Dutch Oven Bread

A recipe for homemade artisan bread right out of a Dutch oven without the lengthy time and effort of sourdough. Similar to a "no knead method" this yeasted bread baked in a Dutch oven uses our organic Yecora 00 flour, creating that fresh baked bread aroma in your kitchen in just a few hours.

Download a printable version of the recipe here.

© Barton Springs Mill Test Kitchen

Recipe by: Pamela Thibodeaux- Recipe Developer

Dutch Oven Bread

Yield: 1 loaf

Ingredients:

500g BSM Yecora 00 flour

5g instant yeast

7g fine sea salt

5g cane sugar

400g water (75°F)

Method:

In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large mixing bowl, combine the water, instant yeast, and sugar. Add the flour, then the salt. The salt and instant yeast should not touch directly at first, as it can affect the fermentation.

Mix the dough on low speed using the dough hook, or mix with a spatula until the dough comes together. Knead the dough on medium speed for 6 min, or for 8 min if kneading by hand. Once the dough is elastic and can create a window pane, place the dough into a bowl and cover with a towel or plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rise for 2 hrs ideally at 74°F room temperature, or about 1 to 1 ½ hrs if at a warmer room temperature (closer to 80°F). Once the dough has doubled, you have two options below: either baking same day or leaving overnight in the fridge. See instructions below.

Ambient “same day” method:

Preheat an oven to 475°F during the last ½ hr. of the dough rising. Place your Dutch oven with lid on in the oven on the middle rack.

Turn the dough over onto a moderately floured work surface. Pinch the edges of the dough up and inward from each cardinal direction to form a ball. Turn the dough over seam side down and begin to roll and cup the dough in a circular motion using surface tension between the dough and the table to tighten. The top of the dough should be smooth and elastic. Using a bench knife, lift the dough ball onto a square cut piece of parchment and cover with a kitchen towel to rise once more for 35-40 min while the oven is still preheating. A solid hour or so of the oven and Dutch oven preheating is crucial to achieving the rise and crust of the bread. Once the dough is ready, score the top of the loaf using a lame. Carefully lift from the edges of the parchment and place the dough into the Dutch oven. Quickly mist the top of the dough with water a few times and cover with the hot lid. Place the Dutch oven back into the oven quickly and bake for 30 min at 475°F. Lower the temperature to 450°F, remove the lid, and bake for an additional 5 min. Remove the loaf from the oven after it has baked and allow it to cool before slicing…if you can resist!

Refrigeration method:

Refrigerate the dough overnight. Bring the dough to room temperature for about 1 ½ hrs. Follow the above ambient method instructions for shaping and baking. The flavor will have a slight sourness due to the longer cold fermentation.