ALMOST TOO EASY CRUSTY BREAD

I love the texture of sourdough bread....always have.  However, I really do not like the sour taste of sourdough bread.  What I like is the chewy texture and how it is awesome with a touch of butter or toasted.  I do not claim to be anywhere near the quality of baker that most of the people on the forum are.  I love to cook, but don't have time to spend making the wonderfully complicated breads on The Fresh Loaf.  I came across this recipe and it is awesome.  I have made it a dozen times already and everyone that tastes it is totally smitten.  The ingredients are so simple, there are no complicated directions.  You make it in the evening and then cook it the next day and it is wonderful.  How easy is that?  The one requirement for this bread that is a bit unusual is a cast iron dutch oven or pot with a lid.  I have one that is enameled which is even better.  It acts as an oven in an oven to give you the great chewy/crusty bread.

ALMOST TOO EASY CRUSTY BREAD

3 cups (13.15 oz) unbleached all purpose flour

1 3/4 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon yeast

1 1/2 cups water

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt and yeast.  Add water and mix until a shaggy mixture forms.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for 12 - 18 hours.  Overnight works great.  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.  Meanwhile, pour dough onto a heavily floured surface and shape into a ball.  Cover with plastic wrap and let set while the pot is heating.  Remove hot pot from the oven and drop in the dough.  Cover and return to oven for 30 minutes.  After 30 minutes remove the lid and bake an additional 15 minutes.  Remove bread from oven and place on a cooling rack to cool.   Because I do not like the hard crispy crust, I wrap the hot bread in a cloth napkin and slide it in a plastic bag to cool.  The bread comes out with the wonderful chewy texture that I crave. 

This bread is wonderful plain, but adding stuff to it gives you unlimited options.  My favorite so far has been parmesan cheese, chopped almonds and caraway seeds.  Wonderful!  Othere additions to try:

Pepper jack cheese, Jalapeno cheddar, Raisin walnut cinnamon, Pumpkin sunflower poppy seed, Sharp cheddar, Rosemary lemon Gruyere, Lemon thyme Asiago, Asiago, Mixed herb with rosemary, chives and thyme and plain. 

Cranberry, orange and almond. .  Add about 3/4 cup cranberries, orange zest from one orange and about 1/2 cups sliced almonds