Score your dough to create pretty patterns on your loaf.
This recipe was adapted from The New York Times Cooking catalog, and it has become my culinary staple for parties, formal dinners, and even everyday meals. I’ve seen numerous adaptations of this recipe, with varying degrees of success. My suggestion is to use a dutch oven (ceramic baking pot) at 450°F.
Ingredients (4 Servings):
320g Water
400g Flour
3g Yeast
6g Salt
Directions:
- Mix water, salt, yeast, and flour in a bowl until there are no dry patches. The dough will be quite loose.
- Let the dough rise for 2-5 hours. Dough will rise better when just above room temperature.
- Knead and fold over 4-5 times within bowl, then set on parchment paper. Dust with a generous amount of flour, and let sit for 40 minutes.
- Slash top with serrated or very sharp knife in an “X” shape for a signature look.
- Preheat oven to 450°. Let dutch oven warm up for 20-30 minutes while preheating. Lower the parchment paper with the dough into dutch oven and let bake for 30 minutes while covered. Finally, remove the lid and let it bake for another 10 minutes.
This recipe also appears in our June 2025 print edition.
