Loving…easy home-made bread {30 Days of Creativity}

There’s something really special about making your own bread.  I think it’s the combination of the amazing smell that fills your home while it’s baking and the delicious and warm freshness of the first bite.

I discovered this recipe on Pinterest a couple of months ago, and I think it’s a winner.  There’s absolutely no kneading involved (yay!), and you end up with a gorgeous loaf of crusty ciabatta-like bread.  The only down-side is it requires some forward planning, since it needs to rest for 12-18 hours.  I mixed up the ingredients the night before, and baked it the following evening, which worked well.  Thanks to Simply So Good for the recipe!  You can find the full instructions, along with some helpful tips and tricks here.

Crusty Bread (Recipe via Simply So Good)

3 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 3/4 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon Instant or Rapid-rise yeast

1 1/2 cups water

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt and yeast.  Add water and mix until a shaggy mixture forms.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for 12 – 18 hours.  Overnight works great.  Heat oven to 450 degrees.  When the oven has reached 450 degrees place a cast iron pot with a lid in the oven and heat the pot for 30 minutes.  Meanwhile, pour dough onto a heavily floured surface and shape into a ball.  Cover with plastic wrap and let set while the pot is heating.  Remove hot pot from the oven and drop in the dough.  Cover and return to oven for 30 minutes.  After 30 minutes remove the lid and bake an additional 15 minutes.  Remove bread from oven and place on a cooling rack to cool. 

Images via Simply So Good.