Asiago Crusty Bread

Mmm…the smell of freshly baked bread, wafting through the house. If you ask me, there are few smells that can top that. I absolutely love homemade bread. Growing up, we would often use the time delay setting on our bread machine so we could wake up to the smell of baking bread. Starting the day with a piece of hot bread, slathered in butter and honey was something I would always look forward to.

I have a bread machine that I love to use, however since I’ve discovered this super easy recipe for homemade bread, I have neglected my bread machine. This method was totally new to me, but I thought it wouldn’t hurt to try it out. Basically, you make your bread dough with a tiny amount of yeast. The dough rises for a long time, 8-12 hours, before being baked in a hot cast iron pot (I used my Dutch oven). The end result was a delicious loaf bread with a crusty exterior and a chewy interior. It held up perfectly for sandwiches and paninis.

If you visit the site of the original recipe, you’ll notice that you can add in pretty much anything you want to this bread dough. I added in some Asiago cheese, but I’m looking forward to trying many other versions!

Crusty Bread

Makes 1 loaf, approximately 12 slices

3 cups all purpose flour

1-3/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon yeast
1-1/2 cups water
1 cup Asiago cheese (save a little bit to sprinkle on top!)

1.  In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and yeast. 

2.  Add water and mix until a shaggy mixture forms.  Stir in Asiago cheese.

3.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for 12 - 18 hours.  I left mine out overnight. 

4.  Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees. When the oven has reached 450 degrees place a cast iron pot with a lid in the oven and heat the pot for 30 minutes.

5.  Meanwhile, pour dough onto a heavily floured surface and shape it into a ball. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let set while the pot finishes heating. 

6.  Carefully remove the hot pot from the oven and set the dough in the center of it.  Sprinkle with Asiago cheese.

7.  Cover and return to oven for 30 minutes.

8.  After 30 minutes, remove the lid and bake the bread for an additional 15 minutes. 

Remove bread from oven and place on a cooling rack to cool. Wait until the bread is completely cool before slicing.

Source: Simply So Good