A crowd pleaser.
I don't know why I ever thought making my own bread would be so difficult. After playing around with it a few times, I got the hang of it pretty quickly. As for how the dough should feel and look, when you are handling the dough, it shouldn't stick to your hands; however, it shouldn't crumble to pieces either. After allowing the dough to rise, it should double in size. It should be light and fluffy when you take it out of the bowl and make your folds. The parchment paper isn't completely necessary, but it does make for easier handling when placing the bread into the Dutch oven and taking it back out when it's done. You may need to spray your dish with cooking spray if you don't use parchment paper too.
Ingredients
3 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp rapid rise yeast
2 tsp salt
1.5 cups warm water
Directions
Step 1
In a large bowl, mix the flour, yeast, and salt together. Pour the warm water all over and mix with a wooden spoon until dough is formed. If it is too sticky, add more flour (1 tbsp at a time). If it is too dry, add more water (1 tbsp at a time).
Step 2
Cover the bowl with a towel and let the dough rise for 2 to 3 hours. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Heat a Dutch oven in the oven for 30 minutes (with the lid on).
Step 3
Sprinkle a clean working space with extra flour and lay your dough on top of it. Fold over the sides (about 6 folds) making a round shape. Roll the dough onto parchment paper (fold side down).
Step 4
Take the Dutch oven out of the oven and remove the lid. Place the dough, with the parchment paper underneath, inside the Dutch oven. Cut away any extra parchment paper. Place the lid back on top and return the Dutch oven back into the oven. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
Serves 8 thick slices
Nutrition Facts
Calories: 170 Carbs: 35g Fat: .5g Protein: 5g
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