No-knead rustic stand mixer peasant bread is ready in about 2 hours. Just follow these easy step by step photo instructions. 
Introduction and My Rating
I love rustic bread. It needs to have a rough texture and wonderful taste. Add a crunchy crust, and I'm in heaven.
This is not the most beautiful of loaves of bread, but it is incredibly tasty with a great crust and texture. Quick and easy with no hand kneading and a little over 2 hours, and you're eating bread.
My Rating
This was just way too easy. My wife (not a bread person) threatened to eat the whole thing.
👨🍳The Recipe
The inspiration is a CI recipe that adds a touch of whole wheat flour to a roll that they call a peasant roll. It looked interesting, but just too much work. I am amazed at the amount of work some people can put into something sometimes.
Here we will start with the basics of flour (AP and whole wheat), yeast, sugar, salt, and water. Let the stand mixer do all the work. Be sure to keep it warm for a good rise. Then cook in a hot oven to get a great crust.
♨️Baking
I used a dutch oven to bake the bread, which I do with this sort of cooking frequently. With this recipe, the smooth rounded bottom gives a much nicer look, and I usually use it as the top side.
The size of the pan you use can affect the cooking time. This will not rise much with baking, and the dough is not very strong, so a deeper pan is good.
Smaller pans will give a thicker loaf that may take a few more minutes more cooking time.
Brushing the top with water will help with a crunchy crust. Put it in any pan you want, brush with water, and bake until internal temp of 200. The dough is not strong enough to be baked outside of a pan.
📖Bread Recipes
Julia Childs French Bread; Simplified
🖼️Instructions
In 1 ¾ cups of warm (110°) water, dissolve 1 teaspoon sugar and 1 package of rapid rise yeast. What for some bubbles to prove the yeast is good.
Add the yeast mixture to a preheated stand mixer bowl. With the mixer on "2" slowly add 4 ½ cups AP flour, ¼ cup whole wheat flour, and 1 teaspoon salt. Allow the dough to mix for 10 minutes.
Move the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, form into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot for about 60 minutes until about tripled in size.
"Preheat" a Dutch oven with hot water, then dry and lightly coat with oil and move the dough into it. Cover and place in a warm spot and allow to double in size — about 30-45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 450° conventional.
Brush the top with some water.
Bake for about 25-30 minutes until internal temp of about 200°, a nice crust, and a hollow sound.
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📖 Recipe
Stand Mixer Peasant Bread
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cup water - 110 degree
- 1 package yeast - a light tablespoon
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 4 ½ cup AP flour
- ¼ cup whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoons salt
Instructions
- In 1 ¾ cups of warm (110°) water, dissolve 1 teaspoon sugar and 1 package of rapid rise yeast. What for some bubbles to prove the yeast is good.
- Add the yeast mixture to a preheated stand mixer bowl. With the mixer on "2" slowly add 4 ½ cups AP flour, ¼ cup whole wheat flour, and 1 teaspoon salt. Allow the dough to mix for 10 minutes.
- Move the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, form into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and place in a warm spot for about 60 minutes until about tripled in size.sound.
- "Preheat" a Dutch oven with hot water, then dry and lightly coat with oil and move the dough into it. Cover and place in a warm spot and allow to double in size — about 30-45 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 450° conventional. Brush the top with some water. x
- Bake for about 25-30 minutes until internal temp of about 200°, a nice crust, and a hollow sound.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- This is an "ugly" bread, but it makes up for that in taste and texture. If you have a smaller diameter heavy pan, it will look better-not so flat.
- It is not a strong dough, so you need to use a pan with high enough sides to contain it.
- You can change the proportions of different flours.
- Cooking time will vary by pan used and the thickness, so checking the internal temperature to determine the endpoint is a good idea.
- I like to use a Dutch oven, but other pans can be used. I usually use a six qt Dutch oven that will give about a 2-inch high loaf. A smaller pan will yield a thicker loaf but will take a bit longer to cook.
- Cook UNCOVERED.
- The water on the crust will help crustiness.
- Good for 2-3 days, but this will mold fast due to no preservatives.
Nutrition
Editor's Note: Originally published November 12, 2011. Updated with expanded and more detailed instructions and refreshed photos.
Tamera
This bread came out lovely. I will definitely make it again.
Kate J
This came out beautiful & so good! Will definitely make again....although Here in So Cal, no need to preheat anything when it's 78 degrees in January.
Annie Solomon
Bread turned out great! Thanks for the detailed recipe.
Annie Solomon
Thanks! Going to try today.
Dan Mikesell
Don't go over the 450 or you start melting things like knobs on dutch ovens. Go with the straight 450 and leave covered for 15 minutes then uncover. Go for the 200 degrees internal temp which should take 20-25 minutes from this point. (all this is guesses but I'm usually about right on.)
Annie Solomon
You say to bake at 450 convection. I don't have a convection oven. Do you know what temperature to bake it in a standard oven?
Chris
60 degrees? Are you mad? I'd be wearing long johns all the time! I guess that's the Florida boy in me.
The bread looks exceptionally good and sounds even easy enough for a non-baker like me to make.