage of the market. LeSaffre is the largest yeast producer in the world, responsible for fully one-third of the total amount of yeast manufactured yearly.
My 14 year old and I are on our 4th loaf this week. Thank you for sharing this recipe that will undoubtidly become a new tradition in our home! Happy baking everyone!
Hi I just made my first loaf of this bread and it came out wonderful, I do however have just a couple of questions, the bread is a great golden brown but is very hard and crusty is that normal? then after cutting the first slice the dough has lots of air holes and looks a little doughy but taste great is that normal? Thank you in advance and I can't wait to make the next loaf with flavors in it.
I think that hard crust comes from heating the pan for 30 minutes. The bottom crust isn't quite so tough if you put the pot in a cold oven then heat the pan with the oven to 450. Plop in the dough and bake as usual. That helps. The bread is supposed to have the holes in it. That's a true artisan bread. My son's think its the best for grilled cheese because the cheese oozes through and gets crispy in the holes. I'm so glad you enjoy the bread. Happy baking.
My nephew sent me a copy of your recipe, I will be trying it in the morning,(I promise). I like to cook, and most especially breads. But I'd never managed a successful loaf until I tried my first bread machine. lol So it'll be interesting to see if I can fix-it or flub-it. lol
As to those pretty blue pots of yours. I'd like to suggest Bar Keepers Friend cleaning compound. Use it at home, and have yet to ever find anything cooked on that it couldn't take back off. Metal, glass, or ceramic, all have come clean.
I just made this today to go with a Bean Soup that I'm making for dinner. All I can say is WOW! I am SO excited by how awesome it turned out!! It is beautiful & SO DELICIOUS. I didn't do any mix-ins, rather, after I plopped the dough into my Le Creuset, I sprinkled the top with granulated garlic and freshly shaved Parmesan cheese. Not only did it smell amazing while baking (and I was nervous about the end product!), it tastes wonderful.
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! Can't wait to try different variations!
Amy
Thanks to everyone for all the cleaning suggestions and for the recipe tips. I have found that my favorite way to clean the enamel is the magic eraser. Works like a charm. As far as baking soda goes – you lost me at "elbow grease". Love to all.
I have recently tried this recipe and have had nothing but successful. The cinnamon raisin has been a huge hit in my house. I have a quick question… do you have any tips of the best way to store the bread? Thanks
Whats the best way to store the bread after you make it?
Suggestions for storing the bread:
If I want to maintain the crisp crust, is put the bread cut side down on a cutting board and cover it with a dish towel. This will work, but only for a day. Other than that a plastic bag. The bread can be re-crusted by placing the bread in a 300 degree oven for a few minutes. I hope this helps.
Has anyone used a pyrex container? I don't have a Dutch ove and read the comments earlier about the cracking when using a crockpot bowl. Any suggestions to make sure I bake ths bread right?
If you live in Texas we have a grocery store calledH.E.B. and they have acast iron enameled pot for $29.95. My daughters and have them for our bread.
A Pyrex dish with a lid has been used with great success. I would put the dough on parchment to bake it just in case the dough sticks to the parchment. I hope this helps.
I have made bread!! Seriously, I was skeptical. I kill yeast. Anytime I touch an unbaked yeast dough with my hands – PFFT! – it dies. But the recipe intrigued me because I figured I really did not need to touch it. When I dumped it out on the floured surface, I used my nifty Pampered Chef spatula and used that to form the dough, which I made oval-ish because I used my mom's old oval 2.5 qt. covered casserole to bake it. I also lifted the dough with the saran wrap to put it in the casserole. No touching of the dough! The bread is beautiful,and tastes as good as the artisan breads that I love at the store that are so pricey. I am going to try some additions to the dough next time. Thanks for sharing the recipe (and this forum.) P.S. The house smelled heavenly while the bread was baking!
Just wanted to thank you for this post! I know I am very late to the game (I found it on pintrest) but am super excited about this bread! I made it a couple days ago for my picky 3 little ones and they loved it! I was able to easily sub in half white whole wheat flour and love being able to know I am giving them fresh, unprocessed bread with great flavor options! Love your writing style and personal attention to your blog as well. Will be trying your other recipes!
I used non-GMO, organic flour for the first time with this recipe. I had to reduce the amount of water. It is a little more "golden" in color. The taste is incredible. I also use just plain cast iron. YUM!
love this bread-thank you for the recipe! Do you think I could add coconut and almond (real almonds or extract) to make a sweet loaf?
I had never made bread before, and this recipe was so easy I had to try it. I used your guyere-lemon-rosemary version. The first batch I made, I forgot to scroll down and had already mixed the dry ingredients with water before adding the gueyere, etc. Since I had already the guyere etc. prepared I made another loaf, and ended up with two. What a lovely mistake! This was so easy and so delicious! Thanks for sharing the recipe. I can't wait to try different ingredients.
Hi Janet! I'm so glad I ran across this recipe in Pinterest, as I have now the best bread on earth in my kitchen… (Not for long, though, I'm sure.) I'm a bit sad I have to eat the bread all by myself – don't get me wrong, it's utterly delicious, but I can't wait to try all the cool alterations! Cranberry-dark chocolate is going to be the one to start with… Yum! Maybe I just have to make all my friends happy by donating them some yummy bread, so I can try more variations? Sounds like a plan.
All in all, thanks for the recipe!
Hi Janet,
Thanks for the recipe. Am on my third boule – asiago cheese and sundried tomatoes in oil this time. This is my first venture into breadmaking and it's been perfect every time. Go, go me!! Kudos Janet
Valerie
Hi Janet,
My first time in bread making and it's been perfect every time. Am on my third boule – asiago cheese and sundried tomato in oil.
Thanks again,
Valerie
I didn't take time to read all of your posts but you mentioned that you would like to know how to clean up your pots…I used a Magic Eraser on mine and it cleaned them right up!
I followed the directions exactly and the bread came out perfect. It looked just like yours and tasted delicious. It did take a full 18 hours to rise probably because my house gets pretty chilly at night. Thank you so much! I will now be baking bread often.
Found this recipe this morning on Pinterest (damn you Pinterest!) and am going to try it today, leaving it to rise overnight as advised. Last year was going to be "The Year of Bread", but I never even made one loaf as we are living in Germany and the ingredients all look a bit different over here. But this? This I'm going to try. TODAY. Thanks, am now a follower.
I did it !! I can not believe it is so easy, thank you so much, can not wait to try the different flavors.
I have a question. I've made this bread twice and it is delicious! The first time it was too wet, but it still rose when baked, it was however, very dense (still has air bubbles in it but its a heavy bread). The second time I added 1/4 cup more flour, so it was less runny and it rose beautifully in the oven but it's also super heavy. Is that the way it's supposed to be? Or am I doing something wrong. I followed the instructions. Oh and my flour is fresh, I go through it like nobody's business.
Pixie 19: The bread is a denser bread. It's definitely not light and fluffy. There will be air holes in the bread. Don't fret. It seems to have a moist heavier texture like an artisan bread.
Good day !
I tried to read most of the comments and questions before asking mine…
Did anyone tried this recipe by making rolls with it?
Sorry about my "not so good" English…
Thanks
How tall does your bread end up? I know that may sound strange ut mine was not as "tall" as I expected it to be. It was beautiful and yummy and definitley rose, but just wanted to see how it measures up to yours (I know that they vary, just curious on average how tall it is!)
Thanks!
