I won’t claim that this is the best bread you’ve ever eaten, but it’s the fastest yeast bread imaginable, and it’s better than anything you can buy at many supermarkets. It requires little effort, less attention, and rounds out most simple dishes into filling meals.

　　

Ingredients

makes 1 loaf

　　3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed

　　2 teaspoons instant yeast (see Note)

　　2 teaspoons salt

　　

Step 1

Combine the flour, yeast, and salt in a bowl or food processor. Add 1 1/4 cups of warm water all at once, stirring with a wooden spoon or with the machine on. Continue to mix, for a minute or two longer by hand, for about 30 seconds total with the food processor. Add water by the tablespoon if necessary, until a ball forms.

　　

Step 2

Shape the dough into a flat round or long loaf, adding only enough flour to allow you to handle the dough. Put the dough on a baking sheet or a well-floured pizza peel. Let it rise in the warmest place in your kitchen, covered, while you preheat the oven to 425°F. (If you have time, let the dough rise for an hour or so.)

　　

Step 3

Bake the bread on the sheet, or slide it onto a baking stone. Bake until done, 30 to 45 minutes; the crust will be golden brown, crisp, and firm.

　　Cooks' Note

　　I specify instant yeast (such as SAF) in this recipe and all my baking recipes. This is yeast that can be mixed, dry, with the flour—it’s fuss-free, keeps forever in the fridge, and is sold at every supermarket.

　　From Mark Bittman's Quick and Easy Recipes From the New York Times by Mark Bittman Copyright (c) 2007 by Mark Bittman Published by Broadway Books.Mark Bittman is the author of the blockbuster Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.