Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ½ cups warm water (about 110 degrees, or 2 30-second increments in the microwave)
- 2 packages active dry yeast
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, place water, yeast, and sugar. Let sit for about 5 minutes until it is foamy. If it is not foamy, the yeast is not alive and the bread will not rise.
- In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Once the yeast mixture is ready, stir it to incorporate any undissolved yeast and pour it into the flour mixture. Stir until dough forms a ball.
- Dump the ball of dough onto a floured work surface and knead for 5 minutes, adding more flour if necessary.
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment. Shape the dough into a loaf shape and place on the cookie sheet. Cover with a tea towel or parchment and place in a warm spot to rise for about an hour until at least doubled in size. I actually let mine go about an hour and 15 minutes because I wanted to bake it at a certain time. It’s pretty forgiving.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Using a sharp knife, make a slash down the center of the dough. Once the oven is preheated place a pan of water (I use a 9 by 13 filled with an inch or 2 of water) on the bottom rack of the oven. Allow to sit in the hot oven for about 5 minutes. Then put the bread in the oven on the rack above the water pan and bake for 20-25 minutes, rotating halfway through if necessary, until the bread is golden brown and firm to the touch. Allow to cool as long as you wish (it’s awesome warm). May be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days or frozen, wrapped in parchment and foil and placed in a zipper bag for up to 4 months. Thaw at room temperature or in a 350 degree F oven wrapped in parchment placed on foil or about 20 minutes.
Notes
Recipe adapted from The Cooking Actress
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins