 Don’t have the strength to knead bread? With this No Knead Dutch Oven Bread, a slow rise and a Dutch oven do the work for you. No muscles required. Kneading bread activates the gluten in the flour which gives bread its structure. But you may no longer have (or never had) the strength to knead bread. This Dutch oven bread method is no knead, no mixer. The dough rises slowly (12 to 18 hours) and is baked in a Dutch oven to produce an artisan bread with a crusty outside and a soft inside. What is the best size Dutch oven for baking bread? A 5-quart to 7-quart Dutch oven is the best size for baking bread. For most home bakers and cooks, a 5-quart Dutch oven is big enough for your everyday needs. My 5-quart Nordic Ware Dutch oven is lightweight aluminum with a dark interior and a maximum oven temperature of 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Unfortunately, Nordic Ware no longer makes Dutch ovens, which may be why the one I bought was on sale for $59.99. While Dutch ovens by Le Creuset and Staub are recommended by Food & Wine, there are also less expensive Dutch ovens that work well for baking bread. I am not paid for these Dutch oven suggestions:
What does a Dutch oven do for bread? When you place the moist dough into the preheated Dutch oven, keep the lid on the Dutch oven. In the first 30 minutes of baking, steam is released from the dough which allows the bread to rise and the inside of the bread to bake. In the last 15 minutes of baking, remove the lid from the Dutch oven to allow the outside of the bread to brown. Let the Dutch Oven Bread baking begin! No Knead Dutch Oven Bread Video 🖨️ PRINT RECIPE No Knead Dutch Oven Bread Ingredients
No Knead Dutch Oven Bread – Make the Dough  In a large mixing bowl, add the flour. Then, add the yeast to one side of the flour and add the salt to the other side. Is it a myth that the yeast and salt must be stirred separately? Seems to be, but it only takes a moment. Besides, Lottie from the Great British Bake Off still does it this way, and I love Lottie. Use a silicone spatula to stir the yeast into the flour on its side of the bowl. Stir the salt into the flour on its side of the bowl. Then, stir the entire flour mixture a few times until combined. If the dried cranberries are sticking together, separate the cranberries as much as you can. Set aside.  Place a sheet of plastic wrap on your work surface. Zest an orange (or two oranges) over the plastic wrap. Set aside.  Add the dried cranberries and orange zest to the flour mixture. Stir the mixture with a silicone spatula and ensure the cranberries are evenly distributed and coated with flour.  Add the water to the flour mixture.  Use the silicone spatula to gently stir the flour mixture into the water until the dough appears shaggy and all mixed in (no streaks of dry flour). Do not knead.  Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and place in a warm, draft-free spot for 12 to 18 hours. Waiting 18 hours will work best. No Knead Dutch Oven Bread – Shape and Bake the Dough Depending on your oven, you may need to adjust the oven racks. To make room for the Dutch oven later, I placed one oven rack at the top level and the other oven rack at the bottom level. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  Crumple a piece of parchment paper.  Lay the parchment paper flat. Set aside.  Flour your work surface, a bench scraper, and your hands. A bench scraper makes it easier to shape the dough because the dough will be very loose and sticky. Don’t worry, the Dutch oven will take care of that later. Using the bench scraper or your hands, gently shape the dough into a domed round (or as much of a domed round as possible). As needed to shape the dough, add a little flour (up to 1/3 cup) to the dough and gently work the flour into the dough. Then, sprinkle a little flour over the top of the dough.  Move the dough to the center of the parchment paper. Loosely cover the dough with a clean sheet of plastic wrap. Let the dough rest for another 45 minutes. While you wait for the dough to rest, it’s time to preheat the Dutch oven.  Why preheat the Dutch oven? When the moist, unbaked dough is placed inside the preheated Dutch oven, steam is generated which creates an artisan bread with a soft inside and a crusty outside. When your oven has reached 400 degrees, put the lid on the Dutch oven and place the Dutch oven on the bottom rack. Heat the Dutch oven for 30 minutes. After preheating the Dutch oven, use oven mitts to remove the hot pan from the oven and place it on a trivet. Remove the lid from the Dutch oven. Remove the plastic wrap from the top of the dough.  Using the parchment paper as handles, lift the dough and place it with the parchment paper into the Dutch oven. Cover the Dutch oven with the lid again and place it on the bottom rack of your oven.  Does your oven run hot? One option is to place the dough on two pieces of parchment paper within the preheated Dutch oven. Another option is to place the Dutch oven on the second-to-last oven rack and put a cookie sheet or baking pan on the bottom rack to shield the Dutch oven from the heat.  Then, bake the bread, uncovered for another 5-15 minutes. During the last 15 minutes, if you see the bread is browning too much, remove the Dutch oven from your oven.  When the bread is done, remove the Dutch oven from your oven and place it on a trivet. Using the parchment paper as handles, lift the bread out of the Dutch oven and onto a wire rack. The bread is hot. Wear oven mitts to pull away the parchment paper as you push the bread onto the wire rack.  Let the bread cool completely before you slice it. It’s easier to cut the cooled bread by holding the bread on its side. After cutting the bread, cover the cut end of the bread with foil or plastic wrap. Store the Dutch oven bread in a paper bag or bread box for 2-5 days at room temperature. No Knead Dutch Oven Bread Variations Once you start baking bread with a Dutch oven, you might not be able to stop. Try a Dutch oven bread variation. Sweet practice makes perfect.  Chocolate Dutch Oven Bread This Chocolate Dutch Oven Bread is another keeper. Fluffy and filled with chocolate chips that melt during baking, this delicious loaf is perfect for breakfast, afternoon snack, or dessert.  Chocolate Dutch Oven Bread – How to Make the Dough Instead of dried cranberries and orange zest, swap in these 4 ingredients:
In a large mixing bowl, add the flour. Sift ¼ cup (21 grams) cocoa powder into the flour and use a whisk to stir together. Add 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar to the flour mixture and whisk to stir together. Then, add the yeast to one side of the flour in the bowl and add the salt to the other side. Use a silicone spatula to stir the yeast into the flour on its side of the bowl. Then, stir the salt into the flour on its side of the bowl. Stir the entire flour mixture a few times until combined. Add the ½ cup of chocolate chips and ½ cup of chopped pecans to the flour mixture. Stir the mixture with a silicone spatula to ensure the chocolate chips and pecans are evenly distributed and coated with flour. Add the water to the flour mixture. Use the silicone spatula to gently stir the flour mixture into the water until the dough appears shaggy and all mixed in (no streaks of dry flour). Do not knead. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and place in a warm, draft-free spot for 12 to 18 hours. Waiting 18 hours will work best. The steps for shaping and baking the dough are the same, except because of the chocolate and sugar, the second stage of baking might just be 5 minutes.   See more Recipes to Bake: Blackberry Lemon Cake Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins Mini Chocolate Tarts Wild Blueberry Muffins Raspberry Buttermilk Cake  Comments are closed.
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