I started making bread months before quarantine, so I kinda beat the trend.
With a lack of equipment like a dutch oven or bread maker, I struggled to figure out how to make it still taste like it was made with nice tools. After some trial and error, and some research, I have finally found the best way to make it.
What You’ll Need

Bread Ingredients
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- ¼ tsp active dry yeast
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 ½ cups hot water
Tools
- Mixing bowl
- Measuring spoons/cup
- Baking sheet/liner
- Kitchen towel
- Extra pan/tin
How To Make It
- Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. It may be helpful to first mix the water and yeast to activate the yeast.
- Cover the bowl with a towel and let it sit for about 3 hours.
- After 3 hours, take the dough out of the bowl and place on a floured surface. Don’t knead, just fold the ends over 8-10 times to form a ball. Cover and let sit for 30 more minutes

- While the dough sits a second time, preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Put your extra pan/tin in the oven during this time.
- After 30 minutes, place your dough on your baking sheet if it’s not already and place it in the oven.* Before shutting the oven and leaving it to bake, pour hot water into the pan/tin that you have heated up in there. Immediately shut the door to capture the steam inside. This mimics the baking process of a dutch oven. Bake the bread for 25 minutes.
- I typically like to slice my bread in half to ensure it is cooked all the way through. Sometimes, and depending on how crispy you like it, you may have to bake it for 5-10 more minutes.

*I swear by reusable baking sheets. It’s a zero-waste alternative to aluminum foil or parchment paper for whatever you’re making. You can buy some here.
Let me know if you try this simple DIY Bread Recipe!