My bread is about 4 inches high. Sometimes higher if I add a lot of cheese. I have had some only about 3 inches. Just depends on the day really.
It turned out amazing. I wanted to immediately make one of the other variations.
I have to admit I was skeptical.. but now I'm hooked. I used plain white all purpose flour that |Ihad on hand and it worked great. Can't wait to try more recipes.
I always grease my bowl when letting the dough rise, is this something I can do with this recipe? Also would it be easier to remove from the pan if you put parchment paper, or lightly greased ONLY the bottom of the pan?
This is amazing!!!! I have tried (and failed at) so many home made breads before, but this turned out great!!!! Thank you so much!
I'm having problems loading all of the comments during the remodeling of my site. I will try to answer questions and hope this goes through ok.
Pizza here is the link: https://www.simplysgood.com/potato-rosemary-pizza/
Cinnamon raisin and other sweet variations have been tried with great success. I hate to make you scroll through the comments to find out, but there are several or you can just create your own. Just throw in a handful of raisins and a teaspoon of cinnamon.
I made this for first time yesterday and it was absolutely amazing!! Can't wait to start trying variations. I don't have a LeCruset pot but an old Lodge and it worked beautifully. I served this at my superbowl party and it was beyond a hit. Can't say enough good about this recipe!!
I've made the plain loaf several times and it's delicious. Toasted with butter and strawberry jam — awesome. I want to add some cheddar but have no idea of amounts. Help please!
WOW…This is a defiant winner…the recipe and website. I'm a landlord, a Mr. mom, and full time chef to five. Never been a baker, but gave it a shot when we got invited for a super bowl party. I did one basic 'test' loaf…bam! Awesome! Then gave some of the others a shot…including a chipotle – pepper-jack – ghost pepper salt – man loaf…oh yeah! It got turned into Mexican pizza sandwiches. Freaking insane…I'm now a legend, thanks to this recipe
I don't have a cast iron pan but I do have a heavy glass cassarole dish with a lid. can I use this??? Do I have to make any adjustment with tempature or baking time because of it being glass???
Thanks Pat S.
Pat S. Yes you can use your glass dish. As far as I know everyone just follows the directions and bakes as usual. Unless you baking dish cannot take heat over a certain temperature. Your bread should turn out beautifully.
I nearly died laughing – I left my bread to rise all day and when I went back into my kitchen after work the dough was coming over the side of the dish it had risen so much!!!! I wish I had taken a piccie – I went into panic and cleared it up before it attacked the dog! the rest that was in the bowl I tipped out and placed into a larger bowl and left until this morning when it had risen almost to the top on the larger bowl that it was now in I then tipped it out on to a non stick baking mat(the floopy silicone type) and shaped and left for one hour whilst my oven was heating – I lifted the whole baking sheet into my le creuset and put the lid on – 30 mins in the oven uncovered and was amazed – left another 15 with no lid – This bread is amazing – thank you so much for sharing. I am going to try it with Tiger topping next time.
By the way I used fresh yeast – maybe that is why it almost exploded!
Just whipped up a very successful gluten-free batch! I personally am not gluten-free, so I have the advantage of being able to do a taste comparison between the two versions. I have to say, I shockingly prefer the gluten-free kind!
I only made a couple deviations from the recipe – the flour mixture and the cook time. Everything else is the same. For the flour, I used Jeanne's All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour Mix, the recipe for which can be found here (http://www.artofglutenfreebaking.com/2009/11/the-story-behind-my-gluten-free-flour-mix/). This is seriously the best flour substitute I have ever found – it works and tastes great in a wide variety of foods. Added a tiny bit of extra water (maybe 2 tbsp) to get the right consistency. Also cut an X in the top before going in the oven so the bread could flower instead of raise. Cook time was about 15 minutes longer, for a grand total of 45-50 minutes covered and 10 minutes uncovered.
What I like most about this version is that it doesn't taste like it's trying to be healthy (like many gluten-free breads do), and is more dense but not in a bad way. I would highly, highly recommend giving it a try!
I was introduced this recipe by a friend and i absolutly love it. i love useing this recipe as my base and adding my own flavors. being a beer lover its been on my mind for a while about how to use beer in this bread. i just pulled a loaf out of the oven that i replaced one cup of water with beer, and its great! its kind of like a sourdough, the air pockets are larger. i think next time ill try replacing all the water with beer and maybe using a darker more flavorful beer. thanks for this amazing recipe!
I used the whey from some yogurt I strained for the liquid. It gives the bread a great sourdough flavor. It's fabulous toasted. Thanks for giving me the idea whoever you are.
Tyler: Great idea to use beer for a sourdough flavor as well. Let us know how the flavor is using 100% beer for the liquid.
I have just made bread for the very first time! After the first rise, I dumped the dough onto floured parchment which, after a two hour second rise I had to lift and lower into the heated pot because the dough was kinda stuck to it. Next time, I will purchase and use a silicone baking mat instead of parchment paper. Reportedly, nothing sticks to silicone.
Thanks for this blog and the forum Janet and everyone else!
That's just crazy, Jordan, that your bread stuck to the parchment. My bread has never stuck to anything. ????? I appreciate your input so much.
Is it ok to use a heavy glass cassarole dish with a fitted lid to bake my bread. Is there any time or heat adjust in bakeing because is a glass container???
You can use a glass covered casserole just as long as it can take the high temp. I don't think anyone has lowered the temperature and has great success. Good luck.
Omgawwwwwwwwwwshhhhh, just tried this bread for the first time!!! It is fantastic! My daughter (who is 16) wants the receipe so she can make it at her Dad's. We have been coming up the 'flavours' we would like to try. This will definitely be something I will be baking on a regular basis. And to think I used to bake bread the old fashioned way…with a whole package of yeast and kneading…… thank you again for sharing… we love it!
I just tried this with 2 cups of white and 1 cup of coarsely ground wheat flour. I added sunflower seeds and caraway, and just a touch of raw honey. It is so good! Great actually, I did cut down on my salt just a touch because my sunflower seeds were salted.
can this bread be frozen and heated up at a later date?
The bread can be frozen. Just remove from the plastic bag when thawing. You can reheat in a 300 degree oven for a few minutes to "re-crust" the bread.
I tried this recipe and it came out great! Always wanted to know how to make bread and this made it so easy!!!
I am going to try this recipe this weekend. I've wanted to learn to bake bread for as long as I can remember. I tried once and ended up with a rock hard football shaped loaf. I can't wait to start. Thanks and wish me luck!
Can I use wheat flour with this recipe?
Mary
I finally got around to making this bread after having pinned it months ago and my mom picked up a cast iron pot for me for christmas and here it is February. PROCRASTINATOR IS MY MIDDLE NAME! Believe me, not a good thing. Anyway I was happy with the bread. I screwed up a little as I didn't have instant yeast and put some warm water with the yeast and neglected to remove that amount of water. So it came out a little flat. But tastes very good. And last night I found out that it makes WONDERFUL TOAST!!! I think my next loaf is going to be made close to the weekend so we can try french toast. I'm sure that will be amazing. Thanks!
Michele,
This does make great toast. If you want fabulous french toast, add 1/4 cup cocoa powder to the flour mixture and about a cup of chocolate chips. Great topped with strawberries.
I hope this isn't a duplicate question, but I'm wondering if you could double the recipe as 1 loaf instead of 2…would like a larger loaf. Don't know if that would compromise the "times" and "results" of the finished product. Thank you in advance, can't wait to try it!
