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Believe the hype about Dutch oven bread! It is real and it’s easy. Just mix flour, yeast and water and let the magic happen. No kneading, no hard work!
For another easy bread recipe, check out my No Knead Farmhouse Bread.
It’s a well known truth that nothing warms up a house as much as the smell of fresh bread. It is the perfect antidote to a miserable day or a rough week.
It’s a shame that bread had a reputation for not being worth the effort. Anyone who has bitten into a warm, home fresh loaf knows that’s not true. Fortunately we have recipes like this to make it amazingly easy!
I’m fond of this recipe not only because I like the bread it makes but because it was my gateway into bread making. It convinced me that the time to make a loaf was time well spent. I’ve now explored many other bread recipes over the years.
I gave it a try because I wanted bakery fresh bread without having to leave my house. The kind of loaf that springs back when you gently push on it instead of collapsing, with chewy crust and loads of flavour.
Making the bread
I tested out a couple of recipes including the famous Dutch oven bread recipe and a skillet bread recipe before making a version of my own with a crust I could be proud of.
For my version of This is an affiliate link.Dutch oven bread, I’ve combined the two methods to create one all my own. It’s become the bread we go to so often at home because it gives great results in a short amount of time.
I also changed the original recipe by adding more salt and reducing the amount of flour. I also increased the oven temperature from 350F to 500F.
The bread we got as a result of that experiment was mind blowing. I overheard my kids talking later which brought a smile to my face, “That’s the best bread she’s made!”
Pillowy soft but quite substantial with a thick crust, just the way… aha aha… I like it! The bread was so delicious I would happily make it my dinner, nothing else required.
Dukkah spice mix
Even so, a good dip is still appreciated. My kids are all about bread and butter. I, on the other hand, love my bread dipped in extra virgin olive oil with a bit of balsamic vinegar.
Or dukkah spice, an aromatic Egyptian side dish consisting of a mixture of herbs, nuts and spices.
You can buy it in grocery stores like I did but it’s much tastier if you make your own. I used already made mix and wanted to open up the flavours a bit more.
So I put a handful in my mortar and took a pestle to it until I could smell the warm and aromatic mixture filling the room.
The dip is as simple as could be. Just pour some good quality extra virgin olive oil in a small plate, sprinkle with some sea salt and dukkah spice. Then dip and dip and dip some more.
More bread recipes
Dutch Oven Bread
Equipment
- This is an affiliate link.Cast iron Dutch oven
Ingredients
- 1 package/ 7 gr- active dry yeast
- 2 cups/500ml lukewarm water
- 3/4 tbsp sea salt
- 4 cups/480g bread flour I used Canadian flour)
For the dip
- This is an affiliate link.olive oil
- sea salt
- dukkah spice
Instructions
- Mix warm water and yeast in a small bowl. In the bowl of a stand mixer combine flour and salt. Add the water and yeast mixture to the flour and mix until the dough comes together with a hook attachment or by hand. Cover with a tea towel and let it rise for one hour in a warm place.
- After one hour preheat the oven to 500F/260C with the dutch oven, including the lid, in it.
- Remove the dough on a floured surface and shape it into a ball by tucking the corners in like an envelope. Put it on a tea towel (or parchment paper, seen notes) seam side down, sprinkle with more four and cover with another tea towel and let it rise for 30 minutes.
- Take the dutch oven out. It would have been warming in the oven for 30 minutes by then and will be blazing hot. Carefully lift your dough and put it in the dutch oven, cover with the lid and bake for 20 minutes. Take the lid off and bake for additional 10 minutes.
- Let it cool which will also allow the crust to develop. Before serving, pour some olive oil in a shallow plate and sprinkle with some sea salt and dukkah spice.
Notes
- You can place your shaped dough on a piece of parchment paper, then pick it up by the opposite side of the paper and lower it into the Dutch Oven.
- Full disclosure: I don’t use parchment paper and my bread never sticks to the Dutch Oven.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is the best bread I have ever made. The taste, texture is perfect. Thank you so much.
Just made this and it came out pretty well. I love that it takes so little time compared to other bread recipes! Just want to check to see if I did it right/could make it better. It was 2 – 2 1/4″ high in the center when done after I let it rise an extra 30 minutes with the first rise. The dough was very sticky – is this what you mean by “wet”? I made sure to have fresh yeast and bought King Arthur bread flour which I think is about the best you can buy in our supermarkets here in Pennsylvania USA. I don’t usually go to high-end supermarkets like Whole Foods or Wegman’s and I don’t know what you mean by “Canadian flour”. I too am nervous about bread-making as I have had so many disappointments. My doughs always seem to be so dry – is that because it sits around in storerooms and the shelves of supermarkets before we buy it? Thanks for your help!
It sounds like you did well with your bread, Elizabeth. Canadian flour is what it says…it’s flour produced in Canada and is usually higher in protein and is more suitable for baking bread. It’s often labeled as such in supermarkets, at least it is in the UK where I live. If your dough is too dry, you can always add a little bit more water. Bread dough reacts to its environment. If it’s a very hot and dry day, it will need less water and the opposite is true. Your bread dough needs less water on a humid, rainy day. That is why experienced bakers always pay attention to what their dough looks like and adjust water to flour ratios accordingly but that comes with lots of practice and experience.
Thanks Julia, I’ll keep trying!
Please tell me you or someone has adapted and used this in an instant pot with air fryer (8qt) has multiple functions and I don’t know if with my disability I’ll be able to handle a Dutch oven…. I have to rely mainly on that appliance for most of my food making, and the stove sometimes with pans but it takes a lot out of me. So I want so badly to try this but need to know if someone has or if you have done it with the instant pot/instant pot air fryer?
I made this for the first time today. It is great. Does anyone know if you can use wheat flour?
I am glad you enjoyed it, Eric. Do you mean whole wheat flour? Yes, you can. We often use 100% whole wheat flour for this bread recipe.