There is nothing like the smell of freshly baked bread. A lot of people have never baked bread because they think it is too difficult. Well, if you follow this recipe you will find out just how easy it is. You don’t need any fancy kitchen equipment or ingredients.
The best part of this recipe is that you don’t even need to knead the dough.
You just mix the ingredients and let nature do the rest.
You can make it the night before, let it rise all night, and bake it for breakfast.
It just takes 45 minutes in the oven. Eat it while it’s hot with butter and jam, with your favorite soup, or use it to make delicious toast and sandwiches.
After tasting homemade bread, you will never buy store-bought bread again!
Ingredient For This Recipe
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 ½ tsp sea salt
- 1 ½ cups warm water (105F)
How To Make Dutch Oven Bread From Scratch
- Step 1. In a large bowl, combine flour, active dry yeast, and salt
- Step 2. Add the water, and mix until all ingredients are perfectly combined and they form a ball.
- Step 3. Transfer to a greased bowl and cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap and a moistened kitchen towel
- Step 4. Let the dough rise in a draft-free place for 18 to 24 hrs. After the 18 to 24 hrs, the dough will look like this:
- Step 5. preheat the oven to 450F and put a dutch oven inside the oven while it preheats. Baking the bread in a preheated dish makes it crunchy
- Step 6. Turn dough into a floured surface
- Step 7. Gently gather the dough into a ball
- Step 8. Carefully place the dough into a preheated dutch oven and bake, covered for 30 minutes. Remove cover and bake for 15 mins more. Remove from the oven and cool in a rack.
Recipe tips;
- Make sure the water you use is warm. If it is too cold, the gluten will not develop properly, and if it is too hot, it will kill the yeast. Warm water is key
- For best results, use all-purpose flour. If you want to use whole wheat flour, substitute up to one cup all-purpose with whole wheat.
- If you want to jazz things up, you can add chopped garlic, onion, or Parmesan cheese
- Make sure your baking dish or dutch oven is inside the oven while preheating
- After taking your bread out of the oven, let it cool on a rack. This keeps the bottom crisp
CHECK OUT THESE AWESOME, HOMEMADE BAKERY FRENCH BREAD
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 ½ tsp sea salt
- 1 ½ cups warm water (105F)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine flour, active dry yeast, and salt
- Add the water, and mix until all ingredients are perfectly combined and they form a ball.
- Transfer to a greased bowl and cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap and a moistened kitchen towel
- Let the dough rise in a draft-free place for 18 to 24 hrs. After the 18 to 24 hrs, the dough will look like this:
- preheat the oven to 450F and put a dutch oven inside the oven while it preheats. Baking the bread in a preheated dish makes it crunchy
- Turn dough into a floured surface
- Gently gather the dough into a ball
- Carefully place the dough into a preheated dutch oven and bake, covered for 30 minutes. Remove cover and bake for 15 mins more. Remove from the oven and cool in a rack.
Answering Your Burning Questions:
- Can You Use Bread Flour For Easy Homemade Dutch Oven Bread? All-purpose flour works best for dutch oven bread. If you use bread flour, I would recommend you knead the dough. Bread flour needs kneading for the gluten to develop properly. This is not the case with all-purpose flour.
- What Can I Use Instead Of A Dutch Oven To Bake The Bread? If you don’t own a dutch oven, you can use any 2.5-2.75 qt round baking dish with a lid.
Super easy and turned out exactly like pictures at every step! Loved it snd will be making it again!
I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Estella!
This is my go to recipe when I need to make a sourdough bread. It’s a great hostess gift too. I add 2 garlic crushed cloves and some dried rosemary and it takes it up a notch.
Thank you for sharing your recipe.
That’s so nice to hear, Eliza! 😀 Thanks for your review!
This was SO good. I’ve been wanting to use my new dutch oven, and this was the perfect recipe for it. I let mine sit for about 19-20 hours and followed the recipe exactly, and it came out perfect. I live alone but I’m gonna find some way to share it😂 I’ll definitely be making this again, maybe even experimenting with herbs and garlic next time!
I’m glad you liked it! Yup, you could for sure add something like that. Thanks for your review!
Very easy to make and delicious. Have made it a few times now and always a hit with the family! Added fresh garlic and rosemary just before placing in oven and it turned out great! Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe.
That’s so nice to hear, Rina! Glad it worked out. 🙂
Wow, I have been baking different breads for many years and this being the easiest I have ever made- IS THE MOST DELICIOUS I HAVE EVER MADE! Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe! I will make this for the rest of my life!
You’re very welcome, Jessica!! 😀 Thanks so much for your review!
Be Warned Once you have made this delicious bread you will spend the rest of your life cooking food that “ needs” lovely crusty bread to dip into it !
Great and easy recipe! Making it a second time now and the dough after sitting for only 5 hours looks like it did at 18 hours, and it has doubled in size already, do I have to let it sit for 18 hours still?
This depends entirely on you! Some environments are better suited for bread fermentation than others. Looks like the temperature in your house was a good one for this purpose! If you loved it the first time, I wouldn’t change a thing. But if you want to try and see what happens, try leaving it for 8 hours let’s say? Let me know which one you liked best!
Can bread flour be used with this recipe?
Bread flour has a higher gluten content and needs a little bit more work to develop the elasticity in that extra gluten. It may not be as soft, but you can definitely try it out and let us know how it turned out!
