Over the past several months of holiday parties and family gatherings I have perfected this simple crusty cast iron bread in many different flavors and sizes! Below is the recipe for a standard loaf! You don’t need to use a cast iron pot, however it would need to be something that could withstand the high heat the recipe calls for, and with a lid.

Ingredients

3 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon active instant rise yeast
1 1/2 cups water (add slowly, you want the dough moist, but not dripping wet)

1. In a large bowl, add the dry ingredients
2.  Add water and mix with hands until a moist dough-like mixture forms.
3. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside overnight.
4. When you are ready to prepare the bread – heat oven to 450 degrees.
5. Once the oven has reached 450 degrees, put your cast iron, or other pot, in to preheat for 30 minutes.
6. While your pot is preheating, remove dough from bowl on heavily floured surface and shape into a ball
7. Re-cover with plastic wrap and let set until pot is heated.
8. Remove hot pot from the oven and drop in the dough.
9. Cover the pot and return to oven for 30 minutes.
10. After 30 minutes remove the lid and bake an additional 5-15 min until desired golden brown color is achieved.
11. Remove bread from oven and place on a cooling rack to cool.