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Ridiculously easy bread that is super crusty on the outside and steamy soft on the inside. You won’t believe how fool-proof this recipe is!
I have been OBSESSED with making homemade bread recently. Which is a little weird (and HOT!) for summertime, I know… but is homemade bread ever really out of season??
I actually have two different recipes I want to share with you, but for today– this Overnight Artisan Bread is what I’ve been making most frequently. And it’s been worth turning on the hot oven in the middle of June, I promise!
Aside from the crusty outside and heavenly soft insides, there’s something else I really, really like about this bread.
It is SO EASY to make. And I mean,SOOOOOOOOOOO easy. You don’t need a mixer at all, in fact, you don’t even have to knead the dough! Just stir it with a spoon, and then cover it up to do it’s thing overnight.
Yep– overnight!
That’s the other thing I love about this recipe. With most yeast breads, you have to be realllllly careful of the rising time. You always have to make sure that it risesjust right— not too much or it will fall, and not too little or it won’t be soft and puffy. Which means, you usually have to be around to babysit the dough for an hour or two.
But not this bread! Mix up the dough (and let’s review here– no mixer and no kneading!), and then let it just sit on the counter overnight. It can rest at room temp for 12-18 hours!! That’s a whole lot of time that you DON’T need to babysit dough.
I seriously adore low maintenance recipes like this one.
Ok, so next up…. I didn’t get a picture of this part, but it’s not hard to describe:
After the 12-18 hours of rising, the dough will be puffed up in the bowl. Don’t worry, it shouldn’t look smooth and round like typical bread dough. It will be sticky and pocked, and it should be pretty much level and flat.
Use floured hands to grab the dough out of the bowl and gently form into a round disc. Loosely wrap the dough in plastic or a bread towel while the oven is preheating.
Once the oven and the pot have preheated, place the dough in the pot, cover, and start baking. Quick tip. If you ever burn a pot, here’s an article on how to clean burnt pots and pans.!
Baking the bread in a dutch oven (or any covered pot that is oven safe up to 450ºF) is what makes this bread taste so special! The steam from baking in a covered pot bakes the inside of the bread to soft perfection, and it’s also responsible for making an incredible crust on the outside.
Steam is like the secret weapon of bread-making. It does magical things. ????
Once the bread cools (if you can wait that long before digging in), slice it up and serve it with pretty much anything! It makes fabulous sandwiches, incredible french toast, and even makes for a classy dinner bread on the side.
Enjoy!
Yield: 12 slices
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Additional Time: 17 hours5 minutes
Total Time: 18 hours
Ridiculously easy bread that is super crusty on the outside and steamy soft on the inside. You won't believe how fool-proof this recipe is!
In a large bowl, mix together all of the ingredients by hand until a sticky dough forms. Cover with a cloth and let rest overnight (12-18 hours) at room temperature.
Using well floured hands, turn dough out on to a floured surface and shape into a disc.Wrap loosely in plastic wrap or a cloth (preferable), and set aside while preheating the oven.
Preheat the oven,to 450ºF. Place dutch oven or pot in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
Remove pot and carefully place dough inside. Cover and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove lid and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
Let cool on a cutting board after baking time is over.
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When you put your dough in the fridge it slows the yeast activity down. It takes ten times longer for dough to rise in the fridge than it does at room temperature. This means you can put your dough in the fridge overnight or whilst you are at work and come back to it when you are ready.
Instant milk powder makes bread dough super soft and fluffy and also helps to give it a good rise. It also contributes to the dough staying nice and soft after baking for a little longer than a recipe that does not use milk powder.
Cold proofing, or retarding, is where the shaped dough is placed into the refrigerator (or a dough retarder) to let proof for many hours at a cold temperature (usually overnight). Then, the dough is typically baked straight from the refrigerator or after it's brought up to room temperature.
It is possible to leave bread dough to rise overnight. This needs to be done in the refrigerator to prevent over-fermentation and doughs with an overnight rise will often have a stronger more yeasty flavour which some people prefer.
- Uncovered container with dough you need to limit to max 4 hours in room temperature. It is possible to leave bread dough to rise overnight. This needs to be done in the refrigerator to prevent over-fermentation and doughs with an overnight rise will often have a stronger more yeasty flavour which some people prefer.
As far as room temperature, it's important to let it warm up a bit before you get it in the oven. Yeast likes to activate in warmer temperatures, so if you bake it straight out of the fridge you could end up with a dense, flat loaf. So, just give it a few minutes to take the chill off, and you should be good to go!
“AP flour can be used in the making of rich or enriched breads such as soft rolls, or brioche,” says Chef Stephen, which are meant to be softer in nature, rather than crusty.
Hydrocolloids can retain moisture in the bread. This is important because moisture plays a crucial role in the freshness and softness of bread. By holding onto water, hydrocolloids help prevent the bread from drying out too quickly, thus maintaining its moistness for longer.
Uneven kneading can also lead to uneven rising and uneven baking, dense and hard a crust. One way to combat this problem is to rise outside the oven before baking atleast rise 80% before putting it into the oven. You don't specify C or F. 250C, way too hot, 250 F, not nearly hot enough.
1/2 teaspoon would give you lots of flexibility, such as letting the dough “rest” for 16 to 20 hours; 1 teaspoon would be a good amount for an all-day or overnight rise (10 hours or so, at cool room temperature).
If the dough isn't punched down, the carbon dioxide will continue to be released, which can cause big, uneven air pockets in your bread. Additionally, if you don't knock back the dough, it can lead to a weaker gluten structure, meaning your bread may not maintain the desired shape.
To fix dough that won't rise, try placing the dough on the lowest rack in your oven along with a baking pan filled with boiling water. Close the oven door and let the dough rise. Increasing the temperature and moisture can help activate the yeast in the dough so it rises. You can also try adding more yeast.
If you've shaped the dough and let it rise in proofing baskets, it can go directly from the fridge into a preheated oven. Overnight is overnight, say 6 to 10 hours. You can leave the dough longer if you like. If left too long the yeast will start to die off but even after that you could always add more yeast.
Like beer, bread benefits enormously from cold fermentation. Ideally, you would want to refrigerate your bread dough overnight, or better yet for 48 hours. During this prolonged fermentation cycle the bread will develop better flavor and will be easier to work with.
The best place for your dough to rise is your oven – when it is switched off! Experts advise that you preheat your oven then have it cool down a little before explaining the dough in it to rise. The key to achieving this is ensuring that your oven is going to stay warm enough to facilitate rising, but be careful.
Yes, you can refrigerate bread dough after first rise, before shaping or even after shaping and bake it later. If you refrigerate it immediately after first rise without shaping, you can refrigerate for longer, even overnight.
“If the dough has risen too long, it's going to feel fragile and might even collapse as you poke it,” says Maggie. If this is the case, there's a chance you can save your dough by giving it a quick re-shape. Learn more about this fix in our blog on saving overproofed dough.
Introduction: My name is Chrissy Homenick, I am a tender, funny, determined, tender, glorious, fancy, enthusiastic person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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