Ruth Anne Benziger's Blog

Linda Castillo is the author of the New York Times and USA Today bestselling Kate Burkholder mystery series, set in the world of the Amish. The first book, Sworn to Silence, was adapted into a Lifetime original movie titled An Amish Murder starring Neve Campbell as Kate Burkholder. Castillo is the recipient of numerous industry awards, including a nomination by the International Thriller Writers for Best Hardcover, a nomination for the Mystery Writers of America’s Sue Grafton Memorial Award, and a nomination for an “Audie Award” for best mystery audiobook. Her work has appeared on numerous bestseller lists and earned a spot on the Boston Globe’s shortlist for best crime novel.

In addition to writing, Castillo’s other passion is horses. She lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, three Appaloosas, and two feisty, but loveable Blue Heelers.

Book Reviews for the first 3 books

Some secrets are too terrible to reveal . . .Some crimes are too unspeakable to solve . . . In the sleepy rural town of Painters Mill, Ohio, the Amish and “English” residents have lived side by side for two centuries. But sixteen years ago, a series of brutal murders shattered the peaceful farming community. In the aftermath of the violence, the town was left with a sense of fragility, a loss of innocence. Kate Burkholder, a young Amish girl, survived the terror of the Slaughterhouse Killer but came away from its brutality with the realization that she no longer belonged with the Amish. Now, a wealth of experience later, Kate has been asked to return to Painters Mill as Chief of Police. Her Amish roots and big city law enforcement background make her the perfect candidate. She’s certain she’s come to terms with her past–until the first body is discovered in a snowy field. Kate vows to stop the killer before he strikes again. But to do so, she must betray both her family and her Amish past–and expose a dark secret that could destroy her.

My Review

If you pick up this book, accept the fact that you will not want to put it down. It was nail-biting and action-packed. I could not put it down until the very last page. I read a short story collection by Kate Burkholder during Christmas and fell in love with Linda Castillo’s writing. Now, I’m glad that I went back to look at her other works.

Kate was Amish as a girl and left the church to later become a cop, a detective, until she was offered the chief of police position in Painters Mill. Being a woman and formerly Amish, it is a rare but well-deserved title. While she takes her job seriously, she and her title are threatened when a body is found by T.J., one of her officers.

The murder brings back painful memories of Kate’s past. Sixteen years previously, the slaughterhouse killer had killed four women with the same M.O. Kate has to solve this case before more women die while trying to run from her past.

John Tomasetti, a decorated detective and damn good cop, is in a downward spiral, and his superiors don’t know what to do with him. He’s grieving and struggling with a past that is eating him alive. He’s covering it with booze and pills just to get through the day. To get him out of their hair, they assign him the Painters Mill case, knowing he’ll blunder it, and they can get rid of him without backlash. What they didn’t count on was him meeting Kate and forming an attachment that not only helps him focus on the case, but learning about her secret past helps him accept his.

Kate is faced with many setbacks, lots of tumultuous moments, facing her family, who also hold her secrets, but she’s faced with the thing that will break her resolve.

Man, I did not anticipate the killer to be who he was, and the ending part of the book had me so on edge, I thought I was gonna throw up. Thankfully, John is able to save the day, but at what cost? Trauma lingers.

Looking forward to reading more on Kate, John, T.J., Glock, Pickles, Mona, and the rest of the band in Painters Mill.

The Plank family moved from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, to join the small Amish community of Painters Mill less than a year ago and seemed the model of the Plain Life—until on a cold October night, the entire family of seven was found slaughtered on their farm. Police Chief Kate Burkholder and her small force have few clues, no motive, and no suspect. Formerly Amish herself, Kate is no stranger to the secrets the Amish keep from the English—and each other—but this crime is horribly out of the ordinary.

State agent John Tomasetti arrives on the scene to assist. He and Kate worked together on a previous case during which they began a volatile relationship. They soon realize the disturbing details of this case will test their emotional limits and force them to face demons from their own troubled pasts—and for Kate, a personal connection that is particularly hard to bear.

When she discovers a diary that belonged to one of the teenaged daughters, Kate is shocked to learn the girl kept some very dark secrets and may have been living a lurid double life. Who is the charismatic stranger who stole the young Amish girl’s heart? Could the brother—a man with a violent past, rejected and shunned by his family and the Amish community, have come to seek out revenge? As Kate’s outrage grows so does her resolve to find the killer and bring him to justice—even if it means putting herself in the line of fire.

