rustic

Bread baked in a cloche has a crusty exterior and a tender interior that&#039;s more like the European and artisan breads. This easy, basic loaf is a great way to jump in to cloche baking - instructions for dutch oven as well. Simple recipe for beginners.

Rustic Bread In A Cloche

water (, 110F)

active dry yeast

sugar

bread flour

vital wheat gluten

salt

Rustic Bread in a Cloche

Add the yeast and the sugar to 1/4 cup of the water and stir until blended.

Set aside until foamy - about 3 to 5 minutes.

Add the remaining water to the yeast mixture.

Stir in 1 cup of the bread flour and the gluten.

Stir in the salt.

Add the remaining flour, a little at a time, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl - you may need a little more flour or you may not need all of the flour.

Knead in your mixer according to manufacturer's instructions.

Knead with Mixer

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes, or until the dough is firm and elastic. It should feel like your earlobe when you pinch it.

Form into a ball, place in an oiled bowl, cover with a clean, damp cloth, and let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes, or until it's doubled.

Knead by Hand

Gently deflate the dough and knead lightly.

Sprinkle flour on the bottom of the cloche.

Form the dough into a ball and place on the floured bottom of the cloche.

Cover with the cloche top and let rise 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 450F.

Dust with flour and score with a sharp knife or baker's blade.

Cover with the cloche top and bake for 35 minutes.

Cool the bread, uncovered.

In a Cloche

Follow instructions but let the dough rise the 2nd time on a piece of parchment paper.

Preheat the dutch oven about 15 minutes before using.

Spray with no-stick spray.

Sprinkle in a coating of cornmeal.

Gently flip the dough off the parchment and into the dutch oven.

Cover and bake for 20 to 30 minutes.

Remove cover and bake 5 more minutes to crisp the crust.

Remove from dutch oven and let cool.

In a Dutch Oven

Rustic Braised Chicken is a hearty stew full of tomatoes, olives, capers, and chicken.

Rustic Chicken Stew with Tomatoes, Olives, and Red Wine Recipe

olive oil

chicken

small onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)

black olives, rinsed, pitted, and sliced

green olives, rinsed, pitted, and sliced

capers,

dry red wine

bay leaves

basil

salt and black pepper

parsley

rice

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 300°F. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven until shimmering. Add chicken and cook without moving until well browned on one side, about 4 minutes. Stir and continue cooking until lightly browned on remaining sides, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer to a plate. Add onion to pot and cook,  stirring, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add black olives, green olives, and capers, and cook for 1 minutes, stirring constantly. Add tomatoes, red wine, bay leaves, and basil. Add 1 teaspoon salt and season with pepper. Return chicken to pot and bring to a simmer.

Cover pot and transfer to oven. Cook until chicken is completely tender, about 2 hours. Remove lid and continue cooking for 15 minutes to lightly reduce cooking liquid. Discard basil. Season to taste with more salt and pepper as desired. Stir in chopped parsley or basil, reserving some for garnish. Serve with rice, or cool and store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat before serving.

A homely, no-nonsense rustic stew that keeps the ham moist and rich

Ham hock & lentils

ham hocks,

onion

carrots

celery sticks,

thyme

bay leaf

Puy lentil

butter

1large carrot

celery stick, finely diced

1heaped tbsp coarsely chopped fresh parsley

Before starting the cooking process, first blanch the hocks to rinse away any impurities. To do this, just put the joints in a large saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 1 minute, then carefully move the pan to the sink and drain off the hot water. Refresh the hams under cold running water for a minute or so, then tip out the water.

The cooking process can now begin. To the blanched hams in the pan, add the onion quarters, along with the quartered carrots and the celery sticks, the thyme and bay leaf. Pour in enough fresh cold water to cover and bring to a simmer. The pan can now be covered with its lid and the hams cooked, keeping the liquor at a gentle simmer for 3 hours.

To check if hams are cooked, pull out the small bone close to the large one – it should be loose and come out easily. Rest hams in the stock for 15-20 minutes (30 minutes, ideally), so the meat softens and relaxes. Lift out the hams and set aside until cool enough to handle. Strain off 900ml/1½ pint ham stock into a jug and set aside. Reserve leftover stock.

