Homemade Dutch Oven Crusty Bread
Try this Homemade Dutch Oven Crusty Bread recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this Homemade Dutch Oven Crusty Bread recipe, or contribute your own.
- Carbohydrate 0 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0 g
- Fiber 0 g
- Protein 0 g
- Saturated Fat 0 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (4g)
- Sodium 1744.11 mg
- Sugar 0 g
- Trans Fat 0 g
- Calories 0 calories
Step-by-step
- In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt and yeast
- Add water and using spatula, mix together until combined
- Cover with plastic foil and let it rise for 12-18 hours
- After at least 12 hours, heat up the oven to 450F
- When the oven has reached this temperature, place covered empty dutch oven into the oven and let it heat for half an hour
- In the meantime, pour the dough onto a surface covered with flour
- Using a vegetable scooper, turn the dough few times and form a ball
- Place parchment paper onto your surface and then place your dough ball on top, cover with plastic foil and let it rest until the pot is hot
- After the pot has been in the oven for half an hour, take it out and place the bread with parchment paper inside, cover with lid and bake for half an hour
- After half an hour, take off the lid and bake for another 15-20 minutes
- Remove from the oven and let it rest before cutting
Standard sandwich loaves yield a soft, yielding crumb designed for slicing thin, but artisan rounds require a heavy cast-iron vessel to trap steam and develop a blistered exterior. Pairing this rustic loaf demands foods with enough structural integrity and moisture to contrast against the shattering crust. Roasted bone marrow spread thickly across warm slices provides a rich, fatty counterweight, while a simmering pot of braised beef short ribs offers a savory vehicle for soaking up rendered pan juices. Sharp white cheddar cheese and sharp cornichons create a classic Ploughman's lunch that highlights the bread's open, chewy interior structure.
- Mix the 3 cups of flour, salt, and instant yeast thoroughly before adding the room temperature water to prevent pockets of pure salt from stalling fermentation.
- Allow the wet dough to ferment undisturbed for a full 12 to 18 hours until the surface is dotted with bubbles and smells pleasantly alcoholic.
- Preheat the empty Dutch oven inside a 450 degree Fahrenheit oven for a full 30 minutes so the heavy cast iron absorbs enough thermal energy to spring the dough upward upon contact.
- Bake the loaf covered with the lid for 30 minutes to trap internal moisture, then remove the lid and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes to caramelize the sugars in the flour.
- Scale the hydration ratio carefully if altering batch sizes, maintaining roughly 75 percent water to flour by volume for proper gluten development.
Letting the loaf cool completely on a wire rack prevents internal moisture from condensing back into the crust and rendering it rubbery. Slicing too early releases steam prematurely and ruins the texture.