Do you have a list of add-in amounts on all the different flavors mentioned ? Like how much jalepnos and how much cheese etc….?
I haven't posted a list of the ingredient amounts for the add ins. For the cheddar jalapeno, I added 1 1/2 cups cubed cheddar and 2 chopped fresh jalapeno's. I hope that helps. You can start with these amounts and adjust to your liking. Good luck.
I just made some of this and would call it pesto bread. I used fresh basil, parmesan cheese, a little minced garlic and pine nuts. Came out delicious!
Also, I have added about and 1/8 cup of each of flax seed, wheat germ and oat bran to give it a little more fiber to each loaf. Works great!
Have also found I need to proof active dry yeast as it rises better in high altitude rather then just adding the yeast to the flour.
My 14 year old son started this bread last night. He got up early to start the baking process before his early morning class (he leaves the house at 6 am!). I had to finish the baking process and pull it out of the oven. It looks and smells so good. I'm just waiting for him to get home so we can taste it. It's killing me!
I think this will be his new chore on Saturday night's so we can have fresh bread for Sunday dinner.
Angela: I'm so happy to hear your son is making the bread. Yes, it's that easy. This will give him so much confidence in the kitchen and his friends and family will love him forever.
Anon: The pesto bread sounds amazing.
I made this bread on bet from my husband he said i couldnt make it. It was easy and the taste was great. However it seemed to be wet in the middle it was done and the taste was great. My second attempt on it to make cinnamon raisin bread failed. The rasin burned on the outside of the bread and this bread lacked the flavor i was looking for. It was very wet,heavy in the middle and a bit chew. Any idea how i can change that.
Found this on Pinterest, gave it a shot and I was so happy and surprised with how my bread turned out! My picky three year old can't stop eating it! It is so delicious… Thank you! I used my Home and Garden Party Bean Pot to bake it in and it came out perfectly! 🙂
I just have to say that your bread is strengthening family bonds!! I made this bread for the first time today. When my son, who is seldom complimentary of me, got home from school, he took a piece and walked away eating. One bite in and he came back just to say, "Mom, this bread is awesome!" thank you so much for making my week! I will be making this a lot from now on.
I used to make a Tomato Basil bread. I added tomato paste (more intense flavor without too much liquid) and dried basil. Maybe a sprinkle of garlic as well. Can't wait to try it today with this new found, easier way to make bread!
I just made TWO loaves! I used bleaced flour, because that is all I had. I did a rosemary, lemon and parmesan cheese one, and then I did a rosemary, roasted garlic, and sharp cheddar one. I think I didn't leave my first loaf in with the lid off long enough, but I got nervous about it getting too dark so I took it out at about 10min, not 15min. Still tastes great, my second one I did the full 15min, and it seems a bit firmer. It is still cooling though. I used a food network enameled cast iron 7 quart pot. I had no parchment paper, so I lightly brushed the bottom with olive oil, and had NO sticking!! They came out beautifully. I also heated my pot with some water in it after reading the warnings about heating some of them empty. I did my first batch and while that one was still going, I got the other one resting on the counter and swapped them out, worked great since I only have one pot! 🙂 I will be making this ALL the time!! Thanks so much for the recipe! My children (4 yrs, and 18mo.) and husband all love it too! 🙂
Ok…my jaws got quite a workout on my first piece. It was an end piece but just wanted to know if you could brush it with olive oil and place in a bag over night? Does any one do this? I know it is Crusty Bread but wow my crust is super crusty. I made mine in a Lodge Cast Iron Dutch oven.
This is bad,bad,bad…..FOR YOUR WAIST LINE!!!! OMG, it's delicous, easy and smells wonderful baking!!!! Can't wait to make more. And I am passing along the recipes to my friends and family
Thank you for all of your great suggestions and helpful tips and ideas. You are all fabulous bakers.
Has anyone made this with all wheat flour, that is all I have. I live in Norway and that is the most common flour used here. Are there any modifications I need to make to account for all wheat? More water or more yeast? Any advice would be really appreciated:)
To my friend in Norway: For whole wheat flour use 1/4 cup flour less and 1/2 cup more water and cooked it 5 less minutes. Many bakers have had success with this formula. Good luck.
Sorry if this does not go to the right place, I’m a cook not a blogger! The best way to clean your cast iron or ceramic pots is to put them in a self-cleaning oven (you can also use this trick for your burners). Turn it on to clean and when you take them out just wipe off the soot. Your pots will look brand new!
Anon: I don't know what to tell you about your last three loaves. Especially if you haven't changed anything. How is your flour and yeast? Fresh??? Did you open new flour?
For the very first time, I tried the plain bread and also the cranberry one. The breads turned out this beautiful golden brown colour, I was quite impressed. I haven't sliced the breads yet…they are cooling off. My question is, I found that the breads were quite heavy – can this be a sign that they aren't properly cooked inside? I am so excited to find out but at the same time, I am quite scrared to maybe find out that they aren't properly cooked inside.
Just to let everyone know. This bread is more dense than regular bread. Don't expect a light fluffy bread.
OMG!!! We all love this bread!..now watch as my backside grows..oh well! it will be worth it!I like to add rosemary and roasted garlic, it is good to dust the top with chunky salt. Also, kalamata olives with feta and herbs mmm…a great addition. Thanks!
Found this receipe last week. have been making bread non stop. Cant keep it in the house. Did not have great results with cinamon and raisin bread. I made garlic herb bread and it was great. I had to add a little mre water to the receipe. I have been using stainless pans with foil lids. seems to be working great. Love the receipe. Wondering if i could make rolls out of it ?
Yes, you can make rolls with this recipe. You could just make smaller loaf shapes or bake them on a pizza stone uncovered. Works great. Check out the Roasted Tomato sandwiches on my blog. That should help.
Did this in the mile high city this morning. I was a bit wary due to altitude adjustments. I added a pinch more salt to delay the yeast and a tad more water but followed everything exactly. My hubby is still raving about the bread.
Can't wait to try this fabulous sounding bread, but I have a question about using the correct pan. I have a very old (over 40 years) white Corningware 5 quart pan with a glass lid. I'm sure it can take the 450° heat, but since the finish is not as smooth as it was when it was new, I'm concerned about sticking. I've read the comments, but haven't seen many comments about the bread sticking. Thanks for any info about this.
Not that you need another 'oh my gosh this bread is fantastic and the easiest baking I've ever done in my life' comment, but OH MY GOSH THIS BREAD IS FANTASTIC AND THE EASIEST BAKING I'VE EVER DONE IN MY LIFE!
To add: I used my crock pot insert and some heavy duty aluminum foil as the lid since I didn't want to fiddle with taking the plastic handle off of the crockpot lid and it turned out JUST fine, in case people are in the same boat I was (the boat of crockpot owners who don't have an enamel pot but are too lazy to take off the plastic handle from the crockpot)
If you are worried about the bread sticking, just place a piece of parchment paper on the bottom on the baking dish. OR put the dough onto the parchment and lift the parchment to lower the dough into the dish. Works like a charm.
Amazing Bread recipe, Thank you! I have been baking Sour Dough Bread for several years and have never made a more delicious loaf than the two that just came out of the oven this morning. I used your recipe, doubled it, used 1 cup whole wheat flour for 1 cup of the unbleached, and used 1 liquid cup of my 3 year old sourdough starter for 1 cup of the water! ( I used warm water for the other two cups because my starter was cold out of the frig!) No knead, just mixed as shown, put in oven with oven light on overnight, then took risen dough out of the oven, preheated oven to 450 degrees while pewter casseroles were heating too, fomed the two round loaves, placed in preheated casserole, lid on and baked in pewter casserole dishes with fitted pewter lids. AMAZING! My husband can't wait to get home and eat the whole loaf with his speghetti dinner tonight. THANK YOU for the wonderful recipe and the NO KNEAD TO KNEAD RECIPE!My two loaves will be just the first of many! Just fabulous! Blessed, a follower for life!
