Homemade Dutch Oven Bread

Active yeast: Stir the yeast into the water and allow the yeast to bloom until foamy.

Instant yeast: add to flour directly.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, yeast, salt, herbs by hand.

Pour the warm water into the mixture.

Wet your working hand before mixing so the dough doesn’t stick to your fingers, and mix. The water and flour should come together and a form rough dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl. If the dough is too sticky, add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time. If the dough is too dry, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time.

Once the dough comes together, cover and let rise until doubled in size (about 1 ½-2 hours). Rises faster in a warmer room.

Uncover the dough and give it a few pokes with your finger. If the dough has risen properly, it should indent under the pressure of your finger and slowly deflate. Punch it down.

Using your hand or a rubber spatula, start from the rim of the bowl to work the dough loose from the sides and fold it up and towards the center of the bowl. Turn the bowl 90 degrees, and repeat until all the dough has been pulled from the sides and folded towards the center.

Once finished, cover and let the dough rise again for another 1 ½-2 hours until it 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 sprayed/coated with olive oil and dusted with flour.

Place a 6-quart Dutch oven (or heavy cooking pot with oven-safe lid) inside the oven. Preheat the oven to 450˚F (230˚C) with the pot inside for 45 minutes-1 hour.

Meanwhile, cover bread and let rise for 1 hour. (Or bake it now if you’re in a rush)

Carefully remove the pot from the oven and place it on a trivet or heat-safe surface. (Be careful! It’ll be VERY HOT.)

Turn the proofed dough over onto lightly floured parchment paper. Score bread with a razor or x-acto knife. Carefully drop dough + parchment paper into the pot.

(Optional: place dutch oven on cooking sheet to reduce burning on bottom of loaf.)

Cover dutch oven with lid and return the pot to the oven.

Bake for 48 minutes, removing the lid for the last 12-16 minutes.

(Optional: turn off oven and open oven door a crack to let heat out for 20 minutes to make crust extra crispy.)

Remove bread from pot, and let cool on a wore rack for 15 minutes before slicing.

Enjoy!

Pro-tip: mix olive oil with a pinch of kosher salt and ground pepper. Dip bread. Eat.