This bread is hearty and very versatile. I’ve made it several times adding different flavors, such as roasted garlic, rosemary, sautéed onions, or sometimes a touch of honey. I love broiling slices of the bread and topping with mashed avocado or softened butter. Leave it classic or experiment and have fun with this recipe.
Yield: 1 loaf
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups lukewarm water
- 3/4 teaspoon dry active yeast
- 2 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 1/2 cups 100% whole-wheat flour
- 2 cups all-purpose flour or bread flour, plus more for dusting
Preparation
In a large mixing bowl, add water and stir in yeast. Add salt and both flours to the mixture. Mix until combined and there are no remaining dry spots of flour. Cover and let rest for 12-18 hours at room temperature.
One hour before baking, remove the dough from the bowl and place on a lightly floured work surface. Fold and shape the dough to be round. Cover and let rise.
About a half-hour before baking, preheat oven to 450F. While the oven is warming up, put a Dutch oven into the oven to heat. Very carefully remove the Dutch oven (caution: it will be very hot). Gently place the dough inside. Bake for 30 minutes with the lid on. Then remove the lid and continue to bake for 15-25 minutes or until well browned. Place on a rack to cool.
Notes
For this recipe, the total flour amount is 4.5 cups and ratios can be adjusted according to preference (i.e. if you’d like it to have more whole wheat flour or less). If making with more whole wheat flour or adding rye flour, you will likely need to add a few extra teaspoons of water. I’ve also made the bread solely with bread flour or all-purpose flour for a lighter bread.