Description
This rustic Dutch Oven Bread recipe yields a crusty, golden loaf with a soft, chewy interior. Using simple ingredients like strong bread flour, yeast, honey, and water, and baking it in a preheated Dutch oven, ensures an even bake with a delightful crust. Perfect for beginners and bread enthusiasts alike, this no-fuss bread is great for sandwiches, toast, or as a side with soups and salads.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 500 g strong bread flour
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon active dried yeast
Wet Ingredients
- 350 ml warm water
- 1 tablespoon honey
Instructions
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together strong bread flour, salt, and active dried yeast thoroughly to ensure even distribution.
- Prepare Wet Ingredients: In a measuring jug, mix warm water (around 110°F/43°C) and honey until the honey is completely dissolved, ensuring the mixture is warm but not hot to properly activate the yeast.
- Mix Dough: Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the water and honey mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon or your hands until a shaggy, slightly sticky dough forms.
- Knead the Dough: Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead it for about 10 minutes. Work the dough until it is smooth, elastic, and no longer sticks excessively to your hands.
- First Rise: Lightly grease a clean bowl and place the dough inside. Cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm, draft-free spot for about 1 hour or until it has doubled in size.
- Preheat Oven & Dutch Oven: Preheat your oven to 200ºC (400ºF). Place an empty cast iron Dutch oven with its lid inside the oven to heat up thoroughly.
- Shape the Dough: After the dough has risen, gently punch it down to release the gases. Shape the dough into a round ball and place it seam side down on a piece of baking paper for easy transfer.
- Prepare for Baking: Carefully remove the hot Dutch oven from the oven. Lift the dough using the baking paper and place it inside the Dutch oven. Cover with the lid immediately to trap steam.
- Bake Covered: Bake the bread for 25 minutes with the lid on. This steaming process helps develop a crusty exterior.
- Bake Uncovered: Remove the lid and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes until the bread’s crust is a deep golden brown and crisp.
- Cool & Serve: Transfer the bread to a wire rack and let it cool completely before slicing to ensure the crumb sets properly.
Notes
- Ensure the water used is warm, not hot, to properly activate the yeast without killing it.
- Using a Dutch oven is key to achieving the moist environment needed for a crusty crust.
- Let the bread cool fully before slicing to preserve texture.
- You can store leftover bread wrapped in a linen towel to keep the crust crisp.
- Adjust yeast and rising times slightly depending on room temperature.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: European
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 loaf
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 850 mg
- Fat: 2 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 90 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
