Dutch Oven Bread Recipe | Sur La Table (2024)

Serves

Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients

  • 4 cups flour
  • 1½ cups water
  • 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
  • Kosher salt or coarse sea salt
  • Vegetable oil or vegetable oil spray
  • Olive oil

Procedure

Combine the flour, water, yeast and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix on medium speed until the dough is smooth and elastic, 5 to 10 minutes. Depending on the size of the bowl, you may need to stop the mixer and remove the dough from the dough hook if the dough is not developing thoroughly. When the dough looks smooth, cut off a piece and stretch it. If it stretches to the point of transparency, it’s mixed enough. If not, continue mixing.

Remove the bowl from the mixer and cover it with a pot lid or plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rise until it has doubled in size and does not spring back when you push your finger into it, 2 to 4 hours.

Turn the dough out onto a work surface and knead it to release the gas and redistribute the yeast. Shape it roughly into a ball, cover it with a towel, and let stand for 10 minutes to allow the gluten to relax.

Shape the dough into a tight ball—the tighter the better—by rolling it on the work surface between your palms.

Spray or coat the bottom and sides of a large Dutch oven or other heavy ovenproof pot (5 ½ quarts or larger) with vegetable oil. Put the dough in the center of the pot and place the lid on. Allow the dough to rise again, 30 to 60 minutes (less if it’s very hot and humid, more if it’s cold).

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Rub 1 tablespoon olive oil, or more if you like, gently over the surface of the dough. Score the bread with a sharp knife or razor, making an X or a hash mark; this will allow the dough to expand freely. Sprinkle the dough with salt. Cover the pot and place it in the oven.

After 30 minutes, remove the lid, reduce the oven temperature to 375°F, and continue baking until the bread is nicely browned and cooked through. It should have an internal temperature of 200°F or so when done.

Allow the bread to rest on a rack for at least 30 minutes so that the interior finishes cooking.

Note: Only our Signature phenolic knobs and stainless steel knobs are oven-safe at this temperature. Classic phenolic knobs are oven-safe to 375°F. If using a Classic oven, remove the knob when baking at temperatures higher than 375°F.

By Le Creuset

Serves

Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients

  • 4 cups flour
  • 1½ cups water
  • 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
  • Kosher salt or coarse sea salt
  • Vegetable oil or vegetable oil spray
  • Olive oil

Procedure

Combine the flour, water, yeast and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix on medium speed until the dough is smooth and elastic, 5 to 10 minutes. Depending on the size of the bowl, you may need to stop the mixer and remove the dough from the dough hook if the dough is not developing thoroughly. When the dough looks smooth, cut off a piece and stretch it. If it stretches to the point of transparency, it’s mixed enough. If not, continue mixing.

Remove the bowl from the mixer and cover it with a pot lid or plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rise until it has doubled in size and does not spring back when you push your finger into it, 2 to 4 hours.

Turn the dough out onto a work surface and knead it to release the gas and redistribute the yeast. Shape it roughly into a ball, cover it with a towel, and let stand for 10 minutes to allow the gluten to relax.

Shape the dough into a tight ball—the tighter the better—by rolling it on the work surface between your palms.

Spray or coat the bottom and sides of a large Dutch oven or other heavy ovenproof pot (5 ½ quarts or larger) with vegetable oil. Put the dough in the center of the pot and place the lid on. Allow the dough to rise again, 30 to 60 minutes (less if it’s very hot and humid, more if it’s cold).

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Rub 1 tablespoon olive oil, or more if you like, gently over the surface of the dough. Score the bread with a sharp knife or razor, making an X or a hash mark; this will allow the dough to expand freely. Sprinkle the dough with salt. Cover the pot and place it in the oven.

After 30 minutes, remove the lid, reduce the oven temperature to 375°F, and continue baking until the bread is nicely browned and cooked through. It should have an internal temperature of 200°F or so when done.

Allow the bread to rest on a rack for at least 30 minutes so that the interior finishes cooking.

Note: Only our Signature phenolic knobs and stainless steel knobs are oven-safe at this temperature. Classic phenolic knobs are oven-safe to 375°F. If using a Classic oven, remove the knob when baking at temperatures higher than 375°F.

Dutch Oven Bread Recipe | Sur La Table (2024)

FAQs

What temperature do you bake bread in a Dutch oven? ›

Turning proofed bread dough out right into a preheated Dutch oven instead of on a pizza peel. My method for baking bread dough in a Dutch oven: Preheat your home oven to 450°F (230°C) with a Dutch oven inside for 30 to 45 minutes.

