Rustic Kefir Bread

The bread is cut open with a bottle of kefir in the background.

5 from 3 votes

This Rustic Kefir Bread has a delicious soft crumb, a classic crispy crust, and is so easy to make! With a little bit of patience and a few simple ingredients, you'll have easy homemade bread in no time!

Prep Time8 5

Cook Time1

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Servings: Slices

Calories: 283kcal

Author: Lynn Polito

Equipment

Ingredients

4 cups All Purpose Flour
1 ½ cups Whole Milk Kefir
1 ½ teaspoon Salt
2 tablespoon Honey
2 ¼ teaspoon Active Dry Yeast One Package

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Add all the ingredients to a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.
Mix on low speed for 5 minutes until the dough forms a ball. It will look shaggy at first, but then it will come together.
Once the dough comes together into a ball, cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel. Place it in a warm, draft free area for 6-8 hours, until the dough has doubled in size and the top looks soft and bubbly.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it for 1 minute, shaping it into a ball. Place the ball on a piece of parchment paper and let it rest for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
Make a cut down the center of the dough ball.
Place the parchment paper and dough in a Dutch oven, covered. Put the Dutch oven in the oven for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, reduce the heat to 425 degrees, remove the lid from the Dutch oven, and bake for another 30 minutes.
The bread is done when the crust is brown, and it sounds hollow when you tap on it.

Notes

You can make this recipe without a stand mixer, you'll have to use some muscle because this dough takes a few minutes to come together, but it's possible!
Though it may be tempting, do not cut the bread until the loaf has had time to cool. The inside of the bread needs to set its structure and cool almost completely before it is sliced.
Depending on the temperature in your kitchen, the dough may take longer than 6 hours to rise. If your kitchen is warmer than average, it might take only 6 hours. If your kitchen is cooler than average, it might take up to 10 hours to rise. Just be patient with bread.
The bread should sound hollow when you take it out of the Dutch oven and tap on the bottom of it. If you are not comfortable with doing that, use a meat thermometer and insert it into the loaf. The bread should have an internal temperature of 190 degrees.

Nutrition