Dutch Oven Bread
This no-knead Dutch oven bread recipe delivers a crackly golden crust and a soft, airy interior with those gorgeous big holes you usually only see in artisan bakery bread. With just 5 minutes of hands-on prep and a handful of pantry staples, even a complete beginner can pull this off on the first try.
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Wooden spoon or rubber spatula
- Dutch oven with lid - 5 to 7 quarts in size
- Plastic wrap or clean kitchen towel - for covering the dough
- Kitchen scale - for accurate measurements
- Parchment paper - for transferring the dough
- Sharp knife or bread lame - for scoring the loaf
- Oven mitts
- Wire rack - for cooling the bread
- Clean work surface - for shaping the dough
Ingredients
- 480 g all-purpose flour - 4 cups, plus extra for dusting
- 1 teaspoon instant or active dry yeast
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- 480 ml warm water - 2 cups, about 100-110°F (38-43°C)
- cornmeal or extra flour - for dusting the proofing surface
Instructions
- Whisk the all-purpose flour, instant yeast, and fine sea salt together in a large mixing bowl until evenly combined.
- Pour the warm water into the bowl and stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until no dry flour remains. The dough will be shaggy, sticky, and rough.
- Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and place it in a warm spot away from drafts. Let it rise for 12 to 18 hours at room temperature until doubled or tripled in size with bubbles on the surface.
- Dust a clean work surface generously with flour or cornmeal. Gently turn the dough out onto the surface, then fold the edges toward the center a few times to form a rough ball. Place it seam side down on a piece of parchment paper.
- Cover the shaped dough loosely with the kitchen towel and let it rest for 30 to 45 minutes while you preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C) with the empty Dutch oven and lid inside.
- Carefully remove the hot Dutch oven using oven mitts. Score the top of the dough with one or two shallow cuts using a sharp knife or bread lame.
- Use the parchment paper as a sling to lower the dough into the preheated Dutch oven. Cover with the lid and bake for 30 minutes, then remove the lid and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes until the crust is deep golden brown.
- Lift the bread out using the parchment paper and transfer it to a wire rack to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
Notes
- Use a kitchen scale for the flour — measuring by volume can lead to too much or too little flour in the dough.
- Make sure your water is warm (about 100-110°F), not hot, since water that is too hot can kill the yeast.
- Do not skip the long rise time — this is what builds flavor and structure in a no-knead dough.
- Preheat the Dutch oven fully before adding the dough for the best crackly crust.
- Let the bread cool completely before slicing for the cleanest cuts and best texture.
- Store leftover bread at room temperature wrapped in a clean kitchen towel or paper bag for up to 2 days. Avoid plastic, which softens the crust.
- For longer storage, slice and freeze in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Reheat slices in a toaster or warm a whole loaf at 350°F for 10 minutes.
- Try variations: add 1 tablespoon dried herbs and minced garlic to the dry ingredients, fold in 1 cup shredded cheese after the first rise, or replace up to 1 cup of all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour.
- If you don't have a Dutch oven, use any heavy oven-safe pot with a tight-fitting lid that traps steam.
- A sticky, shaggy dough is completely normal — the high hydration is what creates the soft, airy interior, so resist the urge to add extra flour.