Easy Overnight Bread
This easy overnight bread is the perfect starting place for a new home baker!
First – You’ll need to gather your ingredients. Luckily, there aren’t very many! You will need: Flour, salt, yeast, and water. Optionally, you can mix in some yogurt or apple cider vinegar into your water to make a pseudo-sourdough.
You’ll also need some tools: a large mixing bowl (ideally with a lid) and a dough whisk. If you don’t have a dough whisk I would recommend a sturdy spatula. Don’t use a regular whisk if you can help it.
Second – combine the dry and wet ingredients. If needed, add additional water a tablespoon at a time until all the flour is wet. Whole wheat flour will soak up the liquid faster than all-purpose. The examples below are a little too wet because I was in a hurry and added too much water. Live and learn. It won’t really effect your bread, it will just make the dough stickier. Cover with the lid and set on the counter overnight.
In the morning, your dough should look like this:
Cut two pieces of parchment paper (approximately 9×13) and lay out on the counter. Dump your dough onto one of the parchment paper pieces and use a scraper to cut into two pieces. Use the scraper to assist moving one section to the second piece of parchment paper.
Place the parchment paper inside the pre-heated dutch oven. Carefully adjust the paper so it won’t misshape the dough and cover with the lid. Set inside your pre-heated oven.
Turn the heat down to 450 degrees and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake an additional 10-15 minutes or until the top of the loaf is golden brown.
Carefully remove the loaves from the dutch ovens and set on a wire rack to cool. If you can stand to wait, the texture will turn out better if you let it cool nearly completely before cutting.
Easy Overnight Bread – Variation
You can also separate the dough into rolls. I baked mine in a muffin tin, I honestly wouldn’t do it again. I would roll them out onto a sheet pan like normal rolls. They tasted good though.
I would love to know if you try this recipe and what you think!
Until next time,
Ariel
Overnight Crusty Bread
Equipment
- 1 Large Bowl
- 1 -2 Dutch Ovens – 6 or 7 qt
- Parchment Paper
- Danish Dough whisk
Ingredients
- 6 cups flour – all-purpose, wheat or a blend
- 1 Tbsp active dry yeast
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 cups water
Instructions
- Add the dry ingredients to your bowl, stir with a whisk to mix
- Add the water to the dry ingredients
- Use the whisk to mix together, add water a Tbsp at a time if necessary until there is no more dry flour
- Cover with a loose lid or tea towel and let sit overnight or about 12 hours
- Place your dutch ovens inside your oven and preheat to 500 degrees
- Cut two pieces of parchment paper large enough to line your dutch oven
- Uncover the dough bowl and dump the dough onto one piece of parchment paper
- Using a scraper, separate into two even pieces and move the second piece to the second piece of parchment paper
- Once the oven is at temperature, remove the lids from the dutch ovens and place the parchment paper inside. Arrange so it is not cutting into the dough and replace the lid
- Turn the temperature down to 450 and bake for 30 minutes
- Remove the lids and bake another 15 minutes or until the tops are browned and crispy to your liking
- Remove the dutch ovens, and remove the loaves by the parchment paper to cool