Do you bake bread with lid on or off Dutch oven? ›

A Dutch oven is a catch-all term for enclosing your loaf inside a chamber for the first 20 minutes of the bake and then baking without the lid for the next 20 minutes. Enclosing a loaf like this in the initial part of the bake helps the loaf to achieve really good oven spring.

Why is my Dutch oven bread so hard? ›

Any tips for preventing a thick, hard crust on the bottom of my bread done in a Dutch oven? Make sure you are using a heavy gauge Dutch oven and that it isn't too close to the bottom heat element in your oven. If you are still getting a thick, hard crust, you can put a pillow of foil down, like this.

Is there anything you shouldn't cook in a Dutch oven? ›

In an enamel-coated Dutch oven, prolonged cooking with acidic ingredients may discolor the interior coating but doesn't erode it. The bottom line is, if using a seasoned cast iron Dutch oven with highly acidic foods, ensure the pot is well seasoned and limit cooking to short periods.

What is the rude meaning of Dutch oven? ›

But in slang, a Dutch oven is when you pass gas in bed and pull the covers over someone else's head, trapping it in like a Dutch oven traps heat.

Why is my Dutch oven bread so dense? ›

Usually bread will be dense when there is too much flour. Keep in mind this dough will be sticky and shaggy, do not add any more flour than specified. Other factors that come into play are humidity and age of flour. Little yeast, long rise, sticky dough are keys to a good, light loaf.

Do you have to preheat a Dutch oven before baking bread? ›

Most no knead bread recipes call for preheating the Dutch oven while the oven heats up. Not only do we not recommend heating an empty Dutch oven, but it can be challenging to wrangle the wet dough carefully into an extremely hot pot. But we found that preheating is really not necessary to achieve a delicious loaf.

Do you need parchment paper for bread in a Dutch oven? ›

If the bottom of your Dutch oven isn't enamel-coated, it's best to use the parchment paper. Mine is enamel-coated, but I find it easier to keep the round shape of the dough if I just place it in the Dutch oven with the parchment paper. Whatever works fer ya!

What is the best size Dutch oven for baking bread? ›

You just need a lid to cover it and the proper heat-conducting cast-iron material, and your bread will come out perfectly every time. Size & Shape: Look for a 6- to 7-quart, round Dutch oven. Anything much bigger will cause the bread to spread out and go flat.

How do you keep the bottom of bread from burning in a Dutch oven? ›

And then you're gonna take a regular baking sheet. and you're gonna put it on that lower rack underneath your bread rack. The baking sheet acts as a barrier. and prevents the bottom of your Dutch oven from getting too hot, which will then prevent the hard burnt bottoms.

Do I need to grease my Dutch oven for bread? ›

Should I grease my Dutch oven before baking in it? It's generally not recommended to grease the inside of a Dutch oven for baking, since it can cause your bread to char. Instead, line the Dutch oven with parchment paper before baking.

Is a Dutch oven worth it for bread? ›

If you've been baking for years, it's a step back in time to when bread was rustic and purposely imperfect. There are many layers of flavor hidden within this recipe's four simple ingredients: flour, water, salt, and yeast. But the real magic comes from the cast-iron Dutch oven, the perfect vessel for baking bread.

Why is my Dutch oven bread gummy? ›

Uneven heat in your oven can be the culprit – if you loaf is nicely golden on the outside but gummy or moist in the inside, it's baking too quickly on the outside. Trying reducing the temperature you're baking at and bake for a bit longer.

What is equivalent to a Dutch oven? ›

Roasting Pan: An Effective Dutch Oven Replacement

A roasting pan serves as an effective alternative to a Dutch oven, offering versatility in cooking various dishes. Its large size and high sides make it suitable for slow roasting, braising, and even baking different types of food.

What does it mean when someone is a Dutch oven? ›

Dutch oven is a slang term for farting in bed and pulling the covers over your partner's head, sealing in the stench of your gas. This gassy gag is named after an actual cooking device called a Dutch oven: a large metal pot that traps heat (and smells) under its lid.

What is the heck is a Dutch oven? ›

A Dutch oven is a heavy, wide, fairly shallow pot with a tight-fitting lid. We tend to think of enameled cast iron casseroles with two small handles and a lid as the only pot that qualifies as a Dutch oven, but that isn't the case.

How do you mimic a Dutch oven? ›

8 Dutch oven alternatives – pans and appliances to use instead
  1. Slow Cooker.
  2. Multicooker.
  3. Oven-Proof Skillet.
  4. Tagine Pot.
  5. Air Fryer.
  6. Roasting Pan.
  7. Casserole Dish.
  8. Stockpot.
Mar 19, 2023

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