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My Mother’s Peasant Bread: The Best Easiest Bread You Will Ever Make Recipe

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3.9 from 14 reviews

This easy homemade peasant bread recipe delivers a rustic, crusty loaf with minimal effort. Using simple pantry staples and an effortless two-rise method, it produces warm, soft-centered bread perfect for any meal. The dough is mixed, left to rise twice, and baked in greased oven-safe bowls to create a beautiful crusty round loaf with a tender crumb — ideal for beginners and bread lovers seeking comfort and simplicity.

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

  • 4 cups (512 g) unbleached all-purpose or bread flour
  • 2 teaspoons (10 g) kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons (8 g) sugar
  • 2 teaspoons (8 g) instant yeast (SAF Instant Yeast recommended)

Wet Ingredients

  • 2 cups (454 g) lukewarm water (made by mixing 1.5 cups cold water with 0.5 cup boiling water)
  • Room temperature butter, about 2 tablespoons (for greasing bowls)

Instructions

  1. Mixing the dough: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, kosher salt, sugar, and instant yeast. Add the lukewarm water and stir until all the flour is absorbed and forms a sticky dough.
  2. First rise: Cover the bowl with a tea towel or plastic wrap. Set it aside in a warm spot to let the dough rise for at least 1 hour, or up to 2 hours in cooler conditions, until doubled in size. To create a warm environment, briefly preheat the oven for one minute at 350ºF, then turn it off and place the dough nearby.
  3. Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 425ºF to prepare for baking.
  4. Prepare bowls and divide dough: Grease two 1-quart or 1.5-quart oven-safe bowls thoroughly with about 1 tablespoon of butter each. Using two forks, punch down the risen dough by scraping it down from the sides of the bowl and loosening it completely. Then, divide the dough into two equal portions by pulling it apart with the forks. Quickly scoop each half into the prepared bowls, which may be messy since the dough is very wet.
  5. Second rise: Let the dough rise again uncovered on your countertop near the oven or a warm spot for 20 to 30 minutes, until the dough rises close to or slightly above the rim of the bowls. Do not cover the bowls or use the warm oven trick for this rise.
  6. Bake: Place the bowls in the oven and bake for 15 minutes at 425ºF. Then reduce the oven temperature to 375ºF and bake for an additional 15 to 17 minutes. Carefully turn the loaves out onto cooling racks. If the crust looks pale or soft, return the loaves to the oven outside the bowls for about 5 more minutes to crisp up.
  7. Cool and serve: Allow the bread to cool on racks for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Notes

  • If using active dry yeast instead of instant yeast, dissolve it in the warm water with sugar first and let it sit until foamy before mixing into flour.
  • Greasing the bowls well is crucial to easily remove the bread after baking.
  • Using small forks or flexible dough scrapers makes dividing the wet dough easier.
  • The warm oven trick for the first rise helps achieve a better rise in cooler environments but is not recommended for the second rise.
  • The bread can be baked in two smaller bowls or one larger bowl depending on your available bakeware.

Find it online: https://marthatasty.com/my-mothers-peasant-bread-the-best-easiest-bread-you-will-ever-make-recipe/