French Bread Dutch Oven (Print Version)
Bake up crisp, golden French loaves with a soft center right in your Dutch oven. No fuss, just awesome taste.
# Ingredients:
→ Dough
01 -
295 ml warm water (around 40–46°C)
02 -
6 g active dry yeast
03 -
5 g salt
04 -
5 g sugar
05 -
410 g plain flour
# Steps:
01 -
Once the bread's out of the oven, move it onto a rack and let it chill out until it’s cool. Slice up when fully cooled and keep leftovers in a sealed bag or airtight box at room temp for a couple of days.
02 -
Use a super sharp knife to slice the top of your dough, then, lifting on the baking paper, lower the dough into the hot Dutch oven. Pop the lid on and bake for thirty minutes, then take the lid off and go for ten more to get that golden crust. If baking on a sheet, just leave the dough on there and bake uncovered for about thirty five minutes. Aim for an inside temp of 99°C when it’s done.
03 -
Get your oven going at 220°C. Pop your Dutch oven (with its lid) inside the oven for about twenty minutes to heat up. If you’re using a baking sheet instead, skip preheating the tray.
04 -
Lay the dough on a nice floury surface or a sheet of parchment, shape it into a smooth ball, toss more flour on top, and throw a big bowl over it upside-down. Let it puff up for another half hour.
05 -
Drop your dough into a floured bowl. Lay a clean towel over it and let it chill for a couple of hours until it doubles in size. Just let it sit at room temp.
06 -
Pour in half the flour and all of the salt to your bubbly yeast mix. Get your dough hook set up on the stand mixer. Start kneading on medium-low, adding the rest of your flour slowly until a sticky dough forms and everything just sticks together.
07 -
In your stand mixer's bowl, stir together the warm water, yeast, and the sugar. Leave it for about five minutes to get super foamy and active.
# Notes:
01 -
If your water is between 40 and 46°C, your yeast will get bubbly the right way.
02 -
Let the loaf hang out on the rack until it’s completely cooled. The crust gets crispier.
03 -
Sticky dough is your friend. It’ll help the bread rise well and have big air pockets inside.