This easy recipe for Dutch Oven Bread requires minimal effort and is basically foolproof. Enjoy homemade bread made with real, healthy ingredients and no processed junk.
**Photos updated April 2016**
Hi Friends!
I first shared this recipe over two years ago in a guest post. Last week I came to a few realizations:
- It had been far too long since I made this bread
- I should definitely share this recipe with all of you!
So here it is. A super easy way to make an absolutely delicious loaf of bread. It requires almost no kneading and it’s pretty much foolproof!
Dutch Oven Bread
Here’s the recipe:
PrintDutch Oven Bread
A foolproof recipe that requires very little kneading and comes out perfectly every time!
- Prep Time: 4 hours
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours 40 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 c bread flour
- 1 c white whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp salt
- pinch of sugar
- 1.5 c warm water
- 2+3/4 tsp active dry yeast
Instructions
- Pour the warm water into a large bowl. Add yeast and a pinch of sugar and let sit for 5 minutes.
- Add salt and flours and stir until a shaggy ball of dough is formed.
- Cover and let rise in a warm place for 4 hours.
- Turn dough out onto a floured surface. With floured hands, knead the dough 5-10 times.
- Return dough to the bowl and let rise for another 30 minutes.
- While dough is rising, place your dutch oven (uncovered) in the oven and preheat to 430 degrees F.
- After 30 minutes, use floured hands to reshape dough into a ball and carefully drop into the dutch oven.
- Cover and let bake for 30 minutes.
- Uncover and let bake 10-15 minutes longer.
- Remove loaf from dutch oven and let cool.
In case you haven’t picked up on it yet, I love my Dutch oven 🙂
I’ve tried this recipe with all bread flour and it’s fantastic. I’ve tried it with 2 cups white whole wheat flour and 1 cup bread flour and it’s ok, but not great It doesn’t rise as much and it’s much denser. I personally think the best ratio is 2 cups bread flour and 1 cup white whole wheat flour.
Enjoy with some peanut butter or make yourself a sandwich!
Let’s chat:
Do you bake your own bread?!
Do you have a favorite recipe?
Enjoy!
–Lindsay–
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I don’t have a dutch oven, but that bread looks so good I want to get one (totally worth it for that, right?). I love bread (yes, I admit it). Especially homemade, hot from the oven.
totally worth it 🙂
I’ve never heard of Dutch oven bread before, but it looks lovely! 🙂
This looks amazing! I’m a Dutch oven fanatic (have all shapes and sizes) but I never heard of this! I can wasily see making a loaf of this in the oven while another Dutch oven is cooking stew/soup. All Dutch oven dinner! Thanks for sharing.
i like the way you think! enjoy!
i like i like! question: do you have to use bread flour? i only have whole wheat!
yeah, i think bread flour is crucial in this recipe. Using all whole wheat would make it a lot denser and chewier.
I love how you make things like tortillas and bread so simply! I definitely would want to try this in our Dutch oven. The last time I made bread was with my mom using a bread maker that requires lots of different steps. This sounds so much easier, and it looks tasty!
it’s definitely easy! hope you like it!
Might be a really dumb question, but what is Dutch Oven bread? Does it taste just like bread, or what? I love how easy this is! I don’t typically make my own bread, but make cinnamon rolls! haha
not a dumb question..it’s just like regular bread…just the pot that you cook it in is called a dutch oven!
Oh that looks ssscrumptious. There is something deep inside that can’t resist warm, fresh-baked bread!
I have NOT made my own bread but I would like to!
let Emmy help you stir!
I am a bread fanatic so this looks amazing! I might have to experiment with a gluten free version for myself. I love making Elana’s pantry Paleo Bread as my bread of choice. It tastes so much better than store bought.
good luck! hope you’re successful with a GF version!
I saw this on instagram and knew I wanted to make it eventually! It looks so good. We actually make bread at my house but in a bread maker. I really want to try making this too.
nice! I love my bread maker but somehow I lost the little thing that kneads the dough…so it’s somewhat ineffective now 🙁
I love the looks of this bread… especially because I’ve been wanting to try making my own bread forever now, and it seems so foolproof. Thanks for sharing, girl!
woohoo! let me know if you try it!
I love how easy this recipe is! Baking bread is one of my all time favorite things to do in the winter – it just makes the entire house smell so good 🙂
i agree!!