Now prepare the lentils. First blanch them by plunging them into a pan of boiling water, then drain into a sieve and refresh under the cold tap. This process not only rinses the lentils well, but it also speeds up the entire braising process.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the diced onion, carrot and celery, cover the pan and cook without colouring for 5-6 minutes. Tip in the blanched lentils, then pour in 900ml/1½ pint strained stock. Bring the lentils to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes – check occasionally and top up with more stock if needed – until tender. I prefer the braised lentils to have quite a loose final consistency without being over watery.

About 10 minutes before the lentils are ready, strip off the skin and fat from the hams with a knife, then remove the meat from the bones and cut it into rough pieces or shred it with your fingers. To serve, add the shredded ham and the coarsely chopped parsley to the lentils, and season with a twist of pepper. If you think you need a little more liquid, simply stir in an extra ladle or two of strained stock.

a highly bake-able rustic country style loaf that can be mixed in the morning, and baked in time for dinner

Same-Day Country Loaf

500 g unbleached all purpose flour (I like King Arthur) (about 4 ¼ cups)

360 g water, warm (about 90-95 degrees) (1 ½ cups)

dry active yeast (1 tsp)

g kosher salt (I

Autolyse phase: Combine the 500 g of unbleached AP flour with the 360 g of warm water in a large bowl, or plastic Cambro tub. Use your hands to mix until combined. Cover tightly, and let rest for 15 minutes.

Sprinkle the salt and 1 teaspoon of yeast over the dough. Dampen one hand with water, and incorporate the salt and yeast by hand. Use a pinching, and squishing motion to make sure the yeast and salt are fully incorporated. Fold the dough over itself a few times, cover at let rest for 20 minutes.

Stretch and fold: This Country Loaf needs 2 folds. With a damp hand, gently lift up the side of the dough, stretching but not tearing, and fold it over to the center of the dough. Repeat until you make around the whole mass of dough. Cover for 20 minutes and repeat.Allow the dough to rise for about 5-6 hours (depending on your room temperature, colder rooms take longer, warmer rooms will be about 30 minutes shorter) until the dough has at least doubled in volume. If you&#x27;re working with a clear cambro type tub, the dough should look very bubbly and airy on the sides.

Dust a proofing basket generously with flour, set aside. Generously flour your work surface. Using a rubber spatula or bench scraper, ease the dough out onto your work surface. Flour your hands. Pull all four corners of the dough to the center of dough ball, in a north, south, east, west motion. Flip the ball over, and gently pull and drag the dough towards you, creating slight tension and a nice round shape. Flour the top of the dough ball, pick it up, and place it seam-side DOWN into the prepared proofing basket. Cover with a clean kitchen towel, and let proof (rise) for 1 hour.

Meanwhile. Place a Dutch oven on the center rack of the oven. Preheat to 450 degrees F. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit in the bottom of the Dutch oven. After an hour, using heavy duty oven mitts, remove the very hot pot from the oven and place on the stove top. Remove the lid. Invert the dough out onto the parchment paper, the seam side should now be up. Carefully place the dough into the Dutch oven (including the parchment paper), cover with the lid, and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the lid, and continue baking for another 20 minutes. Allow the bread to cool on a wire rack before slicing into it. This is important to allow the interior to finish cooking, so you don&#039;t get a gummy crumb (interior).Store the bread at room temperature for up to 3 days. Or slice, and freeze. To reheat, just pop a slice straight into the toaster.

This No-Knead Rustic Bread Loaf is one of the easiest bread recipes. It starts with flour, salt, yeast and water, add in a little time plus a hot dutch oven equals one crusty rustic loaf!

No-Knead Rustic Bread Loaf 

water

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour,...

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt and yeast,

Pour in the water and use a rubber...

Pour in the water and use a rubber spatula and mix until combined.

Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrapped let...

Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrapped let it rest on your counter for 18 to 24 hours.

