This easy homemade Dutch oven bread is a simple yet rewarding recipe that yields a crusty, artisan-style loaf with minimal effort. Using just a few basic ingredients, you can create a delicious bread that is perfect for sandwiches or as a side to your favorite meals.
The process involves mixing, resting, and baking, making it accessible for both novice and experienced bakers. The Dutch oven helps create a steamy environment, resulting in a beautifully risen loaf with a golden crust.
Creating the Perfect Dutch Oven Bread
Homemade Dutch oven bread is a delightful addition to any kitchen. The process is straightforward, making it accessible for bakers of all skill levels.
With just a few ingredients, you can achieve a crusty exterior and a soft, airy interior. The beauty of this bread lies in its simplicity, allowing the natural flavors to shine through.
The Ingredients You Need
To create this delicious loaf, you will need basic pantry staples.
All-purpose flour, salt, instant yeast, and warm water come together to form the dough. Each ingredient plays a crucial role in developing the bread’s texture and flavor.
The Art of Mixing and Resting
The first step involves mixing the dry ingredients before adding warm water.
Stir until a shaggy dough forms, ensuring all flour is incorporated. This mixture will then need to rest for about two hours, allowing the dough to rise and develop its structure.
Shaping and Second Rise
Once the dough has doubled in size, it’s time to shape it.
Turn the dough onto a floured surface and gently fold the edges towards the center to form a round loaf. After shaping, let it rest again for about 30 minutes. This second rise is essential for achieving that perfect airy texture.
Baking in the Dutch Oven
Preheating the Dutch oven is a key step in this process.
About 30 minutes before baking, place the Dutch oven in the oven to heat up. This creates a steamy environment that helps the bread rise beautifully.
Once ready, carefully transfer the dough into the hot pot, cover it, and bake. After the initial baking period, removing the lid allows the crust to develop a golden-brown color.
Cooling and Enjoying Your Bread
After baking, it’s important to let the bread cool completely on a wire rack.
This step ensures the interior sets properly, making slicing easier. Once cooled, you can enjoy your homemade Dutch oven bread with a drizzle of olive oil or as a side to your favorite meals.
Simple Dutch Oven Bread Recipe
This Dutch oven bread features a crispy crust and a soft, airy interior. The recipe takes about 3 hours from start to finish, including resting time, and yields one large loaf.
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
- 1 1/2 cups warm water
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, and instant yeast.
- Add Water: Pour in the warm water and stir until a shaggy dough forms. Ensure all the flour is incorporated.
- First Rise: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let it rest at room temperature for 2 hours, or until the dough has doubled in size.
- Preheat Oven: About 30 minutes before baking, place your Dutch oven (with the lid) in the oven and preheat to 450°F (232°C).
- Shape the Dough: Once risen, turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Shape it into a round loaf by folding the edges towards the center.
- Second Rise: Place the shaped dough on a piece of parchment paper, cover it with a towel, and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Bake the Bread: Carefully remove the hot Dutch oven from the oven. Lift the parchment paper with the dough and place it into the Dutch oven. Cover with the lid and bake for 30 minutes.
- Finish Baking: Remove the lid and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown.
- Cool: Transfer the bread to a wire rack and let it cool completely before slicing.
Cook and Prep Times
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Rest Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours
- Servings: 1 loaf
- Calories: 120kcal
- Fat: 0.5g
- Protein: 4g
- Carbohydrates: 24g