Dutch Oven Bread

By Vera

I went to a cooking circle with some the ladies from my church. One of them made this bread and it was delicious! The instructions look complicated and long, but it is actually REALLY EASY to make! I mixed it up last night, let sit over-night, kneaded it down and transferred it into a new bowl this morning (took all of 5 minutes), let it sit while at church, came home and baked it and we ate it for lunch! I hope you all enjoy it as much we did!!!

6 CUPS BREAD FLOUR

1/2 TEASPOON YEAST (yes, teaspoon)

1 TABLESPOON SALT

2 1/2 CUPS WATER

2 TABLESPOON VINEGAR

Do NOT use a mixer. Just mix above ingredients together in a bowl with a large spoon until the dry flour is all folded in and then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit out on the counter for at least 12 hours. After it has sat for at least 12 hours, allow for another 3-4 hours before you would like to eat the bread so you can do the following:

1) Knead the bread lightly by punching the dough down into the bowl and fold it over a couple of times and then shape into a ball.

2) Line another bowl with parchment paper (can be found at most stores in the baking section), then transfer the dough ball onto the parchment paper and cover the bowl with plastic wrap to keep the dough from drying out. Let the dough rise for about 2 hours.

3) Preheat a 5 Quart or 12-inch Dutch oven pot in a 500-degree oven.

4) Remove the plastic wrap from the bowl of dough; slightly score the top with a sharp knife.

5) Remove the Dutch oven from the oven. Transfer the parchment paper and dough into the preheated Dutch oven; place the lid back on the Dutch oven.

6) Reduce the heat to 425 degrees and bake for 30 minutes, covered. This will force the steam from the dough to remain in the Dutch oven and create a thick, chewy sourdough crust.

7) Remove the lid and bake for about 15 minutes at 425 degrees. This will harden the crust and create a golden brown color.

8) Immediately remove from pot and cool on wire rack for one hour before cutting.

It sounds like a lot of work, but it is really easy to do. You just have to plan ahead and be willing to take 5 minutes a couple of times to prepare it.

Another Option:

Make this recipe with 1 cup of cracked wheat. If you choose to do this, don’t put in the vinegar, and add about 1/2 cup more, water – because of the added cracked wheat. Using vinegar with the white flour makes good sour dough bread, but the vinegar seems to be incompatible with the cracked wheat option.

The Dutch Oven:

The Bread: