Hi guys! I am so excited about what I made in my cast iron Dutch oven Sunday. I want to share it with you. This recipe is very minimal but produces a beautiful loaf. I have tried for years to make bread but could never achieve that exquisite crackle sound when the bread is pressed or broken open. A Dutch oven is the way to go. It creates a beautiful crust and wonderful taste.
You will need a cast iron Dutch oven (pot with lid), mixing bowl and spoon, measuring cups, bowl for dough to rise in, oven safe paper to keep the loaf from sticking and easy transportation, a scraper, and a cloth to cover the dough to help retain the warmth to rise. Preheat oven to 450’ with the Dutch oven inside. Never preheat the oven without the Dutch oven inside, as it could cause the Dutch oven to crack, rendering the pot ruined and useless.
As for ingredients you need:
- 3 1/2 cups of all purpose flour; either whole wheat or bread flour
- 1 3/4 cups of warm water
- 3 teaspoons of active dry yeast
- 2 teaspoons of salt
Use three forth cup of the warm water to stir yeast into and let sit for a few minutes. Stir flour and salt together in your mixing bowl then stir in the cup of water and three forth a cup of water with yeast. Fold in and stir until it becomes a sticky dough. Oil the inside of a bowl and your hands and transfer dough ball to it. Cover the bowl with the cloth and put the bowl on the stove close to the oven door. This keeps warmth inside the bowl helping the dough to rise double in size.
When it has doubled, pour the dough onto a lightly floured surface and keep your hands dusted with flour to prevent sticking. I keep a small bowl next to me so it’s easier that reaching in the flour bag. Stretch into a rectangle then fold in one side and then the other. Stretch again and fold top then bottom. Then turn seam side down and use your scraper to push dough under on all four sides multiple times. This will tighten the surface of the dough so it will stay in a ball shape. Lightly coat your loaf with flour and discard excess then score your loaf.
Place the loaf with oven paper in a proofing basket or bowl, cover and let it rise again. Score your loaf and place the loaf with oven safe paper in the Dutch oven and put back in for 20 minutes then remove the lid and bake for another 25 minutes. When it’s done remove it from the oven and remove loaf onto a cooling rack. Enjoy!
