Same Day Dutch Oven Bread
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Want to impress a crowd (or your family) with a fresh loaf of crusty, delicious Artisan bread but don’t have days to prep? Look no further, this easy, same-day Dutch oven bread is the answer to all your prayers. Just four ingredients and a Dutch oven is all you need to create this little piece of heaven.
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My Road to Easy Same Day Dutch Oven Bread
Why do I need a Dutch Oven?
Step by Step Instructions
Jump to Recipe
My Road to Easy Same Day Dutch Oven Bread
Over the past year, bread has slowly slipped into all of our social media feeds. After being mesmerized by countless sourdough videos, I finally caved and tried my own. While the taste of the bread was splendid, my sour dough kneaded me all day every day….haha, but literally though it really did. Feed the starter, feed it again, mix now, fold, rest overnight, fold, fold again, and oh, don’t forget to feed the starter again, time for more folding, you get the picture.
It was like caring for a fragile infant, I would even wake up in the middle of the night if it was time for more stretch and folds. If you know, you know. Some people love it or have figured out a great sourdough without all the fuss and my hat is off to them. But let’s face it, ain’t nobody got time for that. I wanted a simple, delicious bread that I could whip up on my schedule, and that’s when I got my first Dutch oven.
At this point, I was determined to create a beautiful loaf of bread that could be started and baked the same day so I bought some yeast and got to work. After countless failed attempts, I finally concocted the most perfect, no fuss, crusty and delicious loaf of bread. It took me only five minutes to prepare the dough in the morning, and it was ready to pop in my oven a couple hours before dinner.
Let me just tell you the smell of freshly baked bread in your home is all you need to take the troubles of the day away. This bread is great with soups, alongside pasta recipes like my famous Greek Pasta, or you can even use it to create a fancy french toast or grilled cheese. My all-time favorite way to eat this bread is dipped in the juices of my Mississippi Pot Roast.
Why Do I Need a Dutch Oven?
So how can you re-create this deliciously moist bread with the perfect crispy crust you may ask? In comes the Dutch oven. According to an article from King Arthur Baking, steam is what creates that perfect artisan shape and texture you get from a Dutch oven bread. The steam created in the Dutch oven keeps the bread moist through the rise and allows more starches to become simple sugar, creating the perfect bakery bread dupe (Ameden, 2017).
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1: Grab Ingredients and Tools
This recipe calls for a Dutch oven. I absolutely love my six-quart enameled Dutch oven in a stunning dark green, complete with a chic gold handle. While I can’t seem to track down the exact one my husband insists he found at Walmart, I’ve got you covered with a fantastic alternative. Check out this Mueller Dutch oven on Amazon—it’s very similar and perfect for all your culinary adventures. If you’re looking for something budget-friendly, this affordable option comes in a variety of fun colors to match your kitchen style.
Along with your Dutch oven, grab your all-purpose flour, yeast, warm water, and salt.
Step 2: Mix Ingredients
Mix dry ingredients together and give a quick stir. Add warm water to the dry ingredients and stir. The consistency should not be dry whatsoever. If mixture is dry, add more water slowly until your dough looks like the photo below. Dough should be sticky and wet.
Step 3: Cover and Let Dough Rise
Cover your dough with a damp towel or plastic wrap and let rise for 5-8 hours. A warmer spot may speed the rise. I keep mine on the kitchen countertop.
Step 4: Stretch and Fold and Preheat Dutch oven
Once your dough has set for 5-8 hours it should have grown and appear bubbly. Dump this dough onto a floured surface, flour your hands, and do one round of stretch and folds. To do this, grab the north end of the circle, give it a slight stretch, and press it into the middle of the circle. Follow with the remaining three sides, flip, and let rest while the empty Dutch oven preheats at 425 for 30 minutes.
Step 5: Bake and Enjoy!
After the Dutch oven is preheated, place your bread dough on a piece of parchment paper and drop into the hot Dutch oven. Slit the top down the center about 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep, replace the lid, and bake at 425 for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake an additional 10-15 minutes or until crust is golden brown.
**NOTE**
Let the bread cool for at least an hour on a wired rack or the bread will be gummy. Trust me, I was so excited when I finally came up with a good-looking loaf that I cut right into it and couldn’t understand why the texture was off. Cooling is key!
Same Day Dutch Oven Bread
Equipment
- 1 Dutch Oven 4-6qt
- Conventional Oven
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
- 2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Instant Dry Yeast
- 1 3/4 cup (Warm) Water
Instructions
- Mix the flour, salt, and yeast in a large mixing bowl.
- Add the warm water and mix until everything is just combined. (You want a wet sticky dough that you wouldn't want to touch. If your dough looks dry, add a little more water)
- Cover mixture with plastic wrap and let sit on countertop or somewhere warm-ish for 5-8 hours.
- After the time has elapsed, flour your hands and countertop and coax the dough out of the bowl. Make sure there is enough flour to reduce the stickiness and do one round of stretch and folds. (Stretch the dough on the top, and fold it to the middle, follow with the dough on the bottom, and lastly each side)
- Let this dough rest on a floured surface while you preheat your Dutch oven for about 30 minutes in a 425 degree oven.
- Line your hot Dutch oven with parchment paper and add your dough. Place a slit in the center of dough for steam to escape. Bake at 425 covered for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes until crust is golden brown.
- **IMPORTANT** Let bread cool on a wire rack for at least an hour. Cutting into this bread early will create an extremely gummy texture.