Dutch Oven Bread
This is a fun way to make bread that you might otherwise make in a bread machine. The result is an “artisan” style bread loaf that looks like you got it from the bakery — well, you did — your bakery!
Equipment
- Dutch Oven
Ingredients
- 1 cup lukewarm water
- ⅓ cup lukewarm milk
- 3 tablespoons butter, (or substitute 2 1/2 TBS Light olive oil and add 1/2 TBS more milk.)
- 3 ¾ cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast or instant yeast
Instructions
Mix in Stand Mixer:
- Using the dough hook in your stand mixer, add the ingredients in the order they were listed. Run the stand mixer until the dough climbs up the hook.
First Proofing:
- Put the dough into the oven set to “proof” for 1 hour.
Second Proofing:
- Take the dough out of the oven, and using a spatula pull it in from the sides. Form it into a ball and put back in to proof for another hour.
Heat the Dutch Oven:
- Set another oven to 450 degrees and put an empty 6-quart Dutch Oven in to heat up while the dough is on its second proofing.
Prepare Dough for Dutch Oven:
- Take the dough out and put it on a lightly-floured surface. Put 1/2 TBS EVOO into a bowl and sprinkle a little flour into the bowl. Form the dough into a ball and drop into the bowl. Dump bowl out. Take the Dutch Oven out, remove the top, put the dough into the Dutch Oven, put the top on and back into the oven for 30 minutes.