Dutch Oven Crusty Bread Recipe

"This stuff kills me. I make at least one loaf a week. Being a bit of a lazy sort, I love how you start this the day before, and finish it up when you have time the next day. I've gone 24 hours from prep to bake, no problem. A cast iron dutch oven is going to give you your best results. I serve this with soup, or a mix of olive oil, balsamic, and Italian seasonings, and just dip it. A glass of red wine, and you'll be in heaven. Good hot pads are a must! Cook time includes standing time. Plan ahead!"

Original is 6 servings

Metric US

I've Tried It

Ingredients

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1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus some more for dusting

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Nutritional

Serving Size: 1 (123.4 g)
Calories 228
Total Fat - 0.6 g
Saturated Fat - 0.1 g
Cholesterol - 0 mg
Sodium - 585.1 mg
Total Carbohydrate - 47.8 g
Dietary Fiber - 1.7 g
Sugars - 0.2 g
Protein - 6.5 g
Calcium - 11.6 mg
Iron - 0.7 mg
Vitamin C - 0 mg
Thiamin - 0.1 mg

Step by Step Method

Step 1

Dissolve the yeast and water in a large bowl. Add the flour and salt. Stir until blended. It will be sticky. Cover with plastic wrap.

Step 2

Put the bowl in a draft-free place and let it rest until the next day, 18 hours or so. When it's ready, there will be bubbles on the surface.

Step 3

So....the next day (about 3 hours or so before you want to eat it), lightly flour your work surface and put the dough on it. Sprinkle with a little more flour and fold it over a couple of times. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and let it rest for 15 minutes.

Step 4

Use a little flour for un-sticking to shape the dough into a ball. Mine usually looks a little more oval-ish. Coat a clean cotton dish towel with flour, and place the dough on it. Dust a little more flour on it, cover with another towel and let it sit for about 1 hour and 40 minutes.

Step 5

20 minutes before you're ready to bake, put your dutch oven (with the lid) in the regular oven and preheat to 475 degrees.

Step 6

Carefully remove the hot pot from the oven, lift off the lid, and literally dump the dough (carefully, though....just put your hand under the towel and flip it) into the dutch oven. Give it a firm shake or two, to settle and shape it. Put the cover back on.

Step 7

Bake for 30 minutes.

Step 8

Remove the lid and bake for an additional 15 minutes (no more than 20) until it's so brown and pretty you can't help but take it out.

Step 9

Let cool on a rack for about an hour before serving. Or heck, cool it, wrap it up and have it later.

FoodNut

I tryed this bread and it turned out really great although the bread is best if you eat it the same day, the second day I made toast with it, thanks I know I will make this again

Mikekey

I have been using this technique for about a year now, after seeing a demo online. Love the crusty exterior and soft inside. A very "rustic" type loaf. It is time consuming, but worth it. Great with a big bowl of homemade soup!