Melody, Thank you so much for the info on sour dough. I have to try it. It just sounds like amazing bread. Thanks for your kind comments. I hope to keep this blog going for life 🙂
I love this recipe! 🙂
One of my first concerns in trying this bread was the cool temperature of my home (we keep the winter thermostat set at or below 63F, dropped to 55F at night) – my first loaf, mixed in the evening and left out on the counter, was little different after it's initial rise time than one I put in a prewarmed (but turned off) oven for it's rise.(Starting it off using the warmed oven does create a slightly larger and finer air bubble loaf for me) That was good to see!
However, I've learned that my cooler home definitely affects the 30 minutes allowed for the 2nd rise – that cool counter top seems to zap the very life out of the bread and allowing it to set longer has helped – but the best help has been to time it to need to run the under counter dishwasher, wait until it's run long enough to warm up the counter, then continue with the process.
Yes, I've had one loaf stick very badly with the stuck parts being slightly burnt, but the unstuck part not burnt – I had followed a suggestion to put the dough in flour side UP and where there wasn't flour on the new bottom, it burned and stuck to the enamel.
That caused me to have to bake the second loaf I had prepared on a pizza stone with a stoneware bowl cover – and learned that if your cover bowl is very large (as mine was), then the bread will spread, not be as tall (can't call it flatter, since it started off okay)and cook faster.
I've been experimenting with unbleached flour,whole wheat flour, vital wheat gluten and ground flaxseed as my base – my most successful base combination is using 2 cups unbleached, 1/3 cup ground flaxseed and 2/3 cup whole wheat flour, 4 tsp vital wheat gluton. It's still a slightly smaller finished product because the flaxseed and whole wheat make it so much more dense, but the texture and flavor work well for me.
Thanks for your blog, your continued responses and continued patience with us when we repeat already answered questions. 🙂
Have been using a very similar recipe but adding olive oil, a bit of honey and oats at the start as well. Im always using "fresh" yeast and it´s been working with cold water. Have put it in a preheated oven at 225 degrees but in a so called Ultra Pro. Same idea otherwise though, stick it in for 30 minutes with the lid and then remove the last 15 minutes;) So keen to try it your way as well to taste the difference!
http://www.tupperware.se/produkter/produktserier/ultrapro
This bread sound out of this world. How do I get the recipe?
My family absolutely raves over this bread! I live in GA and it rises great for me despite my using cheap flour. When I forget to set the dough out the night before I use highly active yeast and it reduces the rise time and still turns out beautifully. For Saint Patrick's Day I added green food coloring to the water before I mixed it with the flour. A few hours later I had a delicious andfestive loaf. I also usually throw a spice mix in the bread that has rosemary, thyme and a few others in it. This bread recipe is perfect!
I cannot buy store bought bread ever again!!! Perfect recipe flavor or just plain. Have been following your recipe for several months. Just wanted to say thanks!! I live at 10,000 feet, use an all clad dutch oven and didn't change a thing! Perfect each time!
I want to make this but I have a question! I just bought my first Le Creuset piece (to make this bread) and in reading the booklet that came with it it states to “never preheat a dry, empty pan” and it also states to never “dry cook” any foods – always grease/spray/prepare the pan before cooking. I certainly don’t want to ruin my brand new, expensive pan the first time I use it……but since you do this all the time, I’m assuming its really NOT an issue?????
To Joy: I have 4 Le Creuset pots. I haven't had any trouble with them and I have used them several times to bake the bread. HOWEVER, I probably wouldn't chance ruining and brand new Le Creuset. You should probably fill the pan with water to preheat it so be on the safe side. Better safe than sorry – right?
Hey, I tried making this bread gluten free and it turned out beautifully! I used half Pamela's artesian blend and half of their bread flour mix. It tasted even better the next day.It was a little dense the first time so I added a bit more yeast and water and that helped a good deal. I also found it needed to bake longer with the top of the pot on. I used a cast iron pot sprayed with some PAM.
Thanks for the great recipe!!! It is wonderful to finally have some "real" crusty bread. 🙂
Thanks anon. for the GF version.
Love this recipe……..have probably put on 5 lbs. since a friend told me about it.
Wanted to let you know not to use White Lily flour. Tried it today and it was almost pourable when mixed.
Was going to add more flour but threw it out and went back to unbleached King Arthur Flour which worked great as always.
Thanks
Phyllis
I have made your recipe and LOVE it! It is amazing how it turns out every time with little effort. I have not bought store bought bread in 4 months since discovering your recipe. I have made the traditional recipe, Italian herb and cheese (asiago, parmesan, and provolone cheeses mixed with basil and oregano), Garlic cheddar, and Mozzarella Oregano bread. I made the italian herb and cheese bread and wrapped it like your gift suggestion mentioned and donated it to our church youth group auction. It went for $25! Afterwards I had numerous people tell me if I ever wanted to make a loaf for them they would be thrilled. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe and the gorgeous pictures.
Bev
I have not noticed a difference in name brand sugars. I use C & H sugar for all of my baking.
Someone above asked about using the Pampered Chef Covered Baker. I baked my first loaf this morning, using the baker. It turned out PERFECT. I followed the directions exactly, preheating the baker for the 30 minutes. I'm excited and anxious to experiments with some of the suggested add-ins!
There are a few Gluten free recipes through out the comments here and also the Crusty bread. I'll keep searching to see if I can locate them to post in the comment section. Or send me a request through "contact me" and I can email it to you directly.
ah, I've now made this bread SO many times! My family and friends rave about it every time I make it! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Hi, All….
I have seen several comments on the forum saying not to heat a Lodge cast iron pot empty. I contacted Lodge and that is true only if it is an ENAMEL coated pan. Here is their response. Hope this helps clear up any confusion.
"If it is the black cast iron cookware it can be heated without water just wipe it down with vegetable oil before preheating. If your oven is the Lodge Enamel cookware then never heat the oven empty.
Thank you,
Janice Patterson
Customer Service
Lodge Manufacturing"
Where did you get your dishtowels? I love this recipe and have made a loaf almost every day since the first time we tried it. But I am loving your idea of wrapping the loaf up in a pretty dishtowel, and I can't find any I like as much as yours!
This is one of my favorite bread recipes (and that's saying something)! Sun-dried tomatoes, fresh lemon-basil, and mozzarella cheese is another favorite my family LOVES. (My mom has also tossed some frozen bacon bits in with it, and it was surprisingly good. Funky, but good.) I've basically thrown in any combinations of flavors with the basic recipe and it comes out great.
Question:
Does wheat flour or half-white half-wheat work?
Does the order you mix it together matter? I usually try to to the dry ingredient, water, then flavors. But even with the recipe doubled, I only have a enough dough to really make two good-sized loaves. Suggestions?
This really is a very quick and easy bread. I have NO luck with homemade breads, but this turned out beautifully!
