Quick, Crusty Bread

We don’t often make wheat bread in our house since two of us are gluten-free but when I do, I have a couple go-to recipes that I use. I got this quick & easy Crusty Bread recipe from a friend probably close to 20 years ago. I hadn’t made it in years but I just couldn’t bear to get rid of the recipe. Normally, this recipe is doubled but not everyone needs two loaves of bread at a time and honestly, it’s so quick to make it’s the perfect choice for a small household, as a housewarming gift or to share with company over a meal.

If you’ve never made homemade bread then this one is a great recipe to start with. I use organic flour. This loaf is made with a white organic flour, not a sprouted wheat. I’ve been gluten-free for 4 1/2 years now and it never ceases to amaze me at the elasticity of wheat. That gluten sure is a glorious thing when it doesn’t make you sick. This recipe requires minimal kneading so using it as a starter recipe is great. It becomes smooth an elastic in just a short amount of time and the rise, although productive, is not nearly as long as other bread recipes. This cuts down the making of this recipe from mixing up to placing in the oven to just about an hour.

Once the bread is baked, wait until it’s just slightly warm to cut. Cutting warm bread too soon tends to smash the inside rather than slicing it cleanly.

I store breads in the refrigerator since we don’t eat it very often but you can keep it on the counter for 2-3 days. In the refrigerator, this will keep for a week. This loaf is dense enough to slice well but soft enough for fresh sandwiches.

Enjoy!

2.0 from 1 reviews

Quick, Crusty Bread

 

Author:

www.mrfarmersdaughter.com

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Ingredients

• 1 T. cane sugar
• 1 c. warm water (115˚-120˚)
• 1.5 tsp. yeast
• 1 tsp. real salt
• 2.5-3 cups flour
• {egg wash, see below}

Instructions

1. Add sugar to warm water and stir gently to dissolve.
2. Sprinkle yeast over water, stir gently.
3. Let sit for 5-10 minutes until foamy.
4. Combine flour and salt.
5. Add 2.5 cups to water and combine.
6. Once it forms a ball, dump out on counter and knead, adding extra flour if needed.
7. Knead until dough is smooth.
8. Grease a bowl with olive oil and allow dough to rise for about 20 minutes in a warm area (80˚ is perfect) covered lightly with plastic wrap or a damp cloth.
9. After 20 minutes, knead dough again for about 2 minutes.
10. Smooth dough and place in a greased pan to bake.
11. Allow to rise in a warm place for 20 minutes covered with plastic wrap or a damp cloth.
12. Place a pan of boiling water on the bottom rack of the oven.
13. Brush dough with egg wash. (1 raw egg mixed with 1 tsp. water)
14. Cut slits in the top of dough in a diamond pattern with a very sharp knife.
15. Place dough in cold oven and set oven to 400˚.
16. Bake until dough is 190˚ when checked with an instant read thermometer or when the crust is golden brown and the bread sounds hollow when tapped (about 30 minutes).

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