How to bake the best Dutch oven bread

A Dutch oven, called cocotte in French, is a type of cast iron pot ideal for slow-cooking. Thanks to its excellent ability to distribute and maintain heat, we can use it for many recipes, like this crusty Dutch oven bread. And after having made it several times, I want to share here the recipe that has given me the best results.

The first step of the recipe is naturally kneading. To do this, I recommend consulting the post on how to prepare homemade wholegrain bread, where several details about the procedure are developed.

How to prepare the dough for bread:

Mix the flour, dry yeast and salt in a bowl. Create a well in the center and add the water little by little, while stirring with a spoon. When the liquid has been completely absorbed, flour or lightly oil both our hands and a flat surface, and continue kneading. It is not necessary for the process to be very long, just do it until you get a smooth and uniform ball.

Lightly flour or oil the bowl (this always prevents the dough from sticking), reserve the dough inside and cover with food film. This is important to avoid contact with air, which would create a kind of crust on the dough. Let it rest in a warm place until the dough has approximately doubled in volume (it can take 1 to 2 hours, depending on the room temperature). A longer proofing process is not at all harmful, so the time suggestions are merely indicative.

How to bake the best Dutch oven bread:

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees with your Dutch oven or cocotte inside, so that it gradually warms up. Every oven is different and there is no general rule, but if yours doesn’t have a thermometer to check the temperature, keep in mind that it can take up to a half-hour to reach the required 250 degrees.

Have a sheet of baking paper on hand. Proceed to shape the dough into a ball, always folding the edges inward (this prevents the gases or “bubbles” that are produced during the rising and fermentation process from escaping). Place the dough in the center of the baking paper, and make a cross-shaped cut with a sharp knife.

Carefully remove the cocotte from the oven (remember that it will be very hot!) and take out the lid. Pick up the baking paper by all four corners so you can put the bread inside the cocotte. Cover and bake at medium height for 50 minutes.

After cooking, remove the bread from the cocotte and let it rest on a rack.

Tips and tricks:

1. Instead of using whole wheat flour, we can experiment with other flours to create our favorite bread. I especially like the flavor of spelt, and a very healthy and tasty bread is obtained by mixing it with whole wheat rye flour in equal proportions. You can also prepare 100% whole wheat rye bread with this recipe; You just have to keep in mind that due to the particular characteristics of the gluten of this type of grain, the dough will not have the necessary strength to rise very much.
2. Some recipes recommend uncovering the Dutch oven in the last 10 minutes of cooking, so that the bread can properly brown. However, I have found that this is not necessary. Just by following the steps described above, you can obtain a bread that is crispy on the outside and spongy on the inside.
3. If you have doubts about whether the bread is ready, remove it carefully from the Dutch oven and tap it lightly on the bottom. A hollow sound indicates that the bread is completely baked.