How to Make Bread from Scratch in a Romertopf Clay Cooker

The only thing that beats freshly baked bread made from scratch is freshly baked bread made in a fancy German clay cooker. In this video, I show you how to use a Romertopf clay cooker, including how to prepare it for the first use. This classic bread recipe makes delicious white bread that can be used in countless recipes. FULL RECIPE Ingredients: 1 cup lukewarm water 1 package active dry yeast 1 teaspoon sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 3 cups all purpose flour Directions: Heat up your water on the stove until it’s roughly 100 F Measure 1 cup of the water and put it in a bowl Sprinkle the yeast on top and let it sit for 5 minutes, or until it starts to bloom. Stir in the salt, sugar, and oil. Gradually add in 2 cups of flour, constantly stirring. Once the dough starts to form and no longer sticks to the bowl, turn it out onto the table. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes. Roll the dough into a ball and put it in an oiled bowl. Ensure the bowl and the dough are covered in oil, and cover with a wet towel. Let the dough raise for one hour, it should nearly double in size. Soak your Clay Cooker in cold water for 30 minutes. Pat the cooker dry, brush the bottom with oil, and line it with parchment paper. Punch down the dough to get out any air pockets and reshape it into a ball. Place the dough in the bottom of the slay cooker, cover with a wet towel, and let sit for 45 minutes. Uncover the dough and cut shallow slashes across the top. Put the cooker in the oven and THEN begin preheating the oven to 475 F. Let the bread cook for about one hour. If you want the bread to get crispier on the outside, uncover it and put it back in the oven for 10 more minutes. Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool.