Homemade Mediterranean-Style Crusty Bread

Baking bread at home is a very rewarding experience but it can also be time-consuming. We kept this recipe as simple and easy as possible, so instead of spending long minutes kneading the dough you just have to let time do its work. The end result is a Mediterranean-style crusty bread that’s low in gluten and high in protein and flavor. You can easily tweak this recipe to your liking and it doesn’t require more than 2 minutes of kneading!

If you want to bake the bread on your meal prep day, just make sure you do step one the day before and you’ll have a fresh loaf of bread ready for the week. It’s so easy and all it takes is a little planning!

Homemade Mediterranean-Style Crusty Bread Recipe

Prep Time: rising + 20 min | Cook Time: 45 min | Yields: 10 big slices

Ingredients

+ 3 cups whole grain spelt flour
+ 1 1/2 cups chickpea flour
+ 1 1/4 cups water
+ 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
+ 1 tsp raw honey or maple syrup
+ 1 tbsp olive oil
+ 1/2 tsp sea salt
+ 2 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped

Directions

1. The day before baking, combine water, yeast, and honey in a large bowl, mix well and let the yeast starter rest on the countertop for 10 minutes. Then add the olive oil, flours, sea salt and knead the dough for 1 to 2 minutes until the texture is uniform and damp. Cover the bowl well with plastic wrap and a dishtowel and let rise at room temperature for 14 to 20 hours.

2. The next day, dust the work surface and dough with flour and stretch the dough gently with your hands until it forms a rectangle. At this point, you can add the fresh rosemary or any other herbs, seeds or nuts you prefer. Fold the dough into a square, bringing the edges toward the center, then shape it into a ball. Sprinkle a bowl with flour and place the dough in the bowl with the fold facing down. Cover with a towel and let rest for another 1 to 2 hours.
Preheat oven and a cast iron pan or clay pot to 480ºF / 250ºC. Carefully sprinkle the bottom of the hot pan with a little flour, pour the dough into the pan with the fold facing up, cover and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Uncover and let bake for another 15 minutes until crispy. Enjoy!

Amount per slice