EASY SAME-DAY ARTISAN LOAF
A crusty, chewy artisan bread made in one day with minimal hands-on effort, no overnight rest required. The simple fold technique does the work for you.
Servings 8 slices
Calories 200kcal
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Two forks
- Plastic wrap or damp towel
- Dutch oven with lid, parchment paper
- Cooling rack
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 packet active dry yeast 2¼ tsp
- 1¾ cups warm water about 110°F
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp olive oil
Instructions
- Bloom the yeast. In a large mixing bowl, combine warm water, sugar, and yeast. Stir gently and let sit for 10 minutes until foamy.
- Mix the dough. Add flour, salt, and olive oil. Stir until a shaggy, sticky dough forms, it will look rough, that's normal. Do not knead.
- First rest. Cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour.
- First fold. Using two forks or wet hands, pull the edges of the dough up and into the center, folding all the way around. Cover and rest for 1 more hour.
- Second fold. Repeat the fold-in method. Cover and rest for a third hour.
- Stretch and fold series. At the end of the third hour, perform 5–6 stretch and folds: grab the dough from the center, pull it up, and fold it in half. Rotate and repeat.
- Refrigerator rest. Place the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, the cold helps the high-hydration dough hold its shape.
- Preheat. Place your Dutch oven (with lid) in the oven and preheat to 450°F. Allow 30–45 minutes for the Dutch oven to fully heat.
- Final stretch and fold. Remove from the fridge and do one final round of stretch and folds to tighten the dough into a ball.
- Shape and score. Place the dough ball on floured parchment paper. Rest 10 minutes, then score a line down the center with a sharp knife.
- Bake covered. Lower the parchment and dough into the hot Dutch oven. Cover and bake for 30 minutes.
- Bake uncovered. Remove the lid and bake an additional 10 minutes until deep golden brown.
- Rest and cool. Let the loaf sit in the Dutch oven for 10 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely before slicing, cutting too early makes the inside gummy.
Notes
- Water should feel warm to the touch but not hot, too hot kills the yeast.
- The dough will be very sticky throughout. Resist adding more flour.
- Wet hands work better than floured hands when folding.
- The Dutch oven must be fully preheated for a crispy crust.
- Do not cut until fully cooled (at least 30–60 minutes out of the oven).
