I’ve been making a lot of bread lately, stress baking, but also learning how to make different kinds of bread. As a teacher in a past life, one of my goals with trying a variety of recipes is so that I can help others trying to stay at home not to need to make extra trips to the store for a loaf of bread. I have been looking for recipes that work well for beginners, don’t take a lot of ingredients, kneading, and very little or no yeast. This recipe fits that perfectly.
It uses only 1/4 tsp of yeast and a long rise time — and two unexpected ingredients beer & vinegar. I just took mine out of the oven a bit ago — it looks and smells spectacular I am going to have some with some beef stew tonight I’m making this afternoon in the oven. It’s one I made for a Winter Glamping Trip with some blogger friends. My friend Mellisa Marine of Simplify, Live Love, created a post for me with my recipe — Click Here for Beef Stew Recipe.
Stay safe my friends, enjoy and keep it simple.
Mary
Recipe
- 15 oz. (about 3 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1-1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- ¼ tsp. Rapid rise or instant yeast
- ¾ cup room-temperature tap water
- 3 oz. mild-flavored beer, such as Budweiser room temperature
- 1 Tbsp. white vinegar
- Vegetable Oil Spray
- Whisk flour, salt, and yeast in a large bowl. Add water, beer, and vinegar. Using a rubber spatula, fold mixture, scraping up dry flour from bottom of bowl until shaggy ball forms. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature 8-18 hours.
- Turn dough out onto lightly floured board; knead lightly 10-15 times to form a smooth, round ball; shape into round by pulling edges of dough up onto the middle. Lay on the counter 12” x 18” sheet of parchment; spray with nonstick cooking spray. Place dough round on parchment, seam side down and gently place in a dutch oven. Mist lightly dough with nonstick cooking spray. Cover with plastic wrap; let rise about 2 hours, until double. (If you poke a finger into the dough and the dent remains, it’s double.)
- Lightly flour top of the loaf (I forgot to do this -- still worked) Using a sharply serrated knife, cut ½ -inch X into the top of the loaf (Yes, I forgot this too). Remove plastic wrap from dough
- Adjust oven rack to the middle position. Cover the pot and put it in a cold oven. Heat oven to 425F. Once the oven reaches 425 degrees, bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove lid and bake, uncovered, 20-30 minutes longer, till bread is deep brown and the center of the loaf registers 210F on an instant-read thermometer. Carefully remove bread from the pot and place it on a wire rack to cool. Let cool 2 hours before slicing.
- Note: This bread is best eaten the day it’s made, but will keep wrapped in a double layer of plastic and stored at room temperature for up to 2 days. To re-crisp crust, place unwrapped bread in a 450-degree oven for 6 to 8 minutes. Freezes well for up to 3 months.
This sounds yummy—I need to make it!
It’s a winner and super easy!
Do you need to use a Dutch oven or can a pot that can go in the oven at 425 degrees work?
I have not tried it in a regular pot. The lid is often the part that can’t take the heat so check that. Having the lid on creates the steam that helps create the bread’s crustiness. I suspect it would work if both can handle the heat.
can you use this recipe to make crusty dinner rolls using the dutch oven
Hi,
I haven’t been on my computer for awhile. I’d be interested if you tried to make rolls this way. I suspect they would work — probably a shorter time, but the steam the cover creates is what gives the bread the crust. Mary
This recipe also makes great baguettes! I’ve made this loaf a number of times in a dutch oven and recently experimented with using it for baguettes in an Emile Henry baguette pan. After the 18 hour proof I lightly kneaded the dough, divided by three and rolled each into a baguette shape. Bake @ 450 for 25 minutes with the lid on and then another 5-7 with the lid off to brown them. Ready to eat out of the oven and my kids liked them even better than the loaf version.
Awesome…I will be trying it for sure!!! Thank you…
A whole tablespoon of vinegar? AI suggests a teaspoon is standard for a loaf. Does the beer and long rise change that? Thanks. My daughter made your recipe and it’s great.
I made it with beer and vinegar and the taste was too overpowering for me, I like more of a bread taste not so much piquancy. I tried it with just a tablespoon of vinegar and again, too strong. I have baked no knead bread many times before without the beer or vinegar and it has always been to my liking; also baked it with my sourdough starter which gives a more natural sharp taste, not the overwhelming tang of the vinegar.