A SIMPLE LOAF


makes 1 loaf

This bread, as with many of my favorite recipes, happened by accident. In testing the Pan Pugliese recipe, both Peter and our tireless recipe tester, Amy Vogler, thought the dough—minus the potato chunks that go into the Pugliese—was so nice that it warranted its own place in the book. They also convinced me that this is among the easiest of my breads to make. It looks completely rustic—which is always important with artisan breads—and has a crackling crust and a nutty interior. I am never one to argue against a good recipe. For most of the breads in this book, developing the recipes involved a great deal of trial and error, so it was a pleasure to have a recipe fall into my lap this way. It’s great for sandwiches, too, and also toasted and served with butter, jam, or a pungent Taleggio cheese.