Such a simple bread recipe. This is my go to when I want a nice crusty bread with homemade soups. Question – how do you suggest storing the bread? (Paper bag, zip lock, on the counter, etc.)
Thanks!
The best way for me is to store it in a paper bag and in an airtight container if you can. And keep it on the counter. Bread will keep in good condition for 3-4 days. The crust will not be as crisp, but the bread will stay soft.
Alert: Dumb question coming! I’m trying this now. I’m at the point where I’m letting it sit in a draft free room so I’ve put it in the spare room and closed the door. That room doesn’t get any heat and it’s a little cool in there. Is the cool room going to make a difference on the outcome?
I’m so sorry if I’m a bit late to answering your question! It’s better to let it rest inside the oven (turned off). The cool temperature will make it a little slow to rise, but please let us know how it turned out!
I generally use my oven (no heat) as the place to let my dough rise.
Making my second attempt to make this recipe. It’s awesome! Delicious. Hubby loves it, too,
Hi!! I actually had it sit out for longer than 24 hours. Is that okay? It was still so delish! And so easy to make!
hi there, I am curious if you are mixing the ingredients with an electric mixer? stand mixer? paddle attachment? and for how long? Thank you
As a matter of fact, I mix it by hand. But you can use your stand-up mixer with the paddle attachment and mix it just until it comes together.
Do you do cool the bread in the Dutch oven on the rack or take it out of dutch oven to cool on rack?
Either way is good, but if you can take it out of the dutch oven and cool on the rack
The best
This has become a regular in our house; excellent bread and so easy to make.
I have baked this bread often. I have also used brown bread and wholewheat flour. Every time a huge success!! Thank for the easiest no knead bread recipe!!
This bread is so easy and delicious!! Will be making it again for sure!!
Doubled the recipe and turned out great, will be making it again!
Did you double the cook time as well?
No, I baked according to the directions.
What size Dutch oven did you use when you doubled the recipe?
At what point in the process would you add the extras like Parmesan or rosemary, etc? Thanks!
In step two when you add all the ingredients! Try not to use fresh veggies. If you want to add onion or garlic, I would rather use dry flakes.
I’m so confused about the yeast thing. When I buy active dry yeast it says you need to activate it. But your recipe doesn’t say that. Are you just putting 2 teaspoons of that dry yeast into the recipe?
They recommend you activate it to prove it is still alive because if it is too old it dies. Generally what you buy at the store is new enough but if you have some sitting at home for too, it might be time to buy new. If you feel better activating it, please do so.
If doubled recipe is used does baking time increase?
I would definitely keep an eye on it, but I wouldn’t think so. Just make sure you have a big enough dutch oven to bake it in.
So this was the first time making this bread! It was delicious. The only thing is the inside was sorta gummy per say, the outside was perfect but not sure what happened. I followed the recipe exactly the only thing different was the yeast packet says approx 2 1/4 teaspoons I used the whole packet instead of measuring out 2 teaspoons. Would that have been the problem? Anyone else have this problem??
I’m not sure that would be a problem. Maybe your oven is not well calibrated and the bread needed a little more time to fully cook. It happened to me once!
Hoping this tastes as good as it looks! It’s the easiest bread I’ve ever made! Thank you!
I followed the recipe exactly but the dough would not form a ball. It was very soupy until I kept adding more flour. Are you supposed to keep adding flour when making it into a ball? It is baking now. I hope it comes out good.
No, you’re not supposed to add more flour. It is a sticky dough, though. All you need to do is place it onto a floured surface and fold it to form a ball, but it’s a sticky one. Did you check the step photos? That’s what it looks like
I had the same problem, it’s my first time making bread, maybe i just need to get the hang of it, definitely gonna try again. Wondering if the water was too hot when i added
If I wanted to double this recipe would I double the yeast too?
Yes you should double the yeast too
If I made double would it have to sit longer
No. Same amount of time
Im confused with cooking time.
dough need to rest 18to24min or actualy 18to24hours?
It’s actually hours!
Can I use regular salt if I don’t have sea salt?
Yes, you definitely can!
The dough smelled a bit sour before baking- is that okay?
It is actually, but if you prefer next time rest it for 12-18 hours. Conditions may be different at your house.
The recipe didn’t mention this, but I add a little oil to my hands and fold the dough a few times until the texture changes and it is easier to make a ball. It usually takes less than 3-5 mins.
I followed the recipe to the letter. My batter would not roll into a ball. It kept oozing out flat, no matter how much flour I added. After baking, it was more of a pancake loaf than I bread loaf. It was, however, delicious! I would love advice on how to fix whatever went wrong.
Hi! I am wondering if your yeast was alright. Next time proof it. Place it in a bowl with a bit of lukewarm water (not too hot or it will die), a teaspoon of sugar and wait for it to bubble up. If it does not bubble up, it probably is inactive and you have to buy more.
What size Dutch oven do you use for this recipe? I have more than one size. I’ve seen this recipe on pinterest in several places, but no one gives the recommended size of Dutch oven to be used.
Thanks
I first read about one of these loaves and it said to use a 7 Quart Dutch oven which is equivalent to about 6-7 litres My Dutch Oven is only 3 1/2 so I bought a 6 litre Dutch oven and it I Huge and extremely heavy I can only just lift it out of the oven onto the side and it is incredibly hot for a long time !
They do retain heat for a while. What brand of Dutch oven did you buy?