Quick Dutch Oven Bread Recipe
Super easy, beginner friendly, all you need is a dutch oven and some time.
Do you ever wish you could make bread in a few hours rather than an entire 24 hours? Before this recipe, I always wished for a faster process. Using techniques I have learned from both focaccia and french bread recipes, I finally feel like bread can be quicker and easier than most would expect.
I know that this bread would have made the bread making hobby so much less intimidating for me, so I hope that sharing this can help you begin your bread journey! I am here to give you some helpful tips to make your bread baking much more accessible.
Lets clear the air:
There is no reason to have all the fancy equipment when you’re just starting out. Bench knives, scoring tools, KitchenAids, and bread whisks aside; none of this is necessary to make a loaf of bread that is better than anything you could get at the store.
Helpful hacks for when you don’t seem to have the right tools:
Think about it, in the old fashioned days, no one had fancy kitchen equipment. You just have to get crafty with it sometimes.
Oftentimes, the best tool is your hands. While yes, having a KitchenAid makes the bread process so much easier, you’re still going to have to get your hands dirty.
You also don’t need a kitchen scale. It will make the recipe more accurate, but if you’re willing to listen to the dough rather than the recipe, using measuring cups won’t be a roadblock in your baking.
The only “fancy” equipment you need for this specific recipe is a dutch oven, but I will share an easy french bread recipe at a later date. The reason behind using a dutch oven is because it distributes heat evenly across the bread as it cooks. In other recipes, it may require you to have a water bath in the oven. With the help of a dutch oven, that process isn’t necessary since it builds steam inside the dutch oven making your bread come out crunchy instead of bland.
A quick guide to the “lingo”:
Bread bakers have words they use to describe the process and outcome of the bread. Here are some that are (in my opinion), good to know:
Crumb: This refers to the pattern of the holes, as well as their size. When baking artisan breads, the larger and more irregular the crumb, the better. This has to do with the hydration of the dough.
Proof: The final rise of the bread after it has been shaped.
Autolyse: I refer to it as hydrating the flour before kneading, it allows the flour and yeast to come together to create a better gluten formation.
At the end of the recipe, I have provided some helpful hacks when it comes to making bread, and some possible ways to troubleshoot.
Quick Dutch Oven Bread Recipe:
Prep Time: 20 minutes || Cook time: 45 min-1 hour || Rise time 2-3 hours || total time: about 3-4 hours
Ingredients:
1/2 cup warm milk (you can use water if needed)
1/2 tsp sugar
2 tsp active dry yeast (or one package)
4 cups all purpose flour (plus or minus a half cup)
Pinch of salt
1 cup lukewarm water
1 egg mixed (optional)
Mix the warm milk (heated in the microwave) in with the yeast. Again, you can also use warm water, I have found the milk makes the bread fluffier. Leave the yeast and milk recipe to ferment and activate for about 5 to 10 minutes.
Once the mixture has “bloomed,” add in about four cups of loosely packed flour as well as the salt. For best results, mix the ingredients and let them sit for 15-30 minutes, while not necessary, this hydrates the flour and allows it to let the yeast activate with the flour.
Mix one egg with the cup of lukewarm water, the egg is optional so if you choose not to use it, substitute the egg for 2 tbsp of water.
Now you’re going to knead the dough, I have made two steps to account for anyone hand kneading or machine kneading.
For KitchenAid mixing: Use the dough hook attachment. Slowly add in the egg and water mixture. If the dough becomes too sticky, don’t add the whole mixture. To remedy sticky dough, add a couple of tablespoons of flour in at a time until the dough is a firm but still moist texture. Knead dough for about 5 minutes. Once it is separated from the edges of the bowl, you are good to go.
For hand kneading: create a well and add in the wet mixture. Slowly mix the two together with a spoon or dough whisk. Once it has come together, you will want to knead the dough for about 5-10 minutes until it is a routine texture that isn’t sticky to the touch.
Put a wet kitchen towel on top of the bowl and allow it to rise in a warm, dry area of the kitchen. Rise time can depend on many things, so let dough rise for 1-2 hours, or until it has doubled in size.
At this point, you can skip onto the next step, but for best results I recommend a second rise. Lightly knead the dough in the bowl, folding it into itself. Once it has doubled in size again, it is ready.
Heat oven to 450 degrees. While the oven is heating, place the bread in a slightly warmed and lightly greased dutch oven to proof.
Lightly dust the loaf with flour and score the top. Place it in the oven and bake for about 35 minutes while covered. For the last 10 to 15 minutes of baking on the lowest rack, uncover the bread to allow for it to get crispy.
Once removed from the oven, allow it to cool for at least 30 minutes and enjoy! In a future recipe I will be sharing how to make your own butter, which will make the bread so much more satisfying.
Helpful hacks:
Some of my favorite tips go as follows,
When handling dough, I have found that it is better to wet my hands before handling it as opposed to flouring my hands.
I have said for a while, if you followed the recipe perfectly and the bread didn’t turn out, it is because you followed the recipe exactly. Especially if you are using measuring cups as opposed to a kitchen scale. Using volume to measure mass is always going to be a flawed technique. If I’m in doubt, I add about a half cup less flour than the recipe calls for, and if the dough is too sticky I continue to add flour slowly.
Kneading is much easier than it may seem, and bread is not nearly as finicky as people think it is. You don’t have to be afraid you’re going to “hurt” the dough by kneading too hard, in fact, you want to really get in there.
Remember, bread is sensitive to many factors that can affect the outcome of your loaf. Differences in outcome can be totally out of your control, such as temperature, humidity, water temperature, oven, and yeast. If it doesn’t turn out perfectly the first time, please try again! Don’t let this discourage you from being the ultimate bread master!
NEVER put an enameled dutch oven in a hot oven. You are going to risk cracking the dutch oven. You can either heat it up on the stove or in the oven as you begin to preheat, taking it out after about 10 minutes.
Love this recipe! I just bought a Dutch oven to make this.