I've spent the last few days trying out lots of versions of Dutch Oven bread, and let me tell you, the results are tasty! I've got recipes for a kneaded Dutch oven bread, and one that requires no kneading at all. Both are very easy and could pass as a loaf from an artisan bakery with no problem. I also tried them with bread flour, all-purpose flour, and whole wheat flour. All in all, we enjoyed each of the loaves, but our favorite was the no-knead made with bread flour. I found that the texture of the bread on the no-knead method was lighter and less dense on the interior, while maintaining a perfectly crusty exterior which Hubby and I preferred. All you need now is a little olive oil and some herbs for dipping!
Homemade Dutch Oven Bread: Kneaded Method
- Total Time: 5 hours
- Yield: 1 loaf 1x
Ingredients
- 4 cups flour (All-purpose or bread flour work best. For whole wheat: use 2 cups all-pupose and 2 cups whole wheat flour)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1 ½ cups warm water
- olive oil for coating crust, if desired
- 5-6 quart Dutch Oven with lid
- Parchment paper
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, mix together the flour, salt, yeast, and water. Knead in mixer on medium speed for 10 minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic.
- Cover bowl with plastic wrap or the lid of a pot and allow to rise for 2-4 hours until doubled in bulk.
- Knead risen dough on a floured surface for a few minutes to remove air bubbles and to redistribute the yeast. Shape into a loose ball, set on a large piece of parchment paper, and cover with a towel for 10 minutes to allow gluten to relax.
- Shape dough into a tight ball and lift the dough along with the parchment paper and place in the bottom of the Dutch Oven. Cover with the lid and allow to rise for an additional 30 minutes.
- While dough finishes rising, preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- Using a sharp knife, make two slits in the surface of the dough forming an "X" shape, and brush with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt (if desired, I prefer without.)
- Bake, covered for 30 minutes in 450 degree oven. After 30 minutes, remove lid and lower heat to 375 degrees. Bake for 15 minutes longer, until bread is deep golden and sounds hollow when tapped.
- Allow to cool on rack for 15 minutes before slicing.
Notes
Note: You do not need to oil the pot if you are baking on parchment paper. I have tried it without parchment paper, and instead oiled the pot, but found the bottom crust to be too dark/crunchy/oily for my taste. The texture was far superior when only parchment paper was used.
**Also, check to make sure the knob on the lid of your Dutch Oven is safe for use at 450 degrees. If you're not sure, just unscrew the knob during baking. (Metal knobs and handles are fine.There is one specific type of handle from Le Creuset that is not recommended at this high of heat. There is more info available on their website.
Adapted from lecreuset.com
Homemade Dutch Oven Bread: No-Knead Method
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 15 hours
- Yield: 1 loaf 1x
Ingredients
- 3 cups flour (Bread Flour is my preference, all-purpose works great too. For whole wheat: Use 1 ½ cups whole wheat flour and 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour.)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1 ½ cups warm water
- Parchment paper
- 5-6 quart Dutch Oven with lid
- Large plastic bowl with lid (Rubbermaid or Tupperware-type)
Instructions
- In a large plastic bowl that has a tight-fitting lid, whisk together the flour, salt, and yeast. Pour in the water and mix well with a wooden spoon. The dough will be very sticky and quite stringy-looking. Cover with lid and allow to rise for 12-18 hours. Overnight worked great for me.
- Place Dutch oven with lid in the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F.
- Scrape dough from the bowl onto a well-floured work surface. Shape into a ball, set on a large piece of parchment paper, and cover with a towel while oven preheats.
- Once the Dutch oven has preheated, carefully remove it from the oven and gently lift the dough by the parchment paper and lower into the center of the bottom of the pot (without burning your hands!) Cut two slits in the surface of the dough,forming an "X".
- Bake, covered, in the 450 degree oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove lid and bake for 15 minutes more.
- Remove loaf to a rack to cool for 15 minutes before slicing.
Notes
Adapted from www.justapinch.com
bakeritalia
These look fantastic! Now I really need to invest in a cast iron pot! I love making bread and make it every week in Aust. but I have to confess it is sooo cheap and delicious here that I just buy it fresh. I will save this for home though- beautiful!
mandyjoy
I can't blame you for buying it fresh. Our options for fresh baked bread here are limited. The few great places are VERY expensive. I'm sure you would have as much fun with your cast iron pot as I do!
FirstTimer
I purchased a cast iron dutch oven a couple of weeks ago and I just baked my first loaf of bread ever this morning using the no-knead recipe. So easy and the results are fantastic. I had expected things to not turn out so well the first time!
mandyjoy
Yay! Isn't is so satisfying when it works out on the first try? Have fun with your new Dutch oven! Thanks for reading!