I'm making my first loaf today, in fact it is resting while the pot is heating. I cannot wait to see what it turns out like! Thank you for sharing this super easy recipe 🙂
Hi! I've just really started learning to cook in the past few years and have steered clear of most things that include flour or yeast as I seem to be quite intimidated by these words. HOWEVER, this recipe looked easy enough and my bread is beautiful! Crusty just like I like it. But I have one question. When I chew it the bread seems kinda, well, almost slimy. My husband's pancakes sometimes have the same quality. Are we stirring too much? Old flour maybe? It is 100% thoroughly cooked and looks right inside and out. Any ideas? I'm excited to try this again and would love any input. Thanks!
Hi Cara,
I have not heard of anyone having a "slimy" bread before. The bread is denser and has a moist consistency. I just can't tell you what to do. I'm at a loss ???? Hmmm. If you think it needs a longer baking time you could leave the lid on and bake an additional 5 minutes. Then remove the lid for the remaining 15 min. That's where I would start. OR maybe too wet of dough????
I cover the bread with a dish towel and place it cut side down on a plate to store overnight. If I'm storing the bread longer, I put it in a plastic bag for a day or two. Left over bread makes great croutons or bread crumbs.
I made the plain bread and both my husband and I think it's too salty. Can I reduce the amount of salt and still have the bread turn out?
I tried with einkorn flour, not good. it was super sticky and a pain to work with before putting in the oven, and it tastes sort of green. I'm disappointed with that flour. I make this bread all the time and just love it (with regular flour). I've made loaves, rolls, even pat it down a bit and put sliced deli meat, cheese, caramelized onions, etc inside and pat into mound before baking — this is terrific but it's easier to clean with parchment lining if cheese gets out. I use a crock pot insert with all-glass lid, or casserole dishes with glass lids. Super easy recipe!
I used silicone baking mats as a resting place for the boules of dough while the pots heated up. When it came time to transfer to the hot pot, it was very easy to gently roll the dough into the pot, and the seam side ended up as well. This was the first time I made bread in this style, and they came out very beautifully – and tasty, too!
I made it with a sourdough starter with the following recipe:
Sourdough Recipe
2 cups white wheat flour (such as
King Arthur Flour), plus additional
for dusting
1 cup Sourdough starter
2 3/4 teaspoons salt
1½ teaspoons sugar
1 cup water, at room temperature
This is the same basic recipe. The cup of starter is roughly the equivalent to one cup of flour and a half cup water. Flavor and texture is great!
Thank you so much for the info on Sour dough bread. I can't wait to try it. Fabulous info. You're the best!
This bread is excellent! I used better for bread flour and a stainless pot (that's all I had) and mixed in olive tampenade with feta. Wow! Now making a garlic/rosemary/beer loaf. This bread will not disappoint, even the flat dough rose up faithfully, beautifull thin, crisp crust and chewy texture. Yum! I've got a chocolate cherry dough (with a touch of cinnamon) rising and can't wait to taste the finished product, I'm SO hooked!
For those whose mix went flat just add 1/2 to 3/4 c. flour more and knead. Then add the mixture to the hot contain and bake. That's what I did and it turned out great. Thanks for a great recipe!!
If you don't have enough people to eat a loaf or 3 a day (it's very easy to get carried away…..)try this technique—I slice the cooled loaf, stack them offset so you can get your fingers between the frozen slices to separate them, put in a lg ziplock bag in the freezer. THEN when you want some, pop it into the toaster just long enough to thaw/warm & it's like it just came out of the oven. Our humidity is too high to keep a crusty loaf happy on the counter, this works beautifully & the bread never gets tough.
AnnieHall
I don't think anyone has responded about using a roaster. Why not? I think it should work. I would just use parchment paper to bake the bread on, because I'm concern the dough would stick in a roaster. Good luck.
Can I use coconut milk instead of water?
Anon:
I'm not sure about coconut milk. I have never tried it. Why not? If anything, you might need more liquid. I will try it tonight. Let me know if your try it as well.
hello, i'm from Indonesia …start the first time today with your bread. After 14 hours came out little bit to " wet" /dough was "running" add some more flour,hope getting better. If fail, shure to want try again with less water( could have been the only reason ) 1 1/2 Cup of water…you can find vary results in Net how much grams actually. But have one suggestion…If you heating up the pot directly together with the oven…your pot should have the same temperatur when the oven reach it. So it's save some time ( and energy )…let you know how everything worked out.Greetings from Indonesia
What can I use instead of plastic wrap, which is terrible for the environment? Would wax paper work?
You do not have to use plastic wrap. Just make sure the dough doesn't dry out or get crusty on top. Perhaps waxed paper and a damp towel might do the trick.
Have made this recipe with black olives, Italian spice mix and Parmesan cheese, when you first take the lid off brush with olive oil and sprinkle kosher salt then bake the next 15 minutes it makes great foccacia! Also tried it with a cup of sharp cheddar and a tablespoon of dry dillweed. Another tip for people whose kids have braces is to brush the bread with melted butter after it comes out of the oven then put in a plastic ziplock bag to soften the crust.
Thanks so much for sharing all of your wonderful ideas and creations. Yum!
I love this recipe. I have tried the cranberry, almond, orange. It's awesome. I love the plain too. When I want something special and don't have ingredients I add a packet of Italian salad dressing spices.
I'm making 2 loaves today to watch the rising progress of both. One loaf is white (always turns out perfect!) and the other is cinnamon raisin. I've noticed that the cinnamon raisin does not seem to be rising like the white. I added 1 tsp more water but I'm afraid that it will be too dense (had the same problem with my Whole Wheat loaf last week). My question is when adding in the add-ins to the basic recipe do you add additional yeast and/or water so that the add-in loaf ends up like the white loaf?
Oxi Clean is great for cleaning Le Crueset
My first try and it came out beautifully. The hardest part is waiting for it to cool enough to slice.
Thanks so much for a great recipe.
why such a small amount of yeast? 1/2 teaspoon doesn't seem enough. why not the whole packet like most other recipes?
Why only 1/2 teaspoon yeast??? Well, if you use too much yeast the dough will get the yeasty fermentation smell and flavor. If you are trying to raise the bread for a short period of time like 4-6 hours 1 teaspoons would be ok. The 12-18 hours rising time just requires 1/2 teaspoon. It works…trust me.
White Lily brand flour (found only in the South) does not work for this recipe. I made this recipe several times at home without fail. When I made it when visiting family in SC, using their White Lily flour, the recipe was a huge flop. It didn't rise nearly as much, and the dough was super wet. I had to add in at least an extra cup of flour to get the dough consistency simliar to how it is when I make it at home. The bread didn't rise at all. When I returned home and made it with normal flour, no problem. I also gave the recipe to my brother (in Atlanta) and he said it didn't work. The first question I asked him was what type of flour he used…White Lily.
I soak my creuset over night in slightly soapy room temp water. After that it's easy to clean.
I'm making my first loaf today. Wish me luck! A tip on cleaning your le creuset pots is to use Mr. Clean's Magic Eraser on them. It works great on corning ware, too.
Just wondering how Cory from Falling Star Lane adds chocolate? Is it chocolate chip cranberry bread or chocolate bread ( which I have eaten and loooved) with cranberries?
Not sure if you will see this comment, but I live at a high altitude now (6,600 feet), and was wondering if I should do anything differently?
Thanks! Looking forward to making this.
I received a comment on high altitude baking of this recipe. At 7,000 feet above, no changes were necessary. I hope this helps.
Regarding adding chocolate to the bread dough: I have added both cocoa powder and chocolate chips. The bread was amazing and makes fabulous french toast.