My Review

Kate Burkholder, the chief of police in Painters Mill, Ohio, is on the case to solve the murder involving the Amish Plank family. Kate uses her past as a former Amish person to interview people who may have known them. While investigating the murder, she finds a diary of Mary Plank. Kate discovers that Mary worked in town at a store and was involved with an “English” boy. She never uses details and never names him, which makes it all that much harder to solve.

John Tomasetti is struggling again with his past, panic attacks, and is forced by the department to undergo mandatory counseling. While doing so, he tries to help Kate with her case while coming to terms with how he feels about her.

This case was especially heinous, and I found myself angry and disgusted at times to know that it is evil like that in the world. Kate and John have their own baggage in terms of their past and seem to have this volatile yet close connection. Neither is great at relationships, yet they seem to be drawn together like magnets. They work well together, and that seems to be their common ground. The romantic part is clumsy and awkward, and neither knows how to allow the type of intimacy that comes with being in a relationship. They find solace in each other physically and pull back. It seems to be a cycle for them.

I am more fond of characters now that I’ve read a couple of books with them. Mona is a student who seems a bit naive and a little too enthusiastic when it comes to her job. Glock is solid and dependable. I like his sense of humor. Skid is hard-headed, which will make you chuckle at the end of the book. Kate is one strong woman with nerves of steel and tends to put herself on the line, whether the outcome will be positive or not. John, I have come to like most of all. Mostly because, despite what he’s been through, he fights like hell to keep it together. He’s got a lot of baggage, but has redeemable qualities and has Kate’s back.

In terms of the killer, I will say that this is a typical person that you wouldn’t suspect right away. There are personality qualities about him that scream something is off, but you don’t look too closely. In this case, that didn’t serve Kate well, and she was blindsided in the end. I say the same thing when I read books about this kind of evil. Be careful who you trust. Pay attention and keep your guard up.

This was as fast-paced and action-packed as Castillo’s first book, Sworn to Silence. I couldn’t put it down and stayed with her until the last moment.

The very last scene of the book makes me have hope for Kate and John despite what they deal with personally.

Police Chief Kate Burkholder is called to the scene of a horrific tragedy on a peaceful Amish farm.

The Slabaugh family are model Amish farmers, prosperous and hardworking, with four children and a happy extended family. When the parents and an uncle are found dead in their barn, it appears to be a gruesome accident: methane gas asphyxiation caused by a poorly ventilated cesspit. But in the course of a routine autopsy, the coroner discovers that one of the victims suffered a head wound before death—clearly, foul play was involved. But who would want to make orphans of the Slabaughs’ children? And is this murder somehow related to a recent string of shocking hate crimes against the Amish?

Having grown up Amish, Kate is determined to bring the killer to justice. Because the other series of attacks are designated hate crimes, the state sends in agent John Tomasetti, with whom Kate has a long and complex relationship. Together, they search for the link between the crimes—and uncover a dark secret at work beneath the placid surface of this idyllic Amish community.

My Review

Kate Burkholder is called to investigate when a father, mother, and uncle fell into the manure pit on their Amish farm. At first glance, things look accidental, and they move around as such. Soon, after the coroner finds a head wound, Kate and the officers realize this wasn’t an accident.

While Chief Burkholder is trying to solve the case of the Slabaugh family and the children left behind, there have been a series of hate crimes against the Amish. So many that the Chief and Tomesetti, who come to aid in the case, guess that the Slabaugh family deaths could be linked.

There was so much going on with the children of the Slabaugh family while also figuring out who was abusing and committing crimes against the Amish; it was clever of Castillo to write about the circumstances and distract the reader. I had ideas while figuring out the case, but they ended up being wrong. I was surprised until the very end who was responsible for the family’s death, and even more surprised by the reasons behind it. Shocking to say the least.

John and Kate have known each other for a year since the Slaughterhouse Killer case. While they have known each other, they have formed great working relationships. Their personal one, however, is complicated at best. I will say that in this book, they seem to be coming closer and trusting each other more. They seem less awkward, but they still seem to have a lot of work to do. Both have baggage; they need to learn to work out their own stuff while trying to open up. Based on the ending, I have hope for them yet. They make a good team.

