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Dutch Oven Bread

This Dutch oven bread uses yeast, bread flour, water, and salt to produce a crackling golden crust and open, airy crumb with two simple rises and 40 minutes of baking. An easy homemade artisan loaf.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Rise Time 2 hours
Servings: 1 loaf
Course: Breads, Side Dish
Cuisine: American

Ingredients
  

  • 2 ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 ¼ cups warm water
  • 2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups bread flour plus more for shaping

Instructions
 

  1. In a large bowl, combine the warm water, sugar, and yeast. Stir gently and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes until the yeast is foamy and activated.
  2. Add the salt and bread flour to the yeast mixture. Stir until a shaggy dough forms and no dry flour remains.
  3. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let rise at room temperature for 1 hour until roughly doubled in size.
  4. Lightly flour a clean surface. Gently pour the dough out without punching it down. Sprinkle a small amount of flour over the top. Using your hands, gently shape the dough into a round ball by tucking the edges underneath. Do not knead or deflate.
  5. Place the shaped dough in a proofing basket. Cover loosely and let rise for another 1 hour.
  6. About 30 minutes before baking, place the Dutch oven with its lid in the oven and preheat to 450°F. Also place a small oven-safe pan of water on the lower rack to create steam.
  7. Put parchment paper (carefully) in the bottom of the dutch oven and put the dough in. Cover with the lid.
  8. Bake covered for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and continue baking for another 10 minutes until the crust is deeply golden brown.
  9. Lift the bread out using the parchment and let cool on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes before slicing.

Notes

  • Do not punch the dough down when you turn it out. The air bubbles built up during the first rise are what create the open, airy crumb inside the finished loaf. Gentle handling preserves them.
  • The preheated Dutch oven is essential. Placing the dough into a screaming hot covered pot traps the steam released by the dough and produces the crackling, blistered crust that defines a great artisan loaf.
  • The pan of water on the lower rack adds extra humidity to the oven during the covered bake and further supports the crust development.
  • Let the bread cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing. Cutting too early releases steam from the interior before the crumb has finished setting and produces a gummy texture.