Beginner's Guide to Crusty Bread (No Sourdough Starter Required)

Three cups of bread flour, one and a half teaspoons of salt, half a teaspoon of instant yeast, and one and a half cups of cool water. That is the entire ingredient list.

Bread flour is non-negotiable — it has the protein needed to develop the chewy, open crumb that makes this loaf distinctive. All-purpose works in a pinch but produces a denser loaf.

Whisk the dry ingredients in a large bowl, add the water, and stir with a wooden spoon until you have a shaggy, sticky dough. There is no kneading. Cover with plastic wrap and leave on the counter for twelve to eighteen hours.

The long fermentation does the work that kneading would do — it develops gluten naturally and produces a vastly more flavorful loaf than anything done quickly.

After the long rise, the dough will look bubbly and inflated. Scrape it out onto a heavily floured surface, fold it over itself a few times to form a rough ball, and let it rest for two hours on a piece of parchment.

Don't try to make it pretty. The shape barely matters — the loaf will be round and rustic regardless.

Preheat the oven to 230°C / 450°F with a heavy lidded pot inside (Dutch oven, enameled cast iron, or any heavy oven-safe pot with a lid). When the oven is hot, carefully lower the dough on its parchment into the pot, cover, and bake for thirty minutes.

Remove the lid and bake for another fifteen minutes until deeply golden brown. The closed pot traps steam and creates the crackly, blistered crust that bakery ovens produce with industrial steam injectors.

I know it's hard. The smell is incredible. But bread is still cooking on the inside for at least an hour after it comes out of the oven, and slicing too soon produces a gummy texture.

Wait at least an hour. The crust will sing — it makes a tiny crackling sound as it cools, which is one of the small joys of bread baking.