Ann's Easy Crusty French Bread
When you are invited to a pre Christmas dinner by a walking encyclopedia of wine, beer and spirits, you know you are in for a gastronomical treat. But who would have thought that the most exciting food for the night was this Easy Crusty French Bread made by Ann!
As Melbournian endured and survived a very long COVID lockdown, Ann perfected this bread through many trials and errors.
I've made this recipe 3 times and it is absolutely foolproof and always devoured within 24 hours.
Ingredients
1 ½ Teaspoons of dry yeast
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 ¼ cups of warm water
1 teaspoons of salt
360 grams of plain flour
Method
- Mix the yeast, sugar and water together and let sit for 5 minutes until foamy on top;
- Then add the flour and salt, mix until flour is combined and mix comes away from the bowl;
- Lift dough up flour bowl and place dough back in, lightly flour the top of dough and cover with cloth for 1 hour in a warm place
- Tip dough onto lightly floured bench, gently knead by pulling the corners in on the dough until you get some resistance;
- Then turn dough over shape into a ball place back into floured bowl seam side down lightly flour top of dough and cover with cloth for 30 minutes;
- While the dough is resting for 30 minutes, turn the conventional oven on to 230°C and warm the dutch oven with lid on;
- After 30 minutes, turn dough onto baking paper, seam side will now be up;
- Take the dutch oven out of the oven, place the dough with the baking paper into the dutch oven and place the lid on before returning it to the oven;
- Bake for 30 minutes and then remove the lid and bake for a further 15 minutes;
- Remove and cool on a wire rack.
Enjoy!!
Make a sandwich with your favourite fillings and wash it down with our Andrew Peace Zweigelt - you will love it!