Dutch Oven French Bread

How could anyone resist such a treat as this?  And when you see how simple and easy this is you’ll be baking it yourself in no time!
This recipe and cooking method came to us from our chum, Hazel, who shares her fabulous recipes and cooking adventures on Facebook at Big Vino, Small Small plates.  You should check out her posts and consider following her.

Yesterday we told you all about Dutch ovens.  There was a reason for that.  Today we are sharing this method Hazel shared with us for making fail proof, simple and DELICIOUS French bread.  Even if you have been afraid of recipes that involve yeast, we PROMISE you can make this one and turn out a perfect loaf every time!   It is a no knead method with only 4 ingredients 🙂

This weekend is the perfect time to try this and please let us know how you like it.  Great bread will make any meal better. Add some of our favorite Kerrygold butter, or the Italian butter we told you about, and bread and butter IS the meal!  And one that makes for lots of love, joy and some very abundant living 🙂

Crusty Artisan Bread

YIELD: Makes 1 loaf

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups all-purpose flour (we replaced 1/4 cup of the all purpose flour for whole wheat flour to add a bit of texture)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon dry yeast (active dry or highly active dry work best)

1 1/2 cups lukewarm water

Special cookware needed: Dutch oven or any large oven-safe dish/bowl and lid*

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, salt and yeast. Add the water and stir using a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a shaggy but cohesive dough. Do not over-work the dough.

Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Let dough sit at room temperature for 8-24 hours*. Dough will bubble up and rise.

After dough is ready, preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Place your Dutch oven or a heavy pot that is oven safe, uncovered, into the preheated oven for 30 minutes.

While your Dutch oven preheats, turn dough onto a well-floured surface and, with floured hands, form the dough into a ball. Cover dough loosely with plastic wrap and let rest.

After the 30 minutes are up, carefully remove Dutch oven. With floured hands, place the bread dough into it. (You can put a piece of parchment under the dough if your Dutch oven is not enamel coated or just to make very easy to remove when done.)

Replace cover and bake for 30 minutes covered.

Carefully remove cover and bake for 7-15 minutes* more, uncovered.

Let bread rest on a rack about 10 mins

Slice and Enjoy!