Dutch Oven Bread
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 envelope active dry yeast
- 2 cups warm water
- 2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 tsp. olive oil
Instructions
- Stir the yeast into the warm water and let sit until foamy.
- In a large bowl, mix together the flour and salt. Once incorporated, create a small well in the middle and pour in the water and yeast mixture.
- Mix by hand, until the water and flour comes together and forms a rough dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Once the dough comes together, cover and let rise until doubled in size (about 1 ½-2 hours).
- Using a rubber spatula, work the dough loose from the sides and fold it up and over itself towards the center of the bowl. Turn the bowl 90 degrees, and repeat until all the dough has been pulled from the sides. Once finished, cover and let the dough rise again for another hour.
- Once the dough has doubled in size again, gently transfer it from the bowl to a lightly floured surface.
- Sprinkle a bit of flour on top of the dough. Using your hands, begin to shape it into a loaf. Fold the dough under itself several times to form a ball, then pinch together the seams of dough underneath.
- Place the dough seam-side down in a clean bowl that has been lightly coated with olive oil and dusted with flour. Cover and let rise for 1 hour.
- While the dough is doing its final rise, place a 6-quart Dutch oven (or heavy cooking pot with oven-safe lid) inside the oven and preheat the oven to 450˚F for 45 minutes. Carefully remove the pot from the oven and place on heat-safe surface. (Be careful! It’ll be VERY HOT.)
- Turn the proofed dough over onto a lightly floured surface and carefully place it inside the pot. Cover with the lid and return the pot to the oven. Bake for 45 minutes, removing the lid for the last 15 minutes.
- Remove bread from pot, cover with clean kitchen towel, and let cool for 10 minutes before slicing.