I can practically smell it. I have a ciabatta recipe that starts in the bread machine and then I finish it out with a second rise and shape it for the oven. Super simple. Nothing beats homemade bread.
ooooh ciabatta, yum! I’ve never made that at home!
I’ll have to try this! My first attempt at bread was a fail, pretty sure I got the yeast part wrong because it didn’t really rise. The recipe I had also had twice the number of ingredients!
yeah i think when it comes to bread, simple is best!
There’s nothing like fresh homemade bread right out of the oven! I swear, it’s the most amazing thing ever. Love this recipe!
homemade bread is seriously the best…thanks for sharing this recipe!
It’s so pretty! I usually stick with quick breads, but I have a couple leftover yeast packets from when I made my Tuscan bread recipe not too long ago. I think I’ve found a way to use them. 🙂
enjoy, my friend!
I love love LOVE making my own bread! Focaccia bread is one of my favorites! Which reminds me I need to post that recipe 🙂 I’m definitely going to have to try this Dutch Oven Bread!
yes! definitely post! I love focaccia!
with all that deliciousness, I need a dutch oven!
This is proof why I need a Dutch oven! I absolutely love homemade bread, but I tend to screw it up or it’s REALLY doughy/thick and not suitable to eat. I will so try this in the future!
I ADORE homemade bread, but I rarely make it anymore. It’s just time consuming (waiting for it to rise, etc). But you have me thinking about it now. 🙂
I love this post! I normally don’t eat white bread, but only because of all the crazy ingredients it comes with. This is a nice clean way to make bread, and an excuse to use my dutch oven!
Seriously in love with this (and with bread in general). As your little bloggy intern, I submitted this one to Health Aperture today. If it’s not front page tomorrow, we know the site’s rigged… just saying.
I have never made bread in a dutch oven before but it’s brilliant! I am excited to try this recipe!
I’m really regretting not registering for a dutch oven when I got married! I’m too cheap and have ZERO space to go buy one now :-/
Nothing better than bread straight out of the oven with a big hunk of butter! ha! Some people crave sweets, I crave chewy, crusty bread and butter. Yum
I had NO idea that I could use my dutch oven to make bread!! I am loving this!
This bread lover is salivating!!! I wish I were next door to you when you make this!!!! 🙂
comment luv issues again..
Time is “Running” Out! http://truth2beingfit.com/2013/09/25/time-is-running-out.aspx
Your bread looks amazing! Thanks for sharing! Whenever I make bread, I like to add some herbs (rosemary, oregano, garlic) to it! It tastes really good with olive oil 🙂
One of my clients made me loaves of a bread similar to this except it was mini ones and OMG they were awesome. I am scared to work with yeast, but maybe I should give it a shot. 🙂 Looks fabulous as always!
I have been meaning to try a recipe like this for a while now. I found yours, and tried it this afternoon. I think that it easily may be one of the best bread recipes I have ever tried. I only had all purpose flour, so I used that, and I needed to add a little extra flour, but it turned out wonderful!!!!!!
yay! so glad to hear it!
Great recipe!
I did add to it/change it a bit to fit my family’s tastes. I added a large pinch of thyme and a large pinch of rosemary and made it an herbal bread. I served it with a small bowl of olive oil with basil and rosemary in the olive oil. This bread dip is much healthier then butter and just taste better at dinner.
I am sure there are several herbal “themes” you can use with this bread. I am sure Irish potato bread served with an Irish stew would come out amazing.
Have you ever doubled this recipe? If so, how long did you bake? Or would I be better off making two separate loaves?
i’d probably make 2 separate loaves!
I made this recipe and husband and nephew loved it. Bought my son & daughter in law a dutch oven and this is the first recipe I sent them. Now that I think about it I will make a loaf today.
awesome!!
I’m really confused by the 23/4 tsp of active dry yeast. Do you mean 2 x 3/4 tsp or is that a typo and it’s supposed to just be 3/4 tsp?
it’s 2 full tsp plus 3/4 tsp
Thanks for the clarification! There are a lot of ways to interpret that and yeast is pretty important when making bread.
I love making bread this way and its so easy! After seeing your pictures I Now I need to get out my dutch oven and make a loaf because there’s nothing like homemade bread.
Still posting amazing pictures and baking amazing things…
This has been one of my go to bread recipes for years!!! I’ve been sending it to friends who have been hesitant to bake bread and it has worked out great for them.