This easy homemade Crusty Bread has a golden, crispy crust and a soft, chewy interior—perfect for sandwiches, soups, or just slathering with butter.
If you love freshly baked bread but are a bit apprehensive about baking your own, start here. Crusty bread is within reach if you’re a willing baker but don’t necessarily have a lot of fancy equipment or past bread-baking experience. No stand mixers, dough hooks, or specialized tools are required for this recipe! You just need the basic elements of bread: flour, yeast, salt, a little sugar, and water. These elements come together to make a delicious loaf that will smell amazing as it bakes in your kitchen.
Did you know that steam is actually the secret “ingredient” in baking bread that has a nice crispy crust? You create steam when, after placing your unbaked loaf on the upper rack of your oven, you leave a preheated pan of warm water on the bottom rack. When the resulting steam hits the surface of the bread loaf, it interacts with the starch in the flour and helps that surface harden into a perfectly crisp crust.
You will love baking crusty bread in your home kitchen as it is an easy way to enjoy the bread-baking process as well as the final product. The final product is a large, hearty loaf made with simple ingredients with a fresh taste and warm, pillowy-soft inside. You can use crusty bread as a side to a big meal, for sandwiches, for French toast, or to make fresh breadcrumbs.
What Is Scoring?
In Step 5, you use a sharp knife to score, or slash, several spots in the top of the loaf. These slashes, at about 1/2-inch deep, make the top of the bread look finished and pretty, but are actually a crucial part of the baking process. With a large loaf like this one, you want to control the expansion and make sure that as it grows, it doesn’t crack, erupt or burst out from other areas of the loaf.
How Do I Store Leftovers?
Crusty bread is best enjoyed the day it’s baked. If you have leftovers or do not need to use it until the next day, you can place the cooled loaf in a brown paper bag or wrap it in foil. After the second day, freezing is recommended. You can freeze crusty bread wrapped in plastic wrap and foil for up to 3 months. To thaw, simply set the loaf out at room temperature.
Why Is My Bread’s Crust Light In Color?
If your crust and bread are done but the crust seems too pale, it is probably your oven temperature. You may want to double-check (with an oven thermometer) that the 450°F setting is correct inside your oven as well. If not, you may need to turn up the heat by 5 or 10 degrees. A hot oven should brown the bread’s crust just right—not too pale but not charred either.
Serving Suggestions
Crusty bread is the perfect accompaniment to warm, cozy dishes like Balsamic Beef Stew or Dutch Oven Lentil Soup. But fresh bread isn’t just for winter meals—it also tastes great with Steak Salad. Alternatively, set out a small plate, and enjoy this crusty bread with Bread Dipping Oil.
Serve alongside Orecchiette Pasta and a light white wine for a sumptuous yet simple Italian-inspired meal. Have leftovers? Slice it up and use it in this delicious French Toast Brûlée.
Crusty Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/4 teaspoons fine grain salt
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 1/2 cups warm water
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, sugar, and yeast. Gradually add the warm water while stirring until a shaggy dough forms. If needed, add 1 tablespoon more water at a time until it reaches the right consistency.
- Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel. Let the dough rise at room temperature for about 2 hours, or until it doubles in size.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Gently shape it into a round loaf without over-kneading. Place the loaf on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Let it rise uncovered for 40 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 450°F. Place a metal pan on the lowest rack to heat.
- Dust the top of the loaf with flour and make several 1/2-inch deep slashes across the top. Place the baking sheet in the oven and immediately pour 1 cup of hot water into the empty heated pan to create steam.
- Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.
- Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack before slicing.
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