Easy Cob Loaf Recipe (2024)

Published: Jun 9, 2023 by Emma Fajcz · As an Amazon Influencer, we earn from qualifying purchases.

This cob loaf recipe is the perfect bread for beginning bakers to make. The beautifully crisp, crackly crust is a joy to eat, and the soft interior is great for sopping up sauces and gravies. You'll definitely be wanting a second piece!

If you're looking for other tasty English breads, make sure to try our recipes for English bloomer bread and this Lincolnshire plum bread.

Ingredients

Wondering what ingredients you need to make a delicious cob loaf? Here's the key ingredients that you'll need to whip up this simple bread.

• Bread Flour: Using a good strong flour will create more gluten in the dough, giving the bread a higher rise and chewier texture.
• Yeast: Use either fast-action (instant) or active dry yeast. If you're using active dry, bloom it by dissolving it in the water with a little sugar and letting it stand until foamy (about 10 minutes).
• Salt: It's best to use fine table salt here, not kosher salt, as it dissolves better in the dough.
• Sugar: Just a touch of granulated sugar softens the texture of the bread and helps feed the yeast.
• Water: use filtered water that's at room temperature, or warmed to 115°F to speed up the rise.

See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Variations

• Vegan/Dairy Free: Use vegan butter, olive oil, or coconut oil in place of the butter.
• Gluten Free: Use a special blend of GF flours for yeast breads.

How to Make

Gather the ingredients. You'll need bread flour, salt, yeast, sugar, unsalted butter, and water.

1. Sift the flour into a mixing bowl, then add the salt and yeast on opposite sides of the bowl. Stir each one in with your finger. The purpose of this step is to keep the salt from touching the yeast, as it can kill the yeast on contact.
2. Add the sugar and mix in the butter.

3. Gradually add the water and mix with your hand until all the flour is picked up from the bottom of the bowl. Keep adding liquid until a slightly sticky dough has formed. You may not need all the water, or you might need a little extra, depending on the humidity and the brand of flour you're using.

4. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until the dough is very smooth and no longer sticky, about 20 minutes. You should be able to stretch a lump of dough thin enough to read through it, as in the photo above.

5. Place the dough into a buttered bowl and cover with plastic wrap.

6. Let the dough rise in a warm place until at least doubled in size, about 1 hour.

7. Punch down the risen dough to release the air pockets. Shape the dough into a tight ball and place on a cookie sheet.

8. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rise until almost doubled in size, about 30 minutes. The dough should spring back slowly when prodded with a fingertip.

Preheat the oven to 450°F and put a sturdy metal casserole dish on the lowest shelf. Just before baking the dough, cut a few slashes on the loaf with a lame or sharp serrated knife.

9. Put the loaf into the oven and pour some water into the hot metal dish to create steam. Shut the oven door and bake at 450°F for 20 minutes, then remove the steam pan. Bake for another 20 minutes, until it has an internal temperature of 190-200°F.

10. Brush the loaf with butter as soon as it comes out of the oven, then let it cool completely on a wire rack before slicing and serving, about 1 hour.

Recipe FAQs

Serve

There's many tasty ways to serve your freshly baked cob loaf! My favorite way to enjoy it is spreading it with butter or dipping it into olive oil, or making it into grilled cheese sandwiches. You can use up extra cob loaf in homemade croutons or garlic toast.

Make it into a bread bowl for dip. Cut off the top of the loaf and pull out some of the bread from the center. Fill with your favorite dip, such as spinach and artichoke, bake until warm and bubbly, and enjoy with the pulled-out pieces. (This is popular in Australia.)

Looking for other bread recipes? Make some hoagie rolls or Waterford blaas for a tasty sandwich, or snack on a slice of pane bianco. Taboon bread tastes great with soups and curries, and English crumpets go well with breakfast or afternoon tea.

Store

Leftovers: Leftover bread will keep if sealed in a plastic bag for 2-3 days. However, it will go stale quickly because there are no preservatives in it. It's best to freeze it to keep it fresh for more than overnight.

Freezing: Let the bread cool completely, then pre-slice for ease if desired. Seal it tightly inside of a zip-top freezer bag and press out the extra air. Freeze for up to 1 month.

Expert Tips

• Always use bread flour. All-purpose simply will not give you the best rise and texture.
• Knead for a while. The time you invest kneading will be well worth the effort, ensuring a crackly, high-rising result.
• Be careful not to add too much flour during the kneading process, as this can make it dry and tough.
• Shape the loaf into a tight ball. This will encourage it to rise up instead of flattening out.
• Want that crackly crust? Bake with a pan of water in the oven and brush the crust with butter as soon as it comes out of the oven.

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