Let It Grow
By Tammy Thornton
During the cold winter months, comfort food warms our souls and revives our spirits. Walking into a room with the aroma of fresh-baked bread filling the air reveals that good things are coming our way. In the past, I have written about making focaccia and braided bread — both delicious. But this no-fuss loaf bread can be popped into your Dutch oven pot, making it one of the easiest types of bread to make, without sacrificing flavor.
If you are not familiar with Dutch ovens, they are heavy pots with tight-fitting lids, often made from cast iron and coated with enamel. Dutch ovens can go from stovetop to oven and are perfect for making soups or browning meats and vegetables on the stove. But they can also create the perfect environment for baking bread that will look like it came from an artisan baker. Inside the Dutch oven, the bread will rise and steam and form a lovely crust. Be sure to preheat the empty Dutch oven at the same time as you preheat your oven. You need the pot to be nice and hot before you add the bread.
Begin by pouring 1 ½ cups of very warm (but not hot) tap water into a large bowl. Sprinkle two teaspoons of yeast over the warm water and allow it to foam for a few minutes. (If your yeast does not appear to change or foam at all, you may have inactive yeast, in which case, you will need new yeast. It could also mean your water was too hot.) Once your yeast begins to react, add one tablespoon of honey, two teaspoons of kosher salt, two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, and three cups of flour. Mix all of the ingredients well. The dough may be a little bit sticky. If it appears too wet, add a little more flour. Stir dough until you have thoroughly mixed the flour into the dough and drizzle the top with a little more olive oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, place in a warm area, and allow your dough to rise for one to two hours. I will often turn my oven on low for a minute, then turn it off and place the bowl in the oven. After the dough rises to almost double in size, punch down the dough and dump it onto a lightly floured surface. At this point, place the empty Dutch oven (with the lid on) in your cold oven and preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Leave the empty Dutch oven in the oven for another 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, shape your dough. At this point, you can get creative and add garlic, rosemary, or olives to your dough, or leave it plain. Once you make this bread a few times, you may want to experiment with different ingredients. Knead the dough slightly and form it into a round loaf, pulling the edges toward the center and then flipping the dough over. You will want to make sure there is plenty of flour on your surface so that it doesn’t stick. I like to use parchment paper for this step for easy cleanup. Once your loaf is formed, use a sharp knife and cut a few slits in the top of the bread. This will make lovely little crusty edges on the top of the loaf.
Once your Dutch oven has heated for the allotted time, carefully take that crazy hot bugger out of the oven using great caution. Remove the lid using your very best potholders and place it on the side. Add a large piece of parchment paper to the Dutch oven and ease your dough into the center of the parchment paper. At this point, you can brush the dough with an egg wash or milk wash (some egg white with water or a little milk with water). After brushing the wash on top of the dough, sprinkle a little more kosher salt on top. You can also sprinkle some sesame seeds or “everything bagel” seasoning. Replace the lid on the Dutch oven and place everything in your heated oven for 30 minutes.
After thirty minutes, carefully open the oven, take off the Dutch oven lid, and bake your bread for another ten minutes. At this point, your home should smell amazing and you may have uninvited neighbors showing up for samples. After the last ten minutes, remove the bread from the oven and allow it to cool on a cooling rack. This wait will be the hardest part of the recipe. After patiently waiting about 30 minutes, take a picture of your work of art, and slice into that delicious bread. Drizzle with olive oil or butter and love your life.
Tammy Thornton lives with her husband, children, and crazy pets while enjoying a life of gardening, cooking, and going to the beach.
