Rustic Crusty Bread

This is another recipe I want here so I don't ever lose it as well as to share with my friends.  This is about the easiest and simple bread recipe I have ever found and it produces a delicious result


The source for this recipe is at the link.  I hope I am giving proper attribution with my links.

https://www.melskitchencafe.com/rustic-crusty-bread-a-simple-how-to/

Yield: 2-4 loaves of bread

Rustic Crusty Bread {A Simple How-To}

Total Time: 3 hours 15 mins
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 24-28 mins

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Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 tablespoons instant yeast
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 6 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting dough (see note)

Directions:

1. In a large bowl mix yeast and salt into 3 cups lukewarm water (about 100 degrees). (JJJ note - When putting the salt and yeast in the bowl, put them on opposite sides of each other and not on top of each other) Stir in flour, mixing until there are no dry patches. Dough will be quite loose. Cover lightly with a kitchen towel but don’t seal the bowl airtight. Let the dough rise at room temperature 2 hours (or up to 5 hours). (JJJ note - I like the first rise to be pretty long since the longer it rises, the more flavor it has)
2. Bake at this point or refrigerate, covered in an airtight container, for as long as two weeks. When ready to bake, cut off a grapefruit-size piece with serrated knife (I have only ever made two loaves out of the batch of dough so I just divide the dough in half to form my first loaf). Turn the dough in your hands to lightly stretch the surface, creating a rounded top and a lumpy bottom. Put the dough on a piece of parchment paper set on a pizza peel or a rimmed baking sheet turned upside down. Let the dough rest for 40 minutes for room temperature dough; if you have used the dough out of the refrigerator, let it rest for 1 1/2 hours. Repeat with remaining dough or refrigerate it.
3. Place a broiler pan on the bottom rack of the oven (if you don’t have a broiler pan – no worries! Tossing 5-6 ice cubes in the bottom of the oven when you put in the bread works really well, too). Place a baking stone on the middle rack and preheat oven to 450 degrees. Heat the stone at that temperature for 20 minutes before baking.
4. After the dough has rested and is ready to bake, dust the dough lightly with flour, slash the top with serrated or very sharp knife three times. Slide the dough (with the parchment paper) onto the baking stone. Pour one cup of hot water into the broiler pan (or use the ice cube trick described in the above step) and shut the oven quickly to trap the steam. Bake the bread until well browned, about 24-28 minutes. Cool completely.
5. If you don’t have a baking stone, try turning a rimmed baking sheet upside down and heating it in the 450 degree oven for 10 minutes prior to baking. When ready to bake, slide the parchment paper with the dough on it directly onto the overturned baking sheet and bake according to the recipe. You can also stretch the rounded dough into an oval and place in a greased loaf pan. Let it rise for 40 minutes if fresh (add an extra hour if the dough has been refrigerated). Bake in the loaf pan in the 450 degree oven, watching the time carefully – check after 20-22 minutes.

Notes:

I often use half finely ground white whole wheat flour with good results. The bread is a bit more dense with the whole wheat flour but still delicious.
Also, look at the last paragraph of the recipe for variations to baking if you don’t have a baking stone. Also, check below the recipe for step-by-step pictures.