Effortless Rustic Bread

Name: Effortless Rustic Bread
Cook time: 20 min
Yield: 2 loaves
Cuisine: United Kingdom
Ingredients: 3 cups warm water; 1\u2009½ tablespoons active dry yeast; 1\u2009½ tablespoons coarse salt; 6\u2009½ cups all-purpose flour; ½ cup cornmeal

This is the easiest recipe for rustic bread I’ve ever seen. Luckily it is also the yummiest. Feel free to halve the recipe if you only want one loaf, but beware: it’s so addictive you may wish you’d just baked both loaves.

INGRIDIENT

3 cups warm water

1 ½ tablespoons active dry yeast

1 ½ tablespoons coarse salt

6 ½ cups all-purpose flour

½ cup cornmeal

DIRECTION

Step: 1

Mix water, yeast, and salt together in a large bowl until mixture becomes foamy, about 10 minutes. Stir flour into yeast mixture until well incorporated. The dough will be loose and look wet. Cover bowl loosely with a damp towel and let sit for about 5 hours.

Step: 2

Shape dough into 2 loaves using damp hands. Place loaves on a cornmeal-dusted work surface and score the tops a few times with a sharp knife. Allow loaves to double in size, 30 to 60 minutes.

Step: 3

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Place loaves on a baking sheet.

Step: 4

Bake in the preheated oven, spraying the surface of the dough occasionally with water, until golden brown, about 20 minutes.