Crusty White Bread

When the artisan baker in my town went out of business, I realized I would need to learn to make my own bread. After months of testing recipes, experimenting with different flours and yeasts, and trying to narrow down the best method for getting just the right texture, here's where I've landed. This recipe is based on one I found from Michael Ruhlman that gives you a hard crust without having a professional baker's oven that uses steam. I also love his recipe because he weighs his ingredients, which takes a lot of the guesswork out of how to perfect your dough.

There are a few essential kitchen items that you will need to make this bread.

• Large enamel-coated cast-iron Dutch oven
• Kitchen scale
• Liquid thermometer
• Stand mixer (well, not required but it will make your life a lot easier!)

20 oz. King Arthur bread flour

2 t. Diamond Crystal Fine Sea salt

1 t. Fleischmann's Rapid Rise Highly-Active dry yeast

12 oz. water (120-130 degrees)

1 T. honey

3 T. olive oil (divided)

In stand mixer bowl, combine flour, salt and yeast. Add water, honey and 1 T. olive oil. With dough hook attachment, mix ingredients on low until they form a ball that pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Add more flour if too sticky or more warm water if too dry to form a ball within the first minute. (Alternately, you can mix the ingredients in a bowl with a sturdy spoon or spatula and just knead with floured hands.)

Once the dough is no longer sticking to the bowl and forms a ball that is smooth on the outside, you can either remove and knead by hand for 10 minutes or let the mixer finish doing the kneading for you with the dough hook and the mixer speed set to the lowest setting.

You know the bread has been kneaded thoroughly when it feels dense and elastic. Place in a large bowl covered with plastic wrap. Set in a warm place and allow to rise until it's about double its size and you can press your finger into it and it doesn't immediately spring back (1-2 hours depending on how warm the temperature of the room is). 

Once dough has risen, remove from the bowl and knead a few more times to expel any excess gas from the dough. Shape the dough into a round disk, our boule. Pour 1 T. olive oil into a large enamel-coated cast-iron Dutch oven and wipe it to coat the bottom. Place dough in greased Dutch oven and allow to proof for another hour, covering the Dutch oven with a clean towel.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees 30 minutes in advance of baking to be sure it gets good and hot. After bread has proofed, cut an X or # in the top of the boule and brush it with the remaining 1 T. olive oil. Put the lid on the Dutch oven and place it in the oven.

Cook the bread for 10 minutes at 450 degrees. Then reduce the heat to 375 degrees. Bake 20 minutes longer and then remove the lid from the Dutch oven. Bake an additional 30 minutes or until bread is golden brown.

Remove from oven and transfer bread to a cooling wrack. Allow to cool for 30 minutes before cutting into the bread. Allow to cool completely before storing. To store, wrap bread in a clean kitchen towel and place in a bread box or large plastic container with a lid that is slightly cracked. This will keep it fresh for approximately 5 days. Do not store fresh bread in the refrigerator.