It took me a long time to read this because it was emotionally challenging to handle. If you are someone who struggles with trauma, I’d caution against reading this if you are not ready. Shasta’s story was one of deep sadness, loss, and pure bravery. As is true, trauma is never-ending, and seeing her struggle made my heart hurt for her. No one can imagine what was done to her and her family. No one is in her shoes. So, understandably, she dealt with it as best she could. Then, she had other people outside of the situation trying to project their ideas of healing onto her. My heart hurts for her, and I wish I could give her a big hug. A hard book to read, but worth it to learn about her story and to give credence to what she endured. The word I think of is miracle. It’s a miracle that she survived, lived, and is still here to tell the tale. Remarkable. Olsen did a good job and handled telling her story with grace, decency, and respect. With all that, he didn’t hold back when naming exactly what was done and who was responsible. This book will stay with me for some time.

Gregg Olsen

Throughout his career, Gregg Olsen has demonstrated an ability to create a detailed narrative that offers readers fascinating insights into the lives of people caught in extraordinary circumstances.

A #1 New York Times bestselling author, Olsen has written ten nonfiction books, ten novels, and contributed a short story to a collection edited by Lee Child.

The award-winning author has been a guest on dozens of national and local television shows, including educational programs for the History Channel, Learning Channel, and Discovery Channel. He has also appeared on Good Morning America, The Early Show, The Today Show, FOX News; CNN, Anderson Cooper 360, MSNBC, Entertainment Tonight, CBS 48 Hours, Oxygen’s Snapped, Court TV’s Crier Live, Inside Edition, Extra, Access Hollywood, and A&E’s Biography.

In addition to television and radio appearances, the award-winning author has been featured in Redbook, USA Today, People, Salon magazine, Seattle Times, Los Angeles Times and the New York Post.

The Deep Dark was named Idaho Book of the Year by the ILA and Starvation Heights was honored by Washington’s Secretary of State for the book’s contribution to Washington state history and culture.

Olsen, a Seattle native, lives in Olalla, Washington with his wife and Suri (a mini dachshund so spoiled she wears a sweater). 

The snow has finally melted, including the large piles in our parking lot. The grass is a mix of green and yellow. The trees have yet to grow their leaves. Rain and storms have replaced snow. I’ve begun to smell the grass, hear the birds, and I’m excited for the warmth.

At work today, many wore shorts and were happy with the weather. It hit the low 70s, and I enjoyed it while it lasted. The afternoon promises rainstorms and the chance of tornadoes. That will be something new to experience. I’ve yet to deal with extreme weather like that.

The thing I look forward to most about spring is the events, farmers’ markets, and outdoor recreational activities. Will and I are looking forward to fishing. I’ll be learning to clean my own fish this season and cook delicious meals out of it. Fish fry is something we’ve already adopted as a tradition. I wasn’t sure that would be my thing, but I quite enjoy it.

Arielle’s birthday is taking us to Milwaukee next weekend, where we plan to go to the zoo. The last time I visited the Milwaukee zoo was 16 years ago. Much has changed, and I’m looking forward to enjoying a nice weekend. We will be staying the night and will research good places to eat dinner.

I’m thankful to my co-workers who have given me so many ideas on where to visit, where to take my kids, and where Will and I can explore. I have a running list of things to do and places to visit due to them. If you are in my area, leave some ideas in the comments. Green Bay is vibrant, and there is so much to explore.

I’ll keep you updated on things we plan to do. For now, enjoy a small gallery of Damian’s birthday weekend.

ManitowocAlgomaTrampoline ParkAlgomaManitowoc

Good morning!

I wanted to share my experience with taking a breath test.

To give some background: I have been experiencing bloating after eating, slow digestion, pain, and fatigue. I have also recently been diagnosed with iron deficiency. I already take a supplement, so it is a bit off. I went to see a GI, and she suggested I get tested for SIBO or Small Intestinal Bacteria Overgrowth.

The day before, I was given instructions to eat a low-carb, no-dairy diet. Here is a list of foods I was allowed to eat.

For me, the diet wasn’t all that hard. I stopped eating at 6:30. Only water is allowed in the evening and into the morning. So, last night, I drank water until bed.

When I woke up this morning, I drank some water before arriving to check in at the hospital.

They took me up to my own room, where I was provided a chair and access to TV.

I then had to give a baseline breath. You breathe out from a tube, and they take a sample.

I was given an orange glucose drink. It was sickly sweet and made me nauseous. But I’m not a fan of sweet drinks, and it did not taste good.

