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 70°F (¼ cup + 3 Tablespoons)
Instructions
- Mix. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, and yeast. Make a well in the center, add the cool water, and mix until well combined. It will be shaggy and messy. That's okay.
- First rise. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest at room temperature for 12-18 hours (or in the fridge for up to 5 days) until the dough has doubled or tripled in size with a flat, bubbly top.
- Preheat. During the final hour of the rise time, preheat the oven to 450°F with a rack in the center position. When the oven reaches temperature, place a Dutch oven inside, covered, and let it preheat for 30 minutes. Crumple a piece of parchment paper into a ball. Flatten it out, then crumple and flatten it out again and set it aside. Shape the dough while the oven preheats.
- Shape. While the Dutch oven preheats, generously flour a clean work surface. Release the dough from the sides of the bowl and onto the surface. Dust the top lightly with flour, just enough so your hands don't stick. Gently stretch the dough into a loose square. Use a pastry brush or your fingers to 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.
- Second rise. Use a 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 rest until the Dutch oven finishes preheating, about 30-60 minutes. It may not double in size, but this gives the dough time to relax into its new shape and start developing more air bubbles inside.
- Score. Immediately before baking, use a sharp knife or lame to score the top of the loaf to create a vent for steam to escape. Carefully remove the Dutch oven from the oven. Take the lid off and set it aside. 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. Bake for 20 minutes, covered (don't peek!), then remove the lid and bake until deeply golden brown on top or until the internal temperature reaches 195℉, about 10 minutes more.
- Cool. Use the parchment paper like a sling to lift and transfer the fully baked bread to a wire rack, and let cool completely before slicing.
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.
If floured hands aren't working for you, try using lightly damp or oiled hands instead. Be gentle as you handle the dough to leave as much air inside as possible. Don't beat yourself up if handling the dough doesn't come naturally to you — it will become easier with practice. Just remember: this is not meant to be a tightly controlled dough, so even if it's a little lumpy or imperfect or messy, that's absolutely okay.
RECIPE NOTES
- How to measure ingredients: 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. 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 mixing and stretch-and-fold 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.