The First Loaf

You’ll never buy bread again.

2 cups white flour

1 cup wheat flour

1/4 tsp yeast

7 oz room temp water

1.5 tsp sea salt

3 oz beer (PBR works, seriously)

1 Tbsp white vinegar

2 Tbsp honey

How to do it

Whisk flour, yeast, and salt in a large bowl. Add water, beer, vinegar, and honey. Use a spatula to fold mixture until a shaggy ball forms. It won’t look pretty. Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit 8-18 hours (we usually do this part overnight).

Lay a sheet of parchment paper in a skillet or on a flat cookie sheet and rub a little oil on it (that’s what she said). Knead the dough lightly on a floured surface, just 10-15 times (no knead to over knead ahahahaha). Shape into a ball by pulling edges into the middle. Transfer, seam-side down, onto the parchment paper. Cover loosely with plastic wrap (use the same piece! #savetheplanet) and let rise until dough has doubled in size and doesn’t spring back when poked (about 2 hours).

30 minutes before baking, heat dutch oven with lid on at 500 degrees on the lowest oven rack. Lightly flour top of dough. Cut a 6” long, 1/2” deep slit across the top. Or make a cross if you’re feeling fancy. Use parchment paper to lift the dough and place it in the dutch oven (parchment paper and all). Cover with lid.

Bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove lid and keep baking until the bread is nice and brown (about 20-30 minutes; bread should be 200 degrees at the center, if you have a food thermometer. But we never do that.)

Cool on a wire rack. Devour with butter and honey and salt.