Then, while I spent time in my room, they came in every 30 minutes to take a breath test. They have you sign discharge papers, and that’s pretty much it.

I did experience some nausea and had a headache later in the day from crashing. Other than that, it went well.

I can’t guarantee you’ll get results as fast as I did, but I got my results later in the afternoon. My results were negative.

Ethan Cole thought his nightmare ended when he escaped the covert medical group that held him captive. But freedom comes at a cost—his blood may be the deadliest secret in the world.

Born with a rare anomaly that can cure any disease, Ethan is both a miracle and a target. When a stolen vial of experimental serum threatens to unleash a global catastrophe, he must decide: disappear into obscurity or face the shadows hunting him.

From hidden laboratories to a desperate chase across continents, The Cure is a high-stakes medical thriller where every choice could save millions—or doom them all.

Author SpotlightJeff Campbell

Jeff Campbell was born on a Tuesday in March in El Paso, Texas. A man of simple means with a complex mind, he previously wrote Catholic Grade School Tales: The Good, the Bad, and the OMG!, an autobiography recounting his youth in Catholic school. Campbell loves his family, his dogs, alpacas, and the Tennessee Titans. When he falls down, he gets back up.

Jeff happens to be my uncle, and I’m proud of him and his writing journey.

Book Review

This fast-paced story incorporates elements of superhero-esque storytelling. The elements of using senses, restorative properties, and super strength are a telltale sign. Labs, fields, technology, military-style operations, and city descriptions guide the reader through the story, as if they are along for the ride.

Ethan Cole is a character you instantly feel an emotional connection with as he battles the effects of a so-called miracle. When his body changes, his senses are heightened, and he’s thrust into a journey he wasn’t quite prepared for. Freedom is the goal, but he helps others along the way. Motivated by protecting his family and anyone who could be affected by a stolen vial of blood, his mission is set.

Characters: Ethan is a man who was wronged. His sense of strength and love is sensed across the page. His family motivates him to correct the wrongs done to him and others. You can feel his anger and self-determination to hold those responsible. His friend, Miguel, is strong, capable, and driven to support and defend. Ethan’s wife, Rachel, is strong-willed, protects their children, and joins in his fight.

My Thoughts: Ethan’s story is one of bravery, survival, and pure fight. When everything is taken from you, including your freedom, you do what you can to take it back. To stand tall and to make sure the person/entity that took it away is brought to justice. You also feel whole again after being broken down. The once weakness inside of you finds the strength to morph into something you didn’t think it could become.

While Ethan’s fight brought sacrifice, loss, and uncertainty, his family is there through it all. While he is safe for now, he knows that more could come of his story. It isn’t over, and he knows it. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next for Ethan.

Keep an eye out for more to come.

A suicide prevention hotline volunteer answers a call that turns her world upside down in this edge-of-your-seat audio original thriller by the bestselling author of The Perfect Child and The Best of Friends.

Felicia, a single mother and lawyer by day, volunteers at a local crisis center to give back to her tight-knit community in a small Wisconsin town. One night, she answers a horrifying call: through tears, a frantic teenage girl tells her that she was a victim of sexual assault at a local house party.

Felicia is shocked, and breaking protocol, she begins communicating with the girl on her own, determined to keep her safe and hold her assailants accountable. But as she gets closer and closer to the truth, she can’t shake the feeling that she and the girl are connected by more than the phone call. As the girl shares more details, Felicia begins to think the unthinkable—someone close to her may be involved in this heinous crime.

As Felicia earns the girl’s trust and more facts emerge about the incident, she faces a gut-wrenching battle between her protective instincts and the moral responsibility to do what’s right. This taut thriller is perfect for fans of The Push, Wrong Place Wrong Time, and We Need to Talk About Kevin.

Author SpotlightLucinda Berry

USA Today bestselling author Lucinda Berry is a former psychologist and leading researcher in childhood trauma. She’s written multiple bestsellers, reaching millions of readers worldwide. Some of her bestselling works include The Perfect Child, Saving Noah, When She Returned, The Best of Friends, and Keep Your Friends Close. Her books have been optioned for film and translated into several languages.

If Berry isn’t chasing after her son, you can find her running through Los Angeles, prepping for her next marathon. To hear about her upcoming releases and other author news, visit her on social media (@lucindaberryauthor) or sign up for her newsletter at https://lucindaberry.com.

