I had to try a recipe that compared making bread to having a pet cat. It requires minimum effort, a little bit of waiting, and given that I have used it six times with five perfect results, and one almost perfect result, I would have to say it is foolproof. I’ve adapted a plain loaf to make a tomato and fennel loaf, which is fantastic with some very seasonal wild garlic pesto and a schmear of goats cheese. This makes a decent 500g loaf, and just requires you to plan a day ahead.
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Easy Tomato and Fennel Bread
- Total Time: 14 hours
- Yield: 1 loaf 1x
Description
This makes a decent 500g loaf, and just requires you to plan a day ahead.
Ingredients
- 400g white flour
- 300ml cold water
- 1 1/4 tsp salt
- 1g (1/4 tsp) dried yeast, or 3g fresh yeast
- 1-2 tbsp (15-30 ml) fennel seeds
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) tomato puree
- 2-3 tbsp finely chopped sun dried tomato
Instructions
- Put the flour and salt in a large bowl.
- Dissolve the tomato puree and yeast in the water.
- Stir into the flour with a wooden spoon until you have a dough.
- Mix in the fennel seeds and sundried tomato.
- Cover the bowl with a tea towel and leave for 12-18 hours covered (it will rise massively).
- Take it out of the bowl with floured hands, and knead together for a minute or so on a floured surface until it forms a coherent ball coated in flour.
- It will still be more sticky than you think is right, but it is, you don’t need to add more flour.
- Wrap in a tea towel and leave for 1-2 hours.
- It’s ready when you stick your finger in it and it leaves an indentation.
- During the last half hour or so of this, put a big casserole dish (apparently called a Dutch oven in the States?) or metal pot with a lid big enough to fit the dough almost doubling in size) in the oven at 250C to preheat.
- When the dough is raised, shape it into a loaf.
- Dust the now heated pot (carefully) with flour.
- Add the loaf to the heated pot and put in the oven with the lid on for 30 minutes.
- Take off the lid and cook in the oven for about another ten minutes, until the outside is crispy and golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack for 30-45 minutes.
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Bread
- Cuisine: European
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 180
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the dough need to rise for 12–18 hours?
The recipe uses only 1 g (1/4 tsp) of dried yeast — far less than a standard loaf. This tiny amount of yeast ferments slowly at room temperature, which is what the article calls “minimum effort, a little bit of waiting.” The long overnight rise develops flavor and the open crumb structure that a faster, higher-yeast dough cannot produce.
Why is my dough sticker than I expect — should I add more flour?
No. The recipe explicitly warns that “it will still be more sticky than you think is right, but it is” and tells you not to add more flour. This is a high-hydration dough (300 ml water to 400 g flour) and extra flour would make the bread denser and tougher rather than fixing anything. 
Why does the recipe use a covered pot in the oven?
The loaf bakes in a preheated casserole dish or Dutch oven with the lid on for the first 30 minutes. The enclosed space traps steam from the dough, which keeps the crust flexible while the bread rises in the oven. The lid is then removed for the final 10 minutes at 250°C to allow the outside to brown and crisp up.
How do I know the dough is ready for its second shaping?
The recipe gives a specific test: after the second 1–2 hour rest wrapped in a tea towel, stick your finger into the dough — it is ready when it leaves a clean indentation. If the dough springs back immediately, it needs more time.
Fabulous recipe. Perfect title. Works a treat. Delicious.
Wat type of white flour
In the states it is also called a casserole. A dutch oven is used for baking on a camp fire (open fire).