Autumn Ratatouille & Rustic Bread Recipe 🍂

This week we’re embracing cozy fall flavors with a simple rustic bread and a hearty autumn ratatouille. Perfect for meal prep, these recipes will keep your lunches warm, wholesome, and plant-based!

Welcome back to The Lunch Break! As we settle into fall, I’m sharing two recipes that are perfect for the season—a hearty Autumn Ratatouille and a simple Rustic Bread recipe to pair with it. The bread recipe is a freebie for all subscribers because what’s better than homemade bread?

While I love making sourdough, sometimes I just don’t have it in me to go through the steps. So, when I want fresh bread without the hassle, this easy rustic bread recipe is my go-to. It requires just 4 ingredients you probably have on hand, requires very few steps, and my favorite part? It cuts beautifully. It’s easy to get even slices that work great for sandwiches…or scooping up ratatouille.

Let’s dive in :)

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Rustic Bread Recipe

Servings: 1 loaf
Prep Time: 15 minutes + 2 hour rise time
Cook Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3 cups bread flour

• 1 ½ tsp sea salt

• 2 tsps instant yeast

• 1 ½ cups warm water

Instructions:

1. Mix the Dough
   In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, and yeast. Add the warm water (between 105F and 115F, should feel warm, but not too hot it burns your finger) and mix just until a sticky dough forms (I use my dough hook on my mixer but you can do it by hand).

   **Using active yeast instead of instant? Just dissolve the yeast in warm water and wait 5-10 minutes until foamy. Then add flour and salt and let rise.

2. Let Rise

   Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let it rise in a warm spot for 2 hours (if your house is cold, you can place it in your oven with the light on).

3. Shape the Dough
   After the dough has risen, preheat your oven to 450°F. For an extra crispy crust place your Dutch oven in the oven as it heats up. Meanwhile, turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface, sprinkle some more flour on top, and shape it into a ball. Cover the top of the loaf with flour and take a sharp knife or bread lame to draw a line or ‘x’ into it.

4. Bake the Bread
   If you chose to preheat the Dutch oven, carefully remove it from the oven with oven mitts, then place the dough inside and cover with the lid. Bake for 30 minutes with the lid on, then remove the lid and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes until the crust is golden and crispy.

5. Cool and Enjoy
   Remove the bread from the oven and allow the bread to cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes to an hour before slicing. Pair it with the ratatouille for the ultimate cozy fall meal.

Don’t have a dutch oven? You can use the tips outlined here but you won’t get as nice of a crust. I highly recommend picking up a Dutch oven - they’re amazing for bread, stews, and more! This Lodge dutch oven was my go-to for years and is super affordable.

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Meal Prep Tip:

The first day I’ll have the bread fresh, then I recommend leaving the bread on the counter for an additional 1-2 days, slicing when ready, and lightly toasting each slice.

After that, I slice the remainder of the bread, place in a Ziploc bag in the freezer and toast before eating.

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Autumn Ratatouille Recipe

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes