dutch oven bread recipes easy and delicious step by step method
This easy no knead dutch oven bread recipe gives you a crusty golden loaf with a soft open crumb using only basic pantry ingredients. The dough is mixed in one bowl with almost no effort then left to rise slowly so the flavor develops while you relax or sleep. Baking the loaf in a hot dutch oven traps steam which creates the classic artisan style crust you expect from bakery bread. Serve this bread warm with soup salad or pasta for a simple comforting meal at home.
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Wooden spoon or sturdy spatula
- Measuring cups and spoons or kitchen scale
- Plastic wrap or clean kitchen towel for covering the bowl
- Parchment paper
- Sharp knife or bread scoring blade
- Dutch oven with lid made from cast iron or enameled cast iron
- Oven mitts
- Wire cooling rack
Ingredients
- Three and one half cups bread flour around four hundred fifty grams
- One and one half cups warm water around three hundred sixty milliliters
- One teaspoon instant or active dry yeast
- Two teaspoons fine sea salt
- One teaspoon sugar or liquid honey optional for gentle sweetness and browning
- One tablespoon olive oil optional for a softer crumb and richer flavor
- Up to one cup whole wheat flour replacing the same amount of bread flour for more fiber and a nutty taste
- One to two teaspoons dried herbs such as rosemary thyme or mixed Italian style seasoning
- One half cup grated cheese such as cheddar or parmesan for a savory loaf
- Two tablespoons mixed seeds such as sesame sunflower and poppy for a seeded crust
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl combine the bread flour yeast and salt then stir until the dry ingredients are evenly mixed
- Add the warm water along with the sugar or honey and the olive oil if you are using them then stir with a wooden spoon until all of the flour is moistened and a shaggy sticky dough forms
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl so the dough gathers in the center then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel
- Let the dough rest at room temperature for eight to twelve hours until it has risen noticeably and the surface shows many small bubbles. Many bakers prefer to mix the dough in the evening and let it rise overnight
- Once the dough has risen generously dust your work surface lightly with flour. Use a spatula or scraper to gently ease the dough out of the bowl onto the floured surface trying not to knock out all of the air
- Sprinkle a little flour over the top of the dough and on your hands. Gently fold the edges of the dough toward the center several times to form a loose ball. Turn the dough so the smoother side faces up
- Shape the dough into a tight round loaf by cupping your hands around it and turning it while tucking the bottom edges under. This creates surface tension on the top which helps the loaf rise high in the oven
- Place the shaped dough seam side down on a piece of parchment paper large enough to hold the loaf and to lift it easily. Cover it loosely with a towel and let it rest for about thirty to sixty minutes until slightly puffy
- While the dough rests place your empty dutch oven with its lid in the main oven. Preheat the oven to about four hundred fifty degrees Fahrenheit which is roughly two hundred thirty degrees Celsius and allow at least thirty minutes so the pot heats fully
- When the oven and dutch oven are hot carefully remove the pot using thick oven mitts and set it on a heat safe surface
- Use a sharp knife or bread scoring blade to make one long slash or a simple cross on the top of the dough. This scoring helps control how the loaf expands as it bakes
- Lift the dough by the edges of the parchment paper and lower it gently into the hot dutch oven. The parchment should stay under the loaf
- Cover the dutch oven with the lid and place it back into the hot oven. Bake covered for about twenty to twenty five minutes. During this time the enclosed steam helps the bread rise and creates a crisp crust
- After the covered baking time carefully remove the lid and continue baking the loaf uncovered for about fifteen to twenty minutes until the crust is a deep golden brown and feels firm
- When the bread looks done lift the dutch oven out of the oven using oven mitts. Grasp the parchment paper and move the loaf onto a wire rack. Let the bread cool completely for at least one hour so the crumb sets fully
- Slice the cooled loaf with a serrated bread knife. Serve plain or with butter olive oil and herbs or alongside soup and salad. Store leftovers at room temperature for one to two days or freeze slices for longer storage
Notes
This recipe is a flexible base for many dutch oven bread recipes. For more flavor you can replace part of the bread flour with whole wheat flour or add dried herbs garlic or grated cheese to the dough during mixing. If you want a higher fiber loaf try using some whole grain flour and a spoon of flax meal or chia seeds.
For a complete meal serve thick slices of this bread with a bowl of creamy tomato soup or broccoli cheddar soup from your site. You can also link to your sourdough bread bowls recipe so readers can explore more ways to use their dutch oven for homemade bread.
The dough can be mixed the night before and left to rise at room temperature or in the refrigerator. A longer cool rise develops deeper flavor. Just allow the dough to warm slightly before shaping and baking.
When you publish this recipe on your food blog remember to add at least one photo of the finished loaf. Good options include a top view of the whole crusty loaf in the dutch oven or a sliced loaf on a wooden board. For search engine optimization use alt text such as crusty dutch oven bread recipes loaf on cooling rack or sliced no knead dutch oven bread ready to serve so that your keyphrase appears naturally in the image descriptions.