Very sad. I made this last night and my beautiful blue LeCruset pot (exactly like yours) cracked. SO upset. The bread was good.
Rebekah, I am so sorry to hear about your pan. I can't tell you have many loaves of bread I have baked in my Le Creuset. Did you enamel crack or was it the cast iron pot that cracked? I would be so devastated. Does Le Creuset have a warranty??
If your pot says not to heat it empty, put a couple bags of dried beans in it while heating. Then just dump them out before adding the bread dough. Keep the beans, they can be used again and again for heating the pan (you can also use them in a pie shell if baking it without filling,the beans will keep it from bubbling up and having to be broken down to get the filling in). I doubt you would want to eat those beans though after heating them dry.
For those asking about pizza stones, you can use a concrete stepping stone from the hardware garden department. I learned that from Alton brown on the Food Network. You can probably find his pizza episode online somewhere, maybe Hulu or Youtube.
Hi Janet! (I'm a friend of Trudys by the way! Loveeee your blog!) Anyway, I've been trying to make a cinnamon/sugar loaf and it won't rise right. I'm wondering if you have any recommendations on what i need to compensate…less flour? or same amount of flour? or more water? The taste is delicious, but it just comes out sort of flat. Also, all of my loaves have been burning on the bottom when I've cooked them for the recommended time. I've just adjusted my baking time and they are better! (maybe its California altitude difference?)
Anyway, thanks for the great blog and your great ideas!!
Shelley
Hi Shelley, I just love your Trudy. I'll start with the dark bottom of your bread. Try preheating the pan in the oven when you turn the oven on. When the oven temp reaches 450, drop the dough into the hot pan. Bake as usual. So instead of preheating the oven to 450 THEN adding the pot to heat for 30 minutes. Just put the cold pan in the cold oven and let them heat together. This has worked for me. I notice that bread with sugar in it, tends to brown more. As far as your sugar cinnamon bread…how much sugar are you putting in? Sugar turns to a liquid when baking, so maybe you should add 2-3 tablespoons less water. How much sugar are you putting in??
That's the only thing I can think of. I hope this helps if not, call Trudy and get my number and call me
I LOVE THIS BREAD!!! I make loaves for gifts all the time. People are so impressed. I have to dab flour on my face (like the old rice crispy treats commercial!) to make it look as if this was any work at all =) I am currently working on sharp cheddar and minced garlic and sharp cheddar and jalapeno! I will let you know how it goes. Curious on your opinion…could I add little dibs of butter to the minced garlic/sharp cheddar loaf before baking or would that screw everything up? I feel like you can't go wrong with this bread. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Hi there,
I love all the recipes you have shared. You are an amazing cook! Do you have any recipes/ideas for me to make a sourdough crusty "no knead" bread?
I made bread!!! This recipe was awesome, thank you! (I was so excited, my 4 year old was concerned)
I have made this recipe several times sometimes adding fresh rosemary from my garden or roasted garlic – it always comes out WONDERFUL! Today, I added a little bit of my SOURDOUGH STARTER to it! Can't wait to try it!
Just made my first loaf and it is perfect but wondering … has anyone tried sugar instead of the salt?? I like a sweeter taste. Any suggestions for this??
i make this bread all the time. It comes out fine. But its not very shaggy. Its actually dry and I have a hard time incorporating all the flour into it. Should I add more water?
i make this bread all the time. It comes out fine. But its not very shaggy. Its actually dry and I have a hard time incorporating all the flour into it. Should I add more water?
Alix: I would add more water. Start with 2 tablespoons and go up from there. You probably could add an additional 1/4 cup. Let me know how this works out. Good luck
Just spray your pot (remove the knob) with oven cleaner, put it in a plastic garbage bag outside for a few hours, spray it off with the hose and it is like new. Ovens are baked on enamel. I do this with my Le Creuset pots and they look like new.
Have you ever tried adding oatmeal in place of some of the flour? Love oatmeal bread!
Rae: Whoa, you just blew my mind away with the banana. I have not received a comment from anyone that has used banana. Mash it up and throw it in and see what happens. Be sure to send us a report.
I have not heard word on the coconut flour yet. Hopefully we'll hear soon.
Thank you for this awesome recipe! My friends and family love when I bring bread to dinners and get-togethers. To all of my loaves, I mix the water with 3/4 tsp yeast and 1 T sugar first. Some of our favorites loaves have been cranberry orange almond (didn't have a fresh orange to zest, so I used 1/2 cup oj and 1 cup water), garlic parsley cheddar, cinnamon raisin nut, and my most recent honey roasted sunflower (served with homemade honey butter). But whenever I bake a new creation, I still have to make an original loaf to eat with homemade jams and apple butter. 🙂
Hi Amy, Thank you so much for sharing your great ideas. It was so fun to read your comment. Happy baking!
I tried this yesterday with a double batch, one plain as the recipe directs, the other with Romano Grated Cheese, Garlic, Rosemary and Sesame Seeds. Both were out of this world. My guests were loosing their mind eating this pre dinner. I made a beef stew and it was the perfect dish to go with. Now I think I'll be planning what I cook around what kind of bread I feel like making 🙂 Thanks KATORA
Yay, it worked! I used yeast that expired 7 and 1/2 years ago because it was late and that is all I had and it actually turned out great. I used Magnalite roasting pans (I think they are aluminum) that I inherited from my grandmother. I took them out five minutes early and the one in the 8 qt. pan was perfect but the one in the 4 1/2 qt was a little over done. Any ideas why?
Kenny & Karissa, just check the small pot more often. After removing the lid just cook until golden brown.
Hi Kathy, Way to go! I'm so happy your bread was a success.
We love our homemade bread still hot straight out of the oven! Is there a reason you suggest we let it cool completely before devouring it?
I just baked my first loaf and everyone loves it. One thing though I will be using the original time and not cut it down as someone had done (or suggested) I love that the curst was not super crusty but it was a little bit doughy after cooling. But the taste was still amazing!!! I usually make hockey pucks when making bread. My husband was teasing me about that when I began mixing this bread lol. And to even his amazement it was delicious. can't wait to try different versions. Thank for publishing this.
I thought I would share this. I have made my second loaf of this wonderful bread. I used a 1 1/4 cup sharp cheese cubed tiny. (thinking now I should have just grated it) 3/4 teaspoon dry flaked parsley. 3/4 teaspoon minced roasted garlic. It turned out great!!!!
Now due to the fact that the kids and older adults were having a bit of a problem with the crustiness of it, I decided to try wrapping it in foil after taking out of the pan. And it worked. The kids love it even more and so do the older adults who appreciate the fact that it isn't quite so hard to bit into. So you might want to give it a try if you have people who would like the crust to be a little softer.
HI Sandi, I like the bread hot from the oven as well. I guess it's a bit easier to slice after it's cooled a bit. I personally love the crust when it's hot.
I doubled this recipe and used 1/2 white and 1/2 spelt flour. Made the full double loaf. It came out fantastic! Looks like it came from a french bakery!
You wanted to know how to clean your blue pots.
There is a produce called Barkeepers Friend you can find it at Wallmart in the cleanser section in a gold can like kitchen cleanser comes in.
It may take a little elbow grease since it looks pretty burnt on.
Put it in a damp pan swish it around and let it soak for a few minutes and use a Scotchbrite pad and scrub the crud. It should look like new. We use it on my wife's stainless steel cookware that is from the mid 60s and it looks like new.