FirstTimer
Hi, again. I'm on my third loaf now and I'm still mastering handling the dough. Do you have any hints about cutting the slits into the dough? No matter how sharp the knife, I can't puncture the dough without pushing the ball all out of shape. I've also tried gentle "sawing" with a serrated knife with a little more success, but it looks more like an indentation than an actual cut.
Thanks!
mandyjoy
I typically use the tip of a very sharp paring knife and it works really well. Razor blades are commonly used for scoring dough also. Using the tip/point of the blade seems to work best for me. I hope this helps! Sorry you've been having trouble.
Joana
Excellent work! One question: on the first recipe, for coating croast would melted butter work? Im out of any kind of oil. Any away, i m stealing the recipe, and taking a look on your work :p hopefully i will be stealing more! Awesome job
Mandy
I can't say for sure what your results might be if you use butter, as I have not tried it myself with this recipe. Let me know how it turns out! I brush my Honey Wheat Sandwich Bread with melted butter,but right after it comes out of the oven to keep it soft. Thanks for visiting!
Petra
Awesome recipe :) much better than others I've tried!
Mandy
I am so glad you liked it, Petra. Thanks for visiting!
thevegkitch
Hi Mandy! I just made a lovely loaf of bread using this recipe in a 6 quart Lodge cast iron Dutch Oven. My only complaint is that the bottom of the loaf was a bit hard and tough to chew. Any idea what might have caused that? Thanks!
Mandy
Hi thevegkitch! Hmm... In all the times I have made this bread, the only time I had any troubling results with the bottom crust was when I used oil in the bottom of the pot instead of using only parchment paper. The bottom crust turned out tough and chewy by comparison to all of my other loaves. I don't know if that might have happened to you too? Another thought would be that it could get tougher on the bottom if there was excess flour on the bottom of the dough when it was added to the pot? What type of flour did you use? I usually only ever use King Arthur's Unbleached All-Purpose Flour as my flour of choice in all of my recipes, and King Arthur Bread Flour when bread flour is indicated. The only other thought I have is that maybe the temperature of the bottom of the pot got too hot/hotter than the top of the pot, causing the bottom to overbake. (Did it seemed burned on the bottom at all?) If there's enough room in your oven, maybe try baking it with the pot on a shelf one level higher in the oven next time? I wish I had a more definitive answer for you. It's so hard to be sure since there are so many variables! I sure hope that you'll try it again with more satisfying results. Thanks so much for reading!
Shane
I had the same problem when I baked the no-knead bread the first time. I think my problem was that I had the dutch oven on my ovens lowest rack. I moved it up to the second spot and the bread came out fine ( the second slot also had the dutch oven smack in the middle of my oven ). I used parchment both times.
Amy White-Storfer
Great recipe. I like that you gave knead and no knead options. I added 1 tablespoon granulated sugar and a tablespoon of olive oil for additional taste and color. Also did the parchment technique. Outstanding tip. Thank you for sharing the ratio of whole wheat flour to AP flour. Used that tip as well. Happy baking
Sorcha Killian
Hi! Ive made both the kneaded and no kneaded versions and they turn out well but don't have any of the lovely air bubbles that are in your loaves? They're more dense like a traditional batch loaf. Any suggestions on how to get the more airy texture? Thanks so much
Mandy
It sounds like possibly an issue with the yeast activity, so my recommendation would be to verify your yeast is active by sprinkling some over warm water with a pinch of sugar just to test it out- watch for bubbles within just a few minutes. Otherwise it’s time to replace your yeast. Also, it could be under-risen if it’s dense and not airy, meaning the yeast hasn’t had time to properly activate and lighten up the texture of the bread. Longer proving time may be the answer as well.
Wishing you the best of luck!!
Jamie
Great recipe! Consistent results every time I make it!! I would like to try 2 loaves. Have you ever split it in half? I have one smaller dutch oven and was gonig to put half in that and half in the regular one. Any thoughts? Predictions? Do you think I should cut the cooking time down?
Mandy
So glad you like it! I have split it before, but I can’t recall how much time I reduced it by. I would definitely shorten the time but it should work out fine!
Roni Lett
Do you let it rise overnight in frig or on counter
Vanessa
Thank you for this lovely recipe. My bread came out exactly like your picture : ).
Dustin Watkins
I’ve tried several no-knead recipes and have been disappointed by the dense, chewy bread. I tried your kneaded recipe and have FALLEN IN LOVE. This is going to be a staple for soups this fall! The bread was 10/10. Tall, fluffy, crunchy exterior, just perfect. Thank you so much!
Mandy
I’m so glad you like it, Dustin! Thanks so much. Happy bread baking!!
Charlie
Hi there, making this for the first time . Is there any issue with letting the dough rise overnight ? Thank you!
Mandy
Ride time will vary based on how warm the air is, so you’ll just need to keep an eye on it so it doesn’t over-proof.