There's nothing quite like baking your own crusty homemade bread. This method is so easy and flavored with grilled artichokes and sharp cheddar cheese.
With the whole world seemingly baking bread at home right now, I'm glad to eventually bring you this loaf to try! It follows the same tried and tested method as my Mediterranean Olive Bread and that one is a keeper! Check out these comments from readers who have already baked it.
"A phenomenal bread! I’ve made several Olive Bread loaves but this one wins, hands down"
"I made this bread today and it was extraordinary! I made it exactly as written"
This time though I used regular all purpose flour which can be easier to have on hand than the bread flour I used for the olive recipe. I must admit I did taste a difference in using all purpose flour this time but nothing that would make me not want to use it again. I'd say the bread flour had a little more flavor.
The baking method used is from Jim Lahey, but the recipe is really adaptable with add-in's like the salty black olives. For this version I added grilled artichokes in oil and some sharp cheddar cheese. You can find the artichokes in a jar usually in the condiment section of your grocery store.
Tips for making this homemade bread
- This dough can be quite wet at the beginning so make sure to have extra flour on hand to help knead the dough into a ball.
- Use plenty of cornmeal on the towel to prevent the dough from sticking to it.
- To transfer the loaf from the towel to the Dutch oven pot, lift it quickly and have the pot right next to the loaf for minimal handling.
- On the final rise be mindful that the dough will rise a little more when it goes into the Dutch oven so don't leave it sitting for too long on the towel. I prefer a denser loaf than a large loaf full of air holes.
How long does it take to make this homemade bread?
From the first mix to taking it out of the oven, this bread could be ready in about three hours. That's not too long to wait for a good, chewy crusted, slightly sour tasting country loaf.
Bread storage
A 2 gallon ziplock bag is perfect to store the bread in. It's best eaten (warm) on the day it was made but should still be good after 2 days as long as it has been sealed in the bag. It makes great toast too with lots of butter!
Other ingredients that would be fantastic to add to the dough
- Any type of fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme or oregano.
- Various different kinds of cheese.
- Cheese and jalapeno
- Roasted garlic cloves
- Pepperoncini's
- Hatch chilis
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