You asked how to clean your pots! Barkeepers Friend! The most amazing, non abrasive, miracle cleanser! Depending on water temp and how much BF you use, it will clean any and everything. It whitens whites in the laundry to. I believe they have a web page. Just checked and they do have a web page at http://www.barkeepersfriend.com Buy the dry cleanser, not the soft cleanser. Hope this helps you. I have NO doubt it will.
I moved from philadelphia to W.Va.2 years ago and very much missed the crusty bread/ rolls that are sold at almost every corner store.I tried this recipe yesterday and we devoured the entire loaf that evening. Needless to say I started 2 more loaves last night and baked them today for a neighbor and a dear friend.Cant wait to hear their comments on it. I will no longer have to dream of the idea of crusty bread any longer, (I will make my own) whenever i please. Thank you
I would like to add beer… has anyone done this?
LOVE this bread/
Would love to make a beer bread?
I wanted to share a flavor idea: Cranberry Chipotle Cheddar (from Whole Foods) and chives! CCCC, if you will.
Sharon, I'm pretty sure someone has made this bread with beer. You could totally replace part of the liquid with beer. I have never baked with beer so…. But why not?
I added 1/2 cup broken walnuts and 1 tsp. cinnamon to the dry ingredients. I used 1/2 cup of raisins, but I put them in a pyrex cup with 1/4 cup of water and put them in the microwave for 1 minute to "plump" them up. Let them sit and cool before adding with the other liquid and IMPORTANT now only use 1 1/4 cup of water because you already have 1/4 cup of water with the raisins. (I did end up adding about 1 TBS more water though because my dough looked too dry.) Bread was great and raisins were very juicy and good! I also find that my bread is already pretty brown when the first 30 minutes of baking is done, so I don't bake this loaf the other 15 minutes. Not sure if my oven is just very hot, or if it is because the heating element for my oven is in the top instead of bottom. Don't know!
Love love love making this bread. I am so not a chef in the kitchen but making this bread makes me feel like one. Going with that I am not a "chef" this May be a silly question. Would it be possible to do a sourdough bread with this recipe?? Thanks!
WOW!! I am very fond of baking, and even followed a course in baking bread when I was a student. This is the first time I've ever had a fantastic crust like this, so I'm extremely grateful for this wonderful recipe. I just followed the recipe step by step and it turned out exactly like the picture, which almost never happens 😉 I see all kinds of possibilities: olives, cheeses, sundried tomatoes…. Thanks! Wish I could show you a picture of my beautiful bread!
I have made countless loaves of this wonderful bread. My grandson, who adores this bread (he brings it to school as his snack), is gluten intollerant. I have made a loaf with gluten free flour and it is the consistency of a cake mix batter–nothing like my regular dough. I'm wondering if I should add more gluten free flour? HELP!!
There have been a few successful GF recipes posted in the comments. It's just finding them. I'll keep looking….
Here is one GF recipe:
Just read through all hundred million comments! You are a popular lady, and for good reason! Okay, I tried GF! In fact, I've been making them and selling them at our Farmer's Market for the past 4 weeks. I sell out every time! They are beautiful, but not quite as round and smooth as yours. Can't wait to try leaving it on the parchment paper, what a gooey mess!
I have to increase the water by 50% so I use 2 1/4 C water. I have tried Pamela's Bread Mix and Better Batter Bread Mix, they get pretty close to the same results. The only other alteration that I've had to make is I throw it in my stand mixer and let it go on low for 5 to 10 minutes. When it's GOOD AND BLENDED, I add the extras! The one that I came up with that sells out fastest is the "No Thyme" loaf. It has parsley, sage, rosemary and …. oregano?
WaaLa! Thanks for making "That Gluten Free Lady" look like she knows what she's doin'!
Just read through all hundred million comments! You are a popular lady, and for good reason! Okay, I tried GF! In fact, I've been making them and selling them at our Farmer's Market for the past 4 weeks. I sell out every time! They are beautiful, but not quite as round and smooth as yours. Can't wait to try leaving it on the parchment paper, what a gooey mess!
I have to increase the water by 50% so I use 2 1/4 C water. I have tried Pamela's Bread Mix and Better Batter Bread Mix, they get pretty close to the same results. The only other alteration that I've had to make is I throw it in my stand mixer and let it go on low for 5 to 10 minutes. When it's GOOD AND BLENDED, I add the extras! The one that I came up with that sells out fastest is the "No Thyme" loaf. It has parsley, sage, rosemary and …. oregano?
WaaLa! Thanks for making "That Gluten Free Lady" look like she knows what she's doin'!
I discovered this recipe and immediately whipped up two batches, it's so good! I think I need to increase my baking time because the middle does seem a bit doughy, but that didn't stop my husband and me from eating two loaves in two days.
In regards to adding ingredients for flavoring, if you're adding a meat or cheese, should the dough rise in the fridge? Will the meat/cheese spoil? Or does it not matter because you're baking it at 450 for at least 45 minutes?
Thank you!
I discovered this recipe and immediately made two batches of it… it's awesome!
In regards to adding meats and cheeses to the bread, if those are added, should the dough rise in the fridge? Will the meat spoil or does it not matter because it's baked at 450 for 45 minutes?
Thank you!
-Laura
Laura, in regards to adding meat and cheese to the bread: The cheese can stay out on the counter top no problem. I have not tried meats. The dough probably would raise sufficiently, if the dough was refrigerated. I have had comments stating that pepperoni had been used. Your choice. Personally, I would leave the meat out of my bread.
Can this recipe be made into rolls? And if so how long should I bake them?
Janie
Pumpkin Pie Crusty Bread
2 cups unbleached flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 3/4 cups pumpkin puree
1/2 cup water
your preferred spices for 1 pumpkin pie
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp yeast
3 tsp wheat gluten
Mix the water with the whole wheat and allow to sit for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, mix the remaining ingredients and follow the rest of the Crusty Bread instructions.
This bread will be very moist and the smell of pumpkin pie will be stronger than the actual taste, but oh, so yummy for something very different.
I have gotten much better results lowering the temp to 425 degrees (even for preheating the water filled pan) and prefer to place corn meal in the bottom of my pan prior to adding the bread.
In keeping with home made is best, I use pie pumpkins grown in my garden that have been cleaned, baked, pureed and frozen.
Thank you for the excellent blog! I have learned so much!
Jeanette
I just made my 1st loaf and had a couple of questions. My bread turned out "doughy". I followed the bake time exactly. The crust was golden brown. Also, I had too much flour on top of the baked bread. When forming the bread, I think I rolled it in the flour too much! Please help me to get the "perfect" loaf like everyone else. I'm so very anxious! Thank you.
Anon: Try baking the bread longer with the lid ON for about 5-7 minutes. Remove lid and continue to bake until golden. This should help. The bread dough is wetter than normal homemade or store bought bread.
I tried this recipe, great hit with everyone! Gave one as a gift to a neighbour, now we do a swap once a week 🙂 She gives me eggs for her chicken, I make them bread 🙂 Your recipe is travelling around the globe, definitely getting popular here in the UK, but some of our friends living in Hungary have also started making the 🙂 Thanks!
A magic eraser should clean your dutch oven. I have not tried it on mine yet b/c I have not used it enough, but I have used it on other enamel cookware. Hopefully this bread will turn out great (its baking now) and I will need to clean mine soon. 🙂
Thanks for this recipe. I have been making variations on it for a few months now and wanted to add one of my successes… Loaded Baked Potato! Delish comments from all who tried it.
