When did I become the bread lady? After the success of the no-knead bread recipe, I became a bit obsessed with finding alternatives. What if I didn’t have 18 hours to wait for the bread to rise on its own?
Behold: simple crusty bread. I follow the recipe precisely until I get to step 3. Instead of using a baking stone, which I don’t have, I use the same dutch oven technique that I use with the other no-knead bread. I divided the dough in half instead of the recommended four loaves to keep the size consistent; half a batch of crusty bread is approximately the same size/weight as a full batch of no-knead. Bake for 30 minutes, covered, and 10-15 uncovered until golden.
How do they compare? The no-knead gives an airier, crustier, more artisan-style loaf — I think of this as being the kind of bread that’s served with olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping. The crusty bread has a softer crust but is much denser, more like the doughy, chewy Italian bread that you’d find on the table at an Italian restaurant in New Jersey — bread that begs to be buttered. But don’t take my word for it. Try them both. You can’t go wrong with either one.