Recipe for homemade bread in the oven

Prepare all the ingredients for baking homemade bread. The water should be warm, but not hot. It is better to sift the flour in advance to remove any lumps and other impurities from the bread.

Prepare the starter for homemade bread. Pour 120 grams of warm water into a deep cup. Add dry yeast and sugar. Mix everything well and leave the starter at room temperature for 30 minutes. Note that when stirring, the sugar should completely dissolve in the water.

During this time, the starter will increase in volume.

Prepare the dough for homemade bread in the oven. Pour the remaining warm water into the starter, add salt, vegetable oil, and flour.

Knead the dough for the bread. It should be homogeneous and very elastic. The dough will stick to your hands. This is normal. Do not add additional flour, otherwise the dough will be tough and the bread will not have an airy texture.

Place the dough in a deep bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap or a towel. Leave the dough at room temperature to rise for 2 hours. During this time, the dough should increase in size by at least 2-2.5 times.

Preheat the oven to 240 degrees and leave a ceramic or cast iron pot with a lid inside. We will bake the bread in it, so it should also be preheated well. Knead the risen dough on a floured surface and shape it into a ball.

Place a sheet of parchment paper or a Teflon baking mat in a round bowl. Sprinkle the sheet lightly with flour and place the dough ball on it. Leave the dough at room temperature for 50-60 minutes to rise.

During this time, the dough will rise well and the oven with the pot will heat up well for further baking of homemade bread.

Carefully remove the pot from the oven. Be cautious, as it is very hot. Remove the lid and transfer the bread with the parchment paper into the pot. If desired, you can make a small incision on top with a sharp knife, but it is not necessary. Pay attention to the quality of the parchment paper. It should be thick and of good quality as the bread is baked at high temperatures and poor quality parchment may burn.

Close the pot with a lid and place the bread in the center of a well-heated oven. Bake the bread at a temperature of 240 degrees for 20 minutes under the lid.

After 20 minutes, open the oven. Carefully remove the lid, be careful not to get burned, it's very hot. Reduce the temperature to 200 degrees and continue baking the bread for another 25 minutes.

Remove the pot with the cooked bread from the oven. This should be done carefully, not forgetting about the hot pot.

Carefully remove the cooked bread from the pot. Simply take it by the edges of the parchment and take out the bread with it. Remove the homemade bread from the parchment and let it cool completely on a rack or towel.

Serve the bread at the table, slicing it into individual pieces. The crumb of the homemade bread according to this recipe turns out to be very airy, with a fragrant crispy crust. It is great for any sandwiches and as an addition to dishes. Excellent light croutons can be made from such bread, and it is also good on its own. As you can see, baking bread in the oven is quite simple. The main time is spent on the dough rising without our direct involvement. Enjoy your meal!