Dutch Oven Crusty No-Knead Artisan Bread
4-ingredient bakery-style crusty bread with an open airy crumb baked in a preheated Dutch oven.
dutch-oven Timer
Set for 45 mins @ 450°F (232°C)
Ingredients
Base recipe calibrated for 8 adults.
Not included: Water (room temp) — no confident product match, so you'll need to add it yourself.
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Get to the Point Execution
Mix 3 cups flour, 1.5 cups warm water, 1/2 tsp yeast, and 1.5 tsp salt into a shaggy dough; rest 12-18 hours at room temp.
Preheat Dutch oven inside oven at 450°F for 30 minutes.
Shape dough onto parchment paper, score top with a blade, and lower into hot Dutch oven.
Bake covered for 30 minutes, then uncovered for 15 minutes until deep golden brown and hollow sounding.
Step-by-Step Guided Instructions
In a large bowl, whisk 3 cups unbleached bread flour, 1.5 tsp kosher salt, and 1/2 tsp instant yeast. Add 1.5 cups room-temperature water. Stir with a wooden spoon for 45 seconds until a sticky shaggy dough forms.
Do not knead! The long overnight fermentation develops gluten chains naturally without manual labor.
Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and rest at room temperature for 12 to 18 hours until bubbly. Scrape onto a floured surface, fold corners inward, and shape into a round boule on a sheet of parchment paper.
High hydration (75%) creates the classic large air pockets seen in European artisan loaves.
Place your empty Dutch oven with lid on the center rack and preheat oven to 450°F for at least 30 minutes. The pot must be screaming hot.
The intense initial heat blast springs the dough upward before crust hardens.
Slash a 1/2-inch deep cut across the top of dough with a razor. Carefully lower parchment and dough into the hot Dutch oven. Cover lid and bake 30 minutes. Remove lid and bake 15 minutes more until blistered and dark golden.
Baking covered traps steam released by the dough, which gelatinizes starches for a crackly glass-like crust.
Wait at least 30 minutes before slicing! Cutting hot bread lets internal steam escape and crushes the crumb into gummy dough.
Serve thick warm slices spread generously with salted butter and strawberry jam.
- Warm crusty artisan bread
- Avocado side salad
- Herb roasted potatoes
Toast sliced bread in a toaster or warm whole loaf in a 350°F oven for 6 minutes to restore crust crispness.