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Dutch Oven No Knead Crusty Bread Recipe

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A simple and foolproof Dutch Oven No Knead Crusty Bread recipe that yields a beautifully crusty loaf with minimal effort. This rustic bread requires no kneading, uses just a few basic ingredients, and is baked inside a hot Dutch oven to develop a perfect crust and soft airy interior.

Ingredients

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups warm water (about 100°F)
  • 1 packet active dry yeast (or instant/quick rise, 2.25 teaspoons)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons fine grain salt
  • 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

Instructions

  1. Mix the water, yeast, and salt: In a large bowl or container, whisk together the warm water, yeast, and salt until they are fully or almost fully dissolved to activate the yeast.
  2. Add the flour: Add all the all-purpose flour at once and stir until a sticky dough forms. It will be messy and sticky, but ensure everything is uniformly wet. Adjust with small amounts of flour or water if needed.
  3. Allow to rise in a warm place: Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel or loosely with a lid and let the dough rise in a warm area for 2–3 hours until it has doubled in volume.
  4. Bake or refrigerate: After rising, you can either proceed to bake the dough or store it in the refrigerator for later baking (see notes for storage tips).
  5. Preheat the Dutch oven: About 30–60 minutes before baking, preheat your oven to 450°F and place your Dutch oven with the lid on inside to heat thoroughly.
  6. Flour parchment paper and add dough: Dust a piece of parchment paper with flour. Scrape the dough onto the paper and shape it gently into a loaf by folding the edges over using a spatula.
  7. Shape the loaf: Use the parchment edges to flip the loaf so the floured side is on top and the loaf is centered on the paper. Shape into an oval or round according to your Dutch oven shape.
  8. Score the loaf: Optional but recommended: use a sharp knife or razor blade to cut about 1/2 inch deep slits across the top of the loaf for better expansion and an attractive crust pattern.
  9. Place loaf in hot Dutch oven carefully: Remove the preheated Dutch oven from the oven and carefully lift the parchment paper to place the dough inside, removing the lid.
  10. Bake: Cover and bake for 35 minutes at 450°F (40 minutes if dough was refrigerated). After that, remove the lid and bake for an additional 5–10 minutes until the crust turns golden brown and crisp.
  11. Cool before slicing: Remove the bread using the parchment paper onto a wire rack or cutting board and allow it to cool for at least 10 minutes, preferably 30 minutes to an hour before slicing to set the crumb.

Notes

  • You can store the dough in the refrigerator after the first rise for up to 24 hours and bake it straight from cold, adding a few extra minutes to the baking time.
  • If your kitchen is cold, create a warm proofing environment by warming your oven briefly, turning it off, then placing the bowl inside to rise.
  • Be patient during the rise time; the dough should roughly double in size for best results.
  • If the dough seems too wet or too dry initially, adjust with small increments of flour or water to reach the right sticky consistency.

Find it online: https://marthatasty.com/dutch-oven-no-knead-crusty-bread-recipe/