I don’t know how I never became a baker. I bake bread almost every day — gluten-free sourdough for me, regular sourdough for my husband and boys, challah for Shabbat guests, and a simple yeasted loaf for the weeks when I have neither the time nor the patience for sourdough.
When this unfussy, hearty bread comes out of the oven, it brings the teenagers out of their rooms. They wait in the kitchen while it cools, butter and homemade jam already in hand. When friends happen to be around (during the pandemic some came over almost every day with their laptops) they are in awe.
I won’t lie — kneading by hand is ten times harder than using a stand mixer. I’ve looked into buying a used one at Facebook Marketplace more than once, but I always talk myself out of it. There’s something humbling and therapeutic about working the dough with your hands. It’s also a surprisingly good arm workout. You should hear me panting as I press and punch the dough with my skinny arms.
Besides, where am I gonna put a mixer? And what if we move again?
A few Notes before you start:
- The dough needs time to proof, rise, and double in size, at least 1½ hours in a warm, cozy spot. Some people use the oven with just the light on. I don’t, because I’m genuinely worried I’ll forget about it, turn the oven on, and melt the plastic bag covering the dough. The top of the fridge, a high kitchen shelf, or a windowsill all work well. Just avoid direct sunlight, which causes the dough to rise too fast and gives the bread an overly yeasty flavor. You can also proof the dough overnight in the fridge for a slower, more developed flavor.
- Don’t skip the second proofing. It gives the dough and yeast time to release their gases, which is what makes the bread light and airy.
- No dutch oven? Use a stainless steel pot with a lid, or a loaf pan covered with a larger pot turned upside down.
Simple Hearty Bread
This is the loaf I make when sourdough feels like too much of a commitment. No starter, no 24-hour proof, no drama — just a honest, crusty, chewy bread that comes together in an afternoon. The kind of loaf that makes your kitchen smell like a bakery and disappears before it has a chance to cool.Spelt or all-purpose flour both work beautifully here. Add walnuts, sunflower seeds, rosemary, or caraway — or keep it plain. The dough is forgiving, the method is straightforward, and the result is a bread you'll want to make every week. Which, fair warning, is exactly what happened to me.
Servings: 1 loaf
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Whisk or wooden spoon
- Dutch oven (with lid)
- baking paper
- Sharp knife or exacto knife (for scoring)
- Kitchen towel or plastic wrap (for covering the dough during proofing)
Ingredients
- 4 cups spelt or all-purpose flour + extra for dusting
- 2 ¼ teaspoons instant dry yeast
- 1½ cups lukewarm filtered water
- 1 tablespoon salt
- Sesame seeds or/and poppy seeds – optional
- Optional
- Nuts and seeds such as walnuts - ½ cup crushed, sunflower seeds (½ cup toasted), flaxseeds (¼ cup)
- You can add rosemary - 2-3 sprigs or 1 teaspoon dry or caraway seeds (1 teaspoon).
Instructions
- Put the flour into a big bowl, add the yeast, and stir with a big whisk or wooden spoon until well combined. Mix the salt with 1 cup warm lukewarm and pour into the bowl.
- Using one hand, mix it. Add ½ cup of the water and continue to mix the dough to combine. The dough should be sticky. It would get less sticky as you knead it. If you decide to add nuts or seeds, do it now.
- Kneading. Turn the dough out of the bowl onto a clean, floured surface. Make sure it is at a height where you are comfortable working. If the dough is too stiff, add a little bit of lukewarm water. If the dough is way too sticky, sprinkle additional flour over it.
- Gather the dough into a pile and begin pressing it together. Press the heels of your palms firmly into the dough, pushing forward slightly. Fold the far edge of the dough upwards, towards you, and press it into the middle of the ball. Rotate it slightly. Punch it. Work it. Repeat this press-fold-turn sequence for as long as your hands can go (about 10 minutes).
- shape the dough into a nice round ball, put it back in the big bowl, dust it with flour and cover with a plastic wrap or a moist clean kitchen towel. Set the bowl in a warm place (not too warm – not on top of a radiator or in the sun, in the winter I use a folded tablecloth over the plastic wrap to keep it warm – something my mom used to do) and let it rise until it doubles its size – about 1½ hours.
- When the dough has doubled in size, you need to knock the air out of it by pressing it down with your palm. Knead it for 1 minute and shape into a ball. Use a sharp knife or exacto knife to score the top of the bread. Put into a Dutch oven lined with baking paper. Dust it with flour and cover with a plastic wrap or moist clean kitchen towel. Let it proof until it doubled in size again, about 30 – 45 minutes. Second rising time will give it a great soft texture, so don’t rush it.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F/250°C. Cover the Dutch oven with a lid and put it in the oven (middle rack). Bake for 30 minutes, then remove the pot from the oven, remove the lid and put the Dutch oven back for 15 minutes or until the crust is deep golden brown. lid . You can tell if the bread is fully baked by tapping it on the bottom, if the sound is hollow, it’s baked. If not, put it back in the oven for a few more minutes in the lower rack.
- Let it cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Not easy to wait but if you cut the bread hot, it would hurt its texture.
Notes
- The dough needs time to proof, rise, and double in size, at least 1½ hours in a warm, cozy spot. Some people use the oven with just the light on. I don’t, because I’m genuinely worried I’ll forget about it, turn the oven on, and melt the plastic bag covering the dough. The top of the fridge, a high kitchen shelf, or a windowsill all work well. Just avoid direct sunlight, which causes the dough to rise too fast and gives the bread an overly yeasty flavor. You can also proof the dough overnight in the fridge for a slower, more developed flavor.
- Don’t skip the second proofing. It gives the dough and yeast time to release their gases, which is what makes the bread light and airy.
- No dutch oven? Use a stainless steel pot with a lid, or a loaf pan covered with a larger pot turned upside down.