I took out 1/4 cup of the flour and added that amount of potato flour (It gave a hint of flavor and nice crumb!)
As the add-ins I used: 1 Tablespoon of (dried) chive, 1 1/4 cups of crumbled sharp cheddar, 4 strips of crisp bacon (roughly chopped), and 2 tablespoons of sour cream (I took 2 T of water out and then swirled the sour cream into the water so it was well distributed throughout the loaf.
Rave reviews from all who tried it!
I just made this bread, I followed the recipe exactly, however in the dough-making process I found the dough to be too dry. Using the pictures on your site to navigate the texture, I added a little more water, about 1/4 cup at a time, until it was the right consistency and texture. I also used a huge stainless steel mixing bowl for the entire process, and used tin foil for the oven. It came out perfect! THANK YOU FOR THIS RECIPE! I would also like to know if there is a good technique to slicing the bread as it's very crusty on the outside and my bread knives fall short of getting through. I had to turn the bread on the side to get into it! Much appreciation, ~EC
Could I make this bread in the crock pot on high temp. setting?
Anon: I have never cooked the bread in a crockpot. I'm not sure that would work. I don't think the crockpot would get hot enough. You could put the crockpot insert into the oven and bake your bread. That works great.
HI EC: I'm not much help in slicing the bread. The first slice works great, but the second isn't as easy. I have been know to destroy a hot loaf. I think I need a new bread knife. Thanks for the comment.
I am wondering if anyone has any suggestions for making my loaf of bread a little less dense. I would love it to be lighter.
This bread is more dense than normal bread. You can create larger holes in the bread by not working the dough too much when shaping and allowing for the dough to look like it's bubbling during the later end of rise time.
Gill: I'm just sick about your knob. This is a first comment with problems of melting knobs. I know that the knobs will melt on a crockpot lid. I'm so sorry. I hope you find a solution.
I baked the straight, plain recipe in a 2 qt. stainless steel pot with a lid. Bread came out great, nice round boule. Thanks for the forum. People gave great ideas and tips.
Tip from a fellow baker: I found a baking vessel for my "No Knead Bread"
A brown clay planter from Home Depot, 14 x 4 x 5.
My loaf was superb.
Q: Why is my bread turning out flat?
A: I don't know. You could try using less 1/4 cup less liquid. Or add a bit more flour. Make sure your dough appears to be dry when you first mix it. It will have more moisture during the rising time. There are many determining factors when bread making. Is your flour old? It does make a difference. Sometimes store brand, sale flour isn't so great and should probably be left on the store shelf. Make sure your flour is fresh and a good quality brand and make sure your yeast is fresh and active.
I wish I had seen this before trying it. I am pre-heating my pot now as the dough sits as a blob on a silicone baking sheet. Too wet. 1 1/2 cups of water is a lot for 3 cups of flour for the flour I usually use. I'm having trouble "shaping" the dough into anything at all. I am going to have to pour it off the silicone baking sheet into the pot as there will be no other way to get it in there. Oh well. Will let you know how it turns out.
I have tried to make bread so many times and to date really bad results and I am a good cook for most things. I am up for trying again because this bread looks so good. For the cranberry orange almond are you using fresh or frozen cranberries or dried? Also, could you use fruit like blueberries?
Hi Annon: I use dried cranberries and dried blueberries would work great as well. I'm not sure what problems you are having. If you could explain to me what your bread looks like, I'll try to troubleshoot.
Unknown: I'm sorry to hear about your bread troubles. It's possible that your bread is just raising too long. Sometimes after rising for a long period of time the dough begins to deflate leaving a lot of liquid. I have not had this happen even after rising for over 24 hours. But it does happen. Try letting it rise for about 8 hours. That might do the trick.
I've just made this for the 4th time adding cinnamon chips and this time I added a few sprinkles of ground cinnamon when you dump it out to sit the 2nd time. Ohhhh. Myyyy Goshhhh….I just ate half the load myself using Kerrygold butter and local honey on it. YOU ARE THE BEST- THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! If I could figure out how to post a photo on here I would!! Kim
I don't have a dutch oven. I just use my crock pot inserts and cover with tin foil. bake 2 at a time. Crusty Bread is awesome!!!
hi I made this bread a few times now and it always come out great. I was wondering if I could use my sourdough starter instead of yeast not sure how much I would need or would it work? can you help please
Hi Monica, Yes you can use sourdough start. There are a couple of comments regarding sourdough among the thousands of comments. I'm thinking 1/2 cup starter was used.
comment from a fellow baker: For those concerned about sticking…I plopped my dough from the bowl onto a piece of parchment paper. Put the parchment paper and dough into the heated cast iron pot and put the lid on. When it was time to remove it from the pot I lifted it out on the parchment paper and set it to cool on a rack. No burns, no extra flour on my counter to clean, and lovely bread to show for it!
I've made quite a few loaves of the no knead bread, and have only run into problems recently; adding seeds seems to be my undoing. Maybe someone could offer some advice?
I'm making wheat bread, 2 parts white flour to one part wheat. I would like to add (more or less) 3 Tbls flax seeds, 3 Tbls sunflower seeds, and a couple more different, or what I have laying around, seeds for the crust.
I would also like to sneak in some wheat germ, but have no idea how much.
Do I change flour/water/yeast/ measurements?
If anyone could help me, I'll be your friend for life.
Thanks,
jim
Hi JIm, I have not tried adding wheat germ. I would substitute some of the flour for the wheat germ. You may need to add an additional 1/4 cup flour because that wheat doesn't like to absorb the liquid. I hope this helps because I could use a new best friend.
Have made the regular version, loved it, and am now experimenting – using dried fruit soaked in apple juice, added a little extra yeast in case the fruit is too heavy. Accidentally used too much liquid (water and apple juice), so it'll be interesting to see how it turns out. Divided it into one loaf, and eight individual servings made in a muffin tin. Since its supposed to be a sweet bread, I'm thinking about drizzling with a glaze. It's in the oven right now….
Comment from Kitty: I writing because though I have been making No Knead Bread for about 6 years, tonight I sat and read through your blog…so much interesting information, and great ideas for add ins! The recipe I used for a long time was the one from Cook's Illustrated and it included 3 oz. of a flavorful beer and 1 T of white vinegar as part of the liquid. I started up a batch of dough one evening before realizing I didn't have any beer so I just made up the difference with water and went on my way. I've never bothered with beer again.
I watched the video with Mark Bittman and Jim Lahey a couple of years ago and then tweaked my basic recipe again (I think you have to adapt the recipe a bit to suit your particular kitchen environment…I need to use a little less water) This is the basic recipe I use in my kitchen.
15 oz. Unbleached All Purpose Flour (approx. 3 cups)
¼ tsp SAF Instant Yeast
1 ½ tsp salt
10.5 oz water
½ tsp red wine vinegar
I put the dry ingredients in the bowl of my Kitchenaid (because I can!), give it a brief whirl, add in the liquid with motor running and scrap the soft dough into a container to rise. Perhaps this ratio of flour to water might work for people who are finding that 1 ½ cup (12 oz) water makes a dough that is too wet.
After dinner tonight I mixed up a batch of dough using your ratios and including the ½ tsp of vinegar and I just peeked under the towel…it has risen so much that it is almost touching the top of the container…in my house your method will be a 4 hour rise method! Every kitchen is different. Thanks for all the wonderful information, Janet, and for tirelessly reading and posting all of the wonderful ideas from you and your subscribers.