Book Review

Emotionally Gripping…

Felicia volunteers at a crisis hotline and receives a call that propels her into an emotional roller coaster. A young girl calls in and claims to have been sexually assaulted at a party. Felicia didn’t realize this phone call would change everything. Could someone close to her be involved? How would that feel? How could she handle that? Past trauma shows up even when you didn’t think it was possible.

Theme Warning: sexual assault and talks of suicide were discussed and handled with care by the author. Beware if these are triggers.

Characters: Felicia and the girl were the main focus. The author did a good job sprinkling details needed about relevant characters and their importance to the story. I quite enjoyed the friendship between Felicia and Stan.

Storyline: The pace was very fast, and the plot was laid out perfectly. Crumbs of information were dropped here and there to figure out where the story was going. Details were included in a delicate way to keep the reader engaged without predicting the ending.

My thoughts: It can be scary to think that someone you know can be capable of doing something so heinous. Doing the right thing is always right, but not always easy. Lives change, not always for the better, when you confront ugly truths. I was gripped from the beginning and was engaged until the very end. My heart broke for Felicia, the girl, and the outcome. I recommend reading this thriller, and I hope it brings awareness to topics that can be tough to speak about.

I’m a big fan of Lucinda Berry, and she didn’t disappoint with, One of Our Own.

Welcome to my corner of the world! I’m Ruth and I have a passion for sharing stories and life with others. I’m a wife and mom living in Green Bay, Wisconsin. I’m originally from El Paso, Texas. I spent the majority of my life living in New Mexico. I’ll be sharing short stories, life updates, recipes, and more. It’s going to be my fun blog while I work on my writing projects. I hope you’ll enjoy!

My husband’s name is Will, and he works in mental health. His passion is in helping others. He’s a retired pilot and drone operator out of Civil Air Patrol. He’s joined a squadron in Wisconsin and may get back into the air, but we will see what happens.

Will and I

My son, Damian is turning 14 this week and will be entering high school soon. His passion is in videography and constructing things. He has a history of building space craft out of Legos, cardboard, and paper. He built a full-sized Titanic out of cardboard and paper. He has a good sense of humor and has an amazing recall memory.

Damian and I

My daughter, Arielle is turning 13 this year. She loves reading, anime, plushies, bracelet making, arts and crafts, and spends a lot of time on her iPad. Arielle is independent and bosses her brother around. She cooks, cleans, and manages her time well.

Arielle and I

I love to read and have a history of writing book reviews. If you want me to review your book, I usually make a deal. I will write an honest review for a free copy of your book. I normally would post the review on Goodreads, my personal blog, along with an author interview spotlight, and other sites requested. The review isn’t just saying a book is good or bad.

I give an in-depth review of characters, settings, themes, and personal thoughts on the book. If it is a series, I ask that you include that detail in the request, so that I can be prepared. If it is a series, I usually conduct the interview first, then review each book and post individual reviews. At the end of the series, I will also post a summary post when the series is concluded.

I also include an image of the author, website, social media links, and Goodreads profile, if applicable.

You’ll find my email where you can send a request. I ask that you use: BOOK REVIEW REQUEST in the subject line. If you could give a little description. I request 1-2 weeks to allow time to read and review the book.

I hope to hear from you soon!

Until next time,

Ruth

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/26221/raspberry-almond-kiss-cookies/Ingredients½ cup butter, softened½ cup white sugar½ cup packed brown sugar1 egg1 teaspoon almond extract2 cups all-purpose flour1 teaspoon baking soda¼ teaspoon salt¼ cup white sugar for decoration40 milk chocolate candy kisses, unwrapped1 cup confectioners’ sugar1 tablespoon milk4 teaspoons raspberry jam¼ teaspoon almond extractDirectionsStep 1 In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, 1/2 cup white sugar and brown sugar until smooth. blend in the egg and 1 teaspoon almond extract. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; stir into the creamed mixture. Cover dough and refrigerate for at least one hour, or until easy to handle.Step 2 Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Roll dough into 1 inch balls, roll the balls in the remaining white sugar and place them 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.Step 3 Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown. While hot from the oven, immediately press a chocolate kiss into the center of each one. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.Step 4 In a small bowl, mix together the confectioners’ sugar, milk, raspberry jam and 1/4 teaspoon almond extract until smooth. Drizzle over cooled cookies.