Place a round dutch oven (with lid) on...

Place a round dutch oven (with lid) on the lowest rack of your oven. Preheat your oven (with the dutch oven) to 450°. I set a timer for 20 minutes from the very start.

Meanwhile, dust the top of the dough with...

Meanwhile, dust the top of the dough with a few tablespoons of flour. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides of the dough, working your way around and underneath.

With floured hand, pick up the dough and...

With floured hand, pick up the dough and shape into a ball.

Use oven mitts to remove the dutch oven...

Use oven mitts to remove the dutch oven and the lid. Carefully place the loaf into the hot dutch oven (seam side down) and, using mitts, replace the lid and slide the pot with the bread back into your oven for 30 minutes.

Then remove the lid and continue baking the...

Then remove the lid and continue baking the bread for 15 more minutes or until the top is golden and crusty.

Then carefully remove the bread, it should come...

Then carefully remove the bread, it should come out easily, to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

Pollo in padella teams the unmistakably Italian flavours of tomato, oregano and olives.

Pollo in padella (chicken braised in the pan)

(35 grams) plain flour

oregano

chicken thighs

chicken drumsticks

unsalted butter

onion, halved, sliced

dry white wine

can chopped tomatoes

tomato paste

garlic cloves, thinly sliced

tbsp salted capers, rinsed, drained (see Notes)

mixed olives

tsp caster sugar

oregano leaves

Salmorejo is a thicker version of gazpacho - cold tomato soup - and is traditionally served in small terracotta bowls and garnished with chopped jamon* and boiled egg.

Salmorejo

sliced white bread,

1kg fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded, chopped

garlic cloves, chopped

milliliters (2 tbsp) white wine vinegar

160 milliliters (8 tbsp) Spanish olive oil

Extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle

Shredded jamon, to serve (see Notes)

Peeled, chopped hard-boiled egg,

For this dish, it's important to have trimmed 'skinny' lamb cutlets that can be quickly grilled, then eaten with the fingers - hence scottadito - or 'burn-the-fingers'.

Lamb scottadito with spinach alla romana

spinach

tbsp olive oil,

garlic cloves, very thinly sliced

tbsp pine nuts, toasted

tbsp sultanas

tbsp lemon rind

french-trimmed lamb cutlets

lemon, quartered, to serve

Served with rouille, a red, mayonnaise-like sauce, this robust seafood stew will transport you to the French port city of Marseille.

Seafood stew with rouille

onion, thinly sliced

garlic cloves, crushed

kipfler potatoes, peeled, sliced

saffron

milliliters (1 cup) white wine

can crushed tomatoes

fish stock

rosemary

firm white fish fillet,

black mussels, scrubbed, bearded

baguette,

red capsicum

potato, peeled, boiled, diced

Our October 2010 Good Food magazine cover recipe in all its crispy, crackly, melt-in-the-mouth glory

Slow-roast rolled pork belly

fennel seeds

tsp black peppercorns

garlic

fresh thyme

lemons

Toast the spices in a dry frying pan for a couple of mins. Pound them together in a pestle and mortar with some flaked sea salt, the garlic and half the thyme to make a paste, then mix with 2 tbsp olive oil.

Lay the pork on a board skin-side down. Rub the herb mix all over the flesh then scatter with the remaining whole thyme leaves. Neatly roll the meat into a joint surrounded by the skin then use butchers' string to tie the joint tightly at regular intervals to hold the joint together. Cover and chill, leaving to marinate for a few hours or overnight.

When ready to cook, rub the skin of the joint with plenty of salt and 1 tbsp remaining olive oil. Put it on a wire rack and roast at 200C/180C fan/gas 6 for 30 mins. After this time, squeeze the lemons over the skin and turn the heat down to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Roast for a further 2 hrs. Finally turn the heat back up to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 and give it a final blast for another 30 mins or so, to finish the crisping of the skin. Allow to rest somewhere warm for 20 mins. Carve up into thick slices and serve with your favourite roast dinner accompaniments.

