Small Batch Crusty Bread (Made with 1 CUP of Flour)
With just four ingredients, and minimal hands on work time, this small batch crusty bread is the perfect low effort bread making project. It fits in just about any size Dutch oven, too!
Ingredients
- 120 grams all-purpose flour (1 cup, aerated and loosely scooped, plus more for dusting)
- 3 grams diamond crystal kosher salt (1 teaspoon, use half as much of any other brand of salt)
- 1 gram instant yeast (heaping ¼ teaspoon)
- 100 grams cool water (¼ cup + 3 Tablespoons)
Instructions
- Mix the flour, salt, and yeast together in a mixing bowl.
- Pour the water into the middle of the dry ingredients and mix until well combined. It will be shaggy and messy. That's okay. Cover the bowl and set it aside at room temp to rest for 12-18 hours (or in the fridge for up to 5 days). You're looking for the dough to double or triple in size with a flat, bubbly top.
- During the final hour of the rise time, preheat oven to 450°F. When the oven reaches temperature, place a Dutch oven inside, covered, and let preheat for 30 minutes at 450°F. Crumple a piece of parchment paper into a ball. Flatten it out, then crumple and flatten it out again.
- While Dutch oven preheats, generously flour a clean countertop. Release the dough from the sides of the bowl and onto the counter. Dust the top lightly with flour, just enough so your hands don't stick.
- Gently stretch the dough into a loose square. Dust any excess flour off the top. Fold the corners of the dough up and across itself to pull it into a round shape with the edges pinched together on top. Flip the loaf over so the seam side is underneath. Cup your hands around it and lightly lift and rotate the ball of dough against the counter, tucking the dough underneath itself as you go to create surface tension on top.
- Use the bench scraper to lift the ball of dough onto the flattened piece of crumpled parchment paper. Dust the surface of the dough lightly with flour, cover it with a clean dish towel, and let it sit until the Dutch oven finishes preheating.
- Carefully remove the Dutch oven from the oven. Take the lid off and set it aside. Score the top of the loaf to create a vent for steam to escape. Gather the corners of the parchment paper together, pick the dough up and place it inside the Dutch oven. Put the lid back on the Dutch oven.
- Bake with the lid on for 20 minutes (don't peek!), then remove the lid and bake another 10 minutes until deeply golden brown on top. You're looking for an internal temperature of at least 200°F for doneness.
- Transfer the fully baked loaf to a cooling rack and let cool completely before slicing.
If floured hands aren't working for you, try using lightly damp or oiled hands instead.
Be gentle as you handle the dough, so you leave as much air inside as possible.
Crumbling and flattening the parchment paper softens it so that it fits neatly into the round space of a Dutch oven without digging into your dough.
RECIPE NOTES
- If you are measuring with cups, it is super important that you measure the ingredients properly. See my guide to measuring as accurately as possible by volume for how to do this. If you measure with cups/teaspoons and the recipe did not turn out right, that is likely why. Try again!
- For a longer cold rise: Put this no-knead dough in the fridge immediately after mixing or after the first overnight rise. I've left it for as long as 5 days in the fridge before baking and it works just fine. As a bonus, gluten tightens up in the cold, meaning refrigerated dough is slightly easier to shape.
- For a same-day bake: Increase the yeast to 3 grams and follow the folding instructions from my small batch baguette recipe. Then come back here for the shaping and baking instructions. You'll have a small loaf of crusty bread in just about 3 hours!
- Adding flavors: This is a great base recipe for adding lots of fun spices, herbs, cheese, seeds, and more. If you add anything wet like peppers, raw onions, olives, etc. it will add moisture to the dough. And if you add too many dry ingredients, it also can affect the dough's hydration. I recommend adding no more than 24 grams of additional flavorings/ingredients to this dough.