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Homemade Crusty Bread Recipe is something I made out of boredom from the very long Enhance Community Quarantine. I thought to myself that its been years since I baked a bread. So just an fyi, I’m just a home baker and seeing these chefs doing bread and kneading really intimidates me. Another thing, I really don’t like to knead.

It’s been several weeks that I wanted to make some bread since there is a shortage in the grocery. However, at the same time, baking supplies specially yeast and flour are also scarce. Luckily, my sister told me that there is a baking supply near their house so she bought me a couple of repacked yeasts and two kilos of flour. By the way, I also bought instant dry yeast through Lazada but the delivery time is still unknown. Mind you, that is 500 grams. So I’ll probably need to bake for several weeks.

What I love about this kind of bread is their crusty exterior but the interior is soft and moist. This bread is very flavorful which sometimes you won’t even need any spread. Simply dip it in your coffee or spread it with your favorite butter. However, for this recipe I decided to try some olive oil dip which I made. From the taste of the olive oil dip, I could already imagine how it will enhance the deliciousness of this bread. By the way, I’m cooling down my bread as I write this article.

I was supposed to name this recipe as a homemade artisan bread but realized that artisan is too intimidating and probably requires a high level of skills and attention in baking. Which is not in my case.

Tips

This Homemade Crusty Bread Recipe can make two loaves of bread. You can also use instant dry yeast, however, active dry yeast is the one I have right now.

I made a similar recipe before of Easy No Knead Bread using instant dry yeast. I highly suggest to completely cool it before storing it or else you’ll end up with moldy bread the following day. I think sealing the bread in a container while still hot creates moist which is the favorite food of molds.

For the first 30 minutes of baking, I placed a baking tray with hot water at the bottom part of the oven. This helps the bread to be soft and moist. Then, I removed it and further baked it for another 15 minutes. This helps the bread to have that crusty exterior.

For more bread dishes check out our Bread Recipe Collections.

Ingredients

Homemade Crusty Bread Recipe

3 cups	Warm Water
1 Tablespoon	Sugar
1 1/2 Tablespoons	Active Dry Yeast
6 1/2 cups	Flour
1 Tablespoons	Salt

Olive Oil Dip

2 cloves	Garlic, grated
1/2 teaspoon	Italian Seasoning
1/4 teaspoon	Salt
1/4 cup	Olive Oil

Procedure

Homemade Crusty Bread Recipe

Preheat oven to 230 degrees Celsius.

In a bowl, combine warm water and yeast. Mix and let it sit for 15 minutes to activate the yeast.

In a separate bowl, combine flour and salt.

Using a stand mixer with dough hook attachment, combine the yeast mixture and the dry ingredients. Mix for 6 minutes at medium to high speed.

Scrape off the sides of the bowl and the hook. Cover with plastic wrap and set a side for 2 hours in a warm place of your home.

Divide the dough into two parts. Spread the dough 8 x 8 inches square. Fold the dough into 3 parts and fold again into 3 parts starting from the bottom. Generously flour the dough. Alternatively, simply form it into a ball and let it rest for another 30 minutes.

Place 2 to 3 cups of hot water on a baking tray and place it at the bottom of your oven. Transfer the dough on a baking tray and bake for 20 minutes.

Remove baking tray with water and cook for another 10 – 15 minutes. Cool completely before serving.

Olive Oil Dip

Combine everything in a bowl. Mix and marinate for at least several hours for the flavor to develop.