Dutch Oven No Knead Bread
The best soup bread for dipping! Fall in love with this fresh baked loaf of dutch oven no knead bread. The crusty white bread is a cheap & easy recipe that's so delish with everything including pastas, stews, spinach dip, & salads.
Equipment
- dutch oven 5-7 quart
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups warm water between 100-110°F
- 2 ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast 1 packet
- ½ tablespoon salt
- 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- rice flour or additional flour for dusting
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, add the warm water (between 100-110*F). Sprinkle in the yeast & salt. Use a whisk to combine & get frothy.1 ½ cups warm water, 2 ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast, ½ tablespoon salt
- Let the yeast activate and bloom for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the flour, using a rubber spatula, scraper, or spoonula stir to combine. I like to use a combination of both a stirring motion and a gentle fold. Scrape down the sides as you mix to be sure to get most of the flour worked into the wet ingredients.3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- Once the bread dough has no visible streaks of flour, it is done mixing. It will be bumpy & sticky. Do not over mix of the dough or your bread may come out tough versus light & airy.
- Cover loosely with a kitchen towel. Place the bowl in a warm/dry place (no draft) like the top of your refrigerator.Let it rise for 2.5 hours. Once it has doubled in size, it is almost ready to bake.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F and place the dutch oven in immediately. You want both the oven & the dutch oven to heat up together for 30 minutes.
- After the oven had been on for 30 minutes, it is time to prep the bread & get it in the dutch oven.
- On a cutting board or clean work surface dusted with rice flour (see note below). Scrape the dough out onto the rice flour. Gently use your hands to shape the dough into a large round ball. Try to not press or push too much so that the dough remains inflated & airy. * you can also shape the dough on parchment paper & lower it into the dutch oven instead of using the rice flour method.
- Carefully remove the dutch oven from the oven & remove the lid. Sprinkle a bit of rice flour into the pot so the bottom has a thin layer which will help the bread not stick as it bakes.
- Gently lift the bread dough up with both hands & carefully lower it into the dutch oven letting it gently drop in. Use a razor or dough lame to cut an X across the top.* or lower into the pot holding the edges of your parchment paper.
- Carefully place the HOT lid back on the dutch oven & place on the middle rack of your oven.
- Bake for 30 minutes.Remove the lid & bake another 10-15 minutes. The edges should be golden. * see notes below for a softer or crustier crust
- Carefully lift / slide the bread out of the dutch oven & place on a wire rack to let cool.
- Cool for 30 minutes before slicing. Enjoy while slightly warm.
Notes
STORING:
- Place slices or the whole loaf into a brown paper or bread storage bags. Fold it over to keep if fresh & the air out. Don't wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or the crust really softens and looses any texture/crunch. Store in a cool dry place like your pantry or counter for up to 3 days.
- The bread can be frozen for up to 30 days. Wrap tightly to ensure there is no ice/freezer burn on the surface.
- Flour - use bread flour if you want a chewier crust that has more crunch. You may need to add an extra 1-2 tablespoons of water since bread flour has more protein/gluten.
- For a lighter soft crust, remove the lid after 35 minutes & bake uncovered 5-10 minutes.
- For a darker crunchy crust, remove it after 25 minutes & bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes.
Nutrition
Calories: 125kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 4gFat: 0.4gSaturated Fat: 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.1gSodium: 292mgPotassium: 42mgFiber: 1gSugar: 0.1gVitamin C: 0.002mgCalcium: 5mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