https://www.theeasyhomestead.com/chicken-piccata-recipe/Ingredients4 large Chicken Breasts- Butterflied and Cut (or you can use 8 chicken cutlets)11 Tablespoons Salted Butter7 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil 2/3 Cup Fresh Lemon Juice (about the juice of two large lemons)1 1/4 Cup Chicken Stock1/2 Cup Capers (roughly one 3.5oz jar)2/3 Cup Fresh Parsley- chopped (optional)Flour (roughly 1-2 cups as needed for dredging chicken)Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder (to taste) Directions

1. Place flour onto large dinner plate. Set aside.

2. Take your 4 chicken breasts and butterfly them and cut in half. This will make 8 chicken cutlets. (If you bought cutlets then skip this step.) 

3. Sprinkle both sides of each chicken cutlet with salt, pepper, garlic powder (to taste). Around these parts we LOVE salt, pepper, and garlic powder- we use LOTS- and yes the pepper matters to us. You can taste the difference!

4. Place 4 Tablespoons of butter and 4 Tablespoons of olive oil into a pan. Heat on medium-high heat.

5. While butter and olive oil are heating up, lightly dredge each chicken cutlet in the flour. Shake of excess flour and set aside.

6. Place 4 chicken cutlets into the pan. Cook/brown for 3-4 minutes. Flip and cook 2-3 minutes. Take out of pan and place on plate. (Chicken does NOT have to be cooked all the way through at this point- you will be putting it back into the pan.) 

7. Add 3 Tablespoons of butter and 3 Tablespoons of olive oil to the pan.

8. When heated, add the remaining 4 chicken cutlets. Cook/brown for 3-4 minutes. Flip and cook 2-3 minutes. Take out of pan and place on plate. (Chicken does NOT have to be cooked all the way through at this point- you will be putting it back into the pan.) 

9. Now remove your pan from the heat. Stop trying to taste the sauce- you will BURN your tongue. Been there- done that 1,000 times over.

10. Add lemon juice, chicken stock, and capers. Put back onto burner and bring to a boil. Whisk like it’s going out of style, baby! You want to scrape up all those yummy-scrumptious-brown bits from the bottom of the pan.

11. At this point you MAY taste test your AMAZING sauce, but be careful- you may be tempted to Eat. It. All. Not like I’ve sat over the stove and slowly slurped (unlady-like-and-all) all of it up. *AHEM*.  Seriously. It’s THAT good. Add salt, pepper, garlic powder- to taste. 

12. Now, add remaining 4 Tablespoons of butter to the pan. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP. If you thought the sauce tasted like heaven in step 11- just wait, baby! I promise this will make your dress fly up!

13. Once the butter is melted, add all 8 cutlets to the pan. Cook on medium-low for five minutes. Try not to stand over the pan sneaking bites of chicken/sauce like you stood by your window trying to sneak out in high school. Not like I did that either- I’m just sayin’- patience people!

14. And FINALLY! Serve. If you are using parsley add now. You can serve by itself with sides like Mama’s Soy Sauce Broccoli and potatoes, or serve over whole wheat pasta. We like to put a serving of pasta on the plate, top with cutlet, sauce & capers, and serve with a veggie.

I made bread from the first time and it was delicious. I have to say thank you to Kevin and Sarah over at Living Traditions Homestead on YouTube. I used their recipe and I want to share it with you.

Ingredients3 cups flour (all-purpose) I used organic unbleached like they did. 1/4 tsp dry active yeast1 tsp. salt1 1/2- 1 3/4 cup waterDirections

Add dry ingredients and whisk together until combined.

Add water slowly until you get a sticky dough

Cover with plastic wrap and let rest on counter for 3 hours

Take your dough out with a dough scraper or spatula on a floured board. Put flour on top and coat flour by folding it in a circular pattern until coated. I did 4 rotations.

Pre-heat oven at 450 degrees with a Dutch oven inside the oven. It needs to be heated before you cook the bread.

Put the dough in a piece of parchment paper and cover with a towel. The dough needs to rest for 35 minutes so let it rest while your oven is pre heating.

After 35 minutes, put the dough with the parchment paper into your Dutch oven and put the top on. Bake for 30 minutes.

Optional: Take off the lid for an additional 5-10 minutes until it is toasty brown.

Take the bread out of the Dutch oven and let cool on a rack before serving.

Enjoy!