Meet your new favorite Dutch oven bread recipe. This no knead bread is crusty (think golden crust) on the outside and super soft and airy (almost croissant like) on the inside. No mess, no complicated steps – it’s artisan quality bread made simple!
Dutch Oven Bread has all the attributes you will ever want in a bread: beautiful crispy crust and airy artisan-style texture. Just like the finest bakery loaves! And it’s perfect for bakers of all levels! This game changing homemade bread recipe will redefine your home baking experience.
Dutch Oven Bread advantage
Dutch oven is the key to making an incredibly delicious and soft bread with a beautifully crisp crust and here’s why.
Dutch oven bread cooks evenly. The heavy cast iron conducts heat evenly to all areas of our bread. Because the bread is sort of sealed in the dutch oven, the inside of the bread turns out to be moist, but the outside develops a real golden crust!
Cost effective. Dutch ovens are very affordable and durable, making them perfect for cooking not only soups or meats, but breads!
Dutch Oven Bread
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup water, filtered and lukewarm
- 2 ½ teaspoon instant yeast
- 2 teaspoon sugar, granulated
- 2 ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Yeast: Prepare a large bowl. Add water, yeast, sugar and sea salt. Whisk them together until you see bubbles.
- Mix dough: Next add all-purpose flour and mix it carefully using a wooden spoon. The dough should be wet.
- Rise: Cover the dough in the bowl with a cling wrap or a towel (or a plate); and place it on a counter to rise. It should take 2 to 3 hours – the dough will double in size.
- Use parchment paper: Pour the risen dough onto a sheet of floured parchment paper. Shape it into a round ball (the seam should be on the under side).
- Score the dough. Using a sharp knife score the dough to allow it to expand while baking.
- Preheat oven with dutch oven in! Place the empty dutch oven into the oven and turn the oven on to 450 F.
- Open dutch oven lid: Using parchment paper as a sling – carefully transfer the loaf into the dutch oven. Cover with a lid and bake for about 25 minutes.
- Remove the lid: At 25 minutes, remove the lid. Continue baking for 15 more minutes until golden brown on top.
- Cool the bread: Remove the dutch oven. Remove bread out of the oven and place it on wire rack to cool for 1 hour.
- Slice: Slice into the bread when completely cooled.
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only. This information comes from online calculators. Although whatsinthepan.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
Notes
How to make dutch oven bread rise
Warmth – For the bread to rise, you will be placing the dough in the warm spot. Usually finding a warm room is not a problem if you are making your bread during the summer. However, if you are making this bread in the winter, I recommend placing the dough in a slightly warmed oven inside your dutch oven. Turn your oven on for a couple of minutes, then turn the oven off.
Should the yeast dough double in size?
While this is a key sign that the dough is properly risen, since we are using a dutch oven, the rise time is shorter and therefore the dough may not fully double.
However, it should noticeably expand and become puffy. A well risen dough is key to bakery-quality bread!
What if my dough not rising enough?
Check yeast freshness – old yeast loses its potency. So check the expiration date!
Water temperature – when the water is too hot it kills the yeast. When it’s too cold – it stalls yeast activation. Make sure to use lukewarm water! Around 105 – 110 degrees F.
Not enough warmth in the environment – this is why we want to place the dough in a slightly warmed oven.
Not enough time – be patient and allow extra time, if needed.
Incorrect salt amount – salt strengthens dough, but too much can inhibit yeast activity. The type of salt used matters as well – Do NOT use iodized salt!
Dough is too dry – dough that is too dry won’t expand well. We need well-hydrated dough for gluten development.
Should I preheat Dutch oven?
Yes
Should I close the lid on my dutch oven bread?
The lid is the secret! The lid on a dutch oven bread is essential for creating artisan-style bread! Here’s why.
Lid ensures humid environment – humidity prevents the crust form setting too quickly. This in turn allows the dough to expand more in the crucial first 20 minutes of baking.
Even heat distribution – the heavy lid radiates heat evenly, thus ensuring a perfect golden loaf! Without it, the crust will form prematurely, leading to a dense bread texture inside.
Lid traps steam – as the bread bakes, moisture from the dough turns into steam, which gets trapped inside the dutch oven! This mimics professional oven environment, keeping the crust soft enough for the bread to rise fully before it becomes crisp.
Should I use bread flour?
No, not in this recipe. Bread flour has higher protein and will result in a more chewy an fluffy texture.
Altitude adjustments for proper dough rise
For baking at 3,000+ feet above sea level (think Colorado), I recommend the following adjustments:
Increase liquid – add 1 to 2 tablespoons of extra water per cup of flour to combat dryness.
Reduce yeast – cut yeast amount slightly to prevent over-rising
Shorten rise time – the bread may double in size much faster than at a regular altitude Lower baking temperature slightly – reduce oven temperature by 15 F to prevent over-browning.
Storage instructions
Keep baked bread in paper bags or an airtight container – there is no need to toast this bread for 2 days, since it will stay fresh and delicious for this long. But then after that, it is definitely better warmed or toasted.
Can I refrigerate my raw dough?
Refrigerate raw dough up to 3 days – Rise dough as stated in the recipe, then add it to the ziplock bag and refrigerate up to 3 days. Take it out of the fridge for 1 hour to take the chill out of the dough, then bake per recipe. Keep in mind that cold dough won’t rise as well as fresh dough.
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What a simple recipe. Came out perfect. My kids ate it all and then asked me to make another one. It’s a keeper
Thank you Kip! I have no doubt that you nailed it!
Love freshly baked bread!
So delicious and easy!