I Don’t Have Time for Sourdough

Maybe it’s just me, but I can’t check social media with being bombarded with beautiful sourdough recipes. Not all of us get to stay at home and babysit yeasty toddlers into gorgeous bakes that take all day. That time may come for some of us, but until then, here’s my recipe for bread that’s so simple I can basically make it in my sleep.

~Notes~

~ If you wrap the loaf in a towel and leave it on your counter, it will stay fresh for several days, so I sometimes make several loaves on a Sunday to last most of the week.

~ I make it with organic unbleached white flour. Sometimes I use half whole grain or whole wheat flour for a more nutritious loaf. Take your pick. It’s your bread. :)

Crusty Yeast Bread

For one loaf

2 Tablespoons yeast

1 Tablespoon sugar (optional — helps activate the yeast more quickly)

1 1/2 cups warm water

3 cups flour

Dash of salt, to taste

Dutch oven (or any oven-safe pot with a lid)

-Combine yeast, sugar and water. Let sit for a few minutes until yeast starts to get bubbly. Mix in flour and salt, adding a little more flour until you have a soft, slightly sticky dough. I usually need about an extra 1/2 cup of flour.

-Cover with a towel and let sit in a warm place until double, about 2-3 hours. (On a warm day, it will rise more quickly than on a cold day.) I usually start my dough around 1 p.m. so that by dinner time, it’s still warm but not just coming out of the oven when it’s too hot to cut.

-When the dough has doubled, turn your oven on to 450 F. Grease your dutch oven and let it preheat in the oven.

-While the oven is preheating, dump your dough out onto a floured surface and shape into a loaf. Let it rest.

-When the oven has reached temp, put your bread in the Dutch oven and put on the lid. Bake for 30 min.

-Take the lid off the Dutch oven and let the bread bake for 10 more minutes. This will give it a crunchy crust.

-When bread is done, removed from Dutch oven and place on a wire rack to cool. (I just pull the little wire rack out of my toaster oven and use that!)