Gratin potatoes

kg Waxy potato,

Milk

ml Cream

cloves

Tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat the oven to 160C. Line an 28cm square baking tin or a shallow ovenproof dish with greaseproof paper. Peel the potatoes and cut into slices 2mm thick. In a saucepan heat the milk and cream.

Chop the garlic and add to the saucepan with the thyme and salt and pepper. Arrange the potatoes in the dish, overlapping the slices and lightly seasoning each layer. About halfway through the process, pour over half the heated milk mixture, then continue layering with the remaining slices.

Once completed, pour the remaining liquid over the potatoes and sprinkle liberally with the parmesan cheese. Bake in the oven until the potatoes are tender and the top golden brown - about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and serve it straight from the dish.

A healthy, hearty stew to feed the family, that you can prepare in just 10 minutes. This rustic meal is best served with chunks of crusty bread or rice

Spanish chicken stew

skinless boneless chicken thighs

red pepper

tbsp white wine vinegar

tbsp smoked paprika

chicken stock

black olives (such as couchillo)

almonds

In a large saucepan, heat 1 tbsp of the oil. Season the chicken and brown on both sides for 7-8 mins until golden, then set aside on a plate. Put the remaining 1 tbsp oil in the pan with the pepper, onion and garlic. Fry on a medium heat for 8 mins or until slightly golden. Add the vinegar and cook for 1 min.

Return the chicken to the pan with the paprika and stock. Bring to the boil, then turn down to simmer for 25 mins until the chicken is cooked through. Add the olives and almonds, and serve with rice or crusty bread.

Edd Kimber creates a rustic bake with chunks of sweet apple and a crunchy demerara sugar topping.

Dorset apple cake

unsalted butter,

self-raising flour

cinnamon

light brown sugar

egg,

milk

Bramley

sultanas

Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Butter and line a deep 20cm cake tin with baking parchment.

Mix the flour and cinnamon together in a large bowl. Add the butter and rub into the flour using your fingers, until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the light brown sugar. Beat in the egg followed by 6-8 tbsp of milk – add it gradually until you have a smooth, thick batter.

Add the apples and sultanas and mix to combine. Scrape the batter into the prepared tin and gently level out. Sprinkle over the demerara sugar, if using, and bake for 30-40 mins or until golden and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Allow to cool in the tin for 15 mins and then carefully turn out onto a wire rack to cool further. Best served still warm with a little custard.

Top 22 rustic recipes from across the web

The most viewed rustic recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Rustic Bread In A Cloche

Rustic Chicken Stew with Tomatoes, ...

Ham hock & lentils

Same-Day Country Loaf

No-Knead Rustic Bread Loaf

Pollo in padella (chicken braised i...

Salmorejo

Lamb scottadito with spinach alla r...

Seafood stew with rouille

Slow-roast rolled pork belly

Gratin potatoes

Spanish chicken stew

Dorset apple cake

Scallion & Chive Panade

Vegan Asparagus Risotto

15-minutes Spicy Penne in Tomato Sa...

One-Pot Chicken Ratatouille

Corned beef pie

Easy Apple Galette

The Ultimate Italian Bruschetta (Ea...

Two Potato Hash with Poached Eggs

Pork and Sage Pate (Country Style R...

Top 22 rustic recipes from across the web

The most viewed rustic recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Rustic Bread In A Cloche

Rustic Chicken Stew with Tomatoes, ...

Ham hock & lentils

Same-Day Country Loaf

No-Knead Rustic Bread Loaf

Pollo in padella (chicken braised i...

Salmorejo

Lamb scottadito with spinach alla r...

Seafood stew with rouille

Slow-roast rolled pork belly

Gratin potatoes

Spanish chicken stew

Dorset apple cake

Scallion & Chive Panade

Vegan Asparagus Risotto

15-minutes Spicy Penne in Tomato Sa...

One-Pot Chicken Ratatouille

Corned beef pie

Easy Apple Galette

The Ultimate Italian Bruschetta (Ea...

Two Potato Hash with Poached Eggs

Pork and Sage Pate (Country Style R...

The most viewed rustic recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine