A loaf for people who like bread more than they like bread-making
Bread has acquired an odd reputation. Somewhere along the line, baking became wrapped up in jargon, hydration percentages, and people discussing starter cultures as if they were raising exotic pets.
This loaf has no interest in any of that.
It's simple, forgiving, and difficult to mess up.
Whenever I bake bread, I'm reminded of the old slogan "We want bread, and roses too!", which came out of the American labour movement and carried a simple idea. People need bread, but they also need beauty, friendship, music, dignity, and all the things that make life more than simply getting through another day.
I was reminded of that often when I lived in London and spent time at The Bread & Roses Pub, one of my favourite pubs in the city and home to countless conversations, pints, and evenings that stretched pleasantly longer than intended.
Perhaps that's why I like baking bread.
Not because I'm trying to become a baker, and certainly not because I enjoy obsessing over hydration percentages. There's just something deeply satisfying about making something simple and sharing it with other people.
Yes, baking is more of an exact science than cooking, but there's no need to stress about it. The recipe is a starting point, not a commandment.
I rarely make it exactly as written. Feel free to experiment with different flours, more water and different ingredients. Seeds, herbs, olives, dried tomatoes, raisins, or whatever else happens to be lying around can all find their way into the dough.
Bread should adapt to you, not the other way around.
The lowdown
Makes: 1 loaf
Active prep time: 15 minutes
Rising time: 2½ hours
Baking time: 35–45 minutes
Difficulty: Ridiculously approachable
Equipment needed:
- Large mixing bowl
- Wooden spoon
- Dishcloth
- Dutch oven or loaf pan
- Cooling rack
Best served: Still warm, with vegan butter, soup, or absolutely nothing at all.
Ingredients
For the bread:
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp salt
- 2¼ tsp active dry yeast
- 2 cups warm water
Optional additions:
- Seeds of your choice
- Herbs
- Olives
- Dried tomatoes
- Raisins
Variations I often use:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour and 1 cup bread flour for a firmer texture.
- A handful of sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, or whatever happens to be in the cupboard.
Method
- Combine the flour, salt, and yeast in a large bowl.
- Add the warm water and mix until everything comes together. I usually use a wooden spoon, but your hands work perfectly well, too. The dough should look wet and slightly unruly.
- Cover with a dishcloth and leave to rise in a warm place for about 2 hours.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled Dutch oven or a loaf tin lined with parchment paper.
- Leave it for another 30 minutes while the oven heats to 230°C.
- Bake for 30–40 minutes, until the crust is golden and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.
- Transfer to a cooling rack and allow the bread to rest for at least 20 minutes before slicing.
To serve
- I often serve this loaf alongside my cold pea, apple, and mint soup, but it works equally well with a thick layer of vegan butter, jam, hummus, or simply torn into pieces and eaten while still slightly too warm. Nobody is judging.
Notes
- Experiment.
- Seriously.
- Not every loaf needs to be identical. Different flours absorb water differently. Ovens have personalities. Sometimes you'll need a little more water or a few extra minutes in the oven. That's normal.
- This recipe has become less something I follow and more something I return to. The measurements are useful. The habit matters more.
- Good bread doesn't need to be complicated. It just needs flour, water, yeast, salt, and enough patience to let the dough do most of the work.