Overnight Dutch Oven Bread

Source
Washington Post here

I have modified the original recipe somewhat in terms of baking temperatures and times. Also I have modified so that the bread can be made either with the original ingredient amounts or 25% larger, which I find works well in a Le Creuset 3.5 quart cast iron with white enamel finish.

Storage Notes:

To keep the crust crunchy, I put cling wrap over the cut end and then wrap the loaf in a tea towel. If I wrap the whole loaf in cling wrap, the crust goes soft.

Ingredients

Directions

• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, yeast, salt, and grits and flaxseeds (if using). Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the water and butter. Using clean fingers, mix until a shaggy, wet and sticky dough forms.
• Cover the bowl with cling wrap and leave at room temperature for at least 8 hours and up to 14 hours. The dough will rise and bubble. If on your first attempt, the bowl is a bit small, and you do not have a larger bowl, then grease the plastic wrap bowl side down.
• Generously flour a clean work surface and, using a rubber bench scraper or lightly greased silicone spatula, scoop the dough out of the bowl onto the counter. The dough will still be very wet and sticky, but there’s no need to knead it — just flour the top and sides to keep the outside of the dough dry enough to shape it into a roundish ball, or football shape may be better, by pulling the edges to the center of the dough. You can use the rubber bench scraper to assist in the folding. At this point preheat the oven and the dutch oven to 450 degrees
• Flour a 14- to 16-inch piece of parchment paper. Cupping your hands around opposite sides of the dough, gently but decisively transfer the dough to the paper, fold-side down. Dust with more flour wherever sticky dough becomes exposed, and loosely cover with a clean, dry kitchen towel. Allow to rest for 30 minutes. The dough will have risen slightly and should bounce back when gently poked.
• Remove the Dutch oven from the oven and set the lid aside. (I like to keep pot holders on the lid and handle of the Dutch oven to remember that it’s very hot.)
• Lift the towel off the bread and, using a serrated knife, slash three parallel vents into the surface of the dough.
• Holding two sides of the parchment paper, lower the paper and dough into the hot Dutch oven. Re-cover the pot and place in the oven. Lower the oven temp to 440 degrees
• Bake for 35 minutes, then remove the lid, reduce oven to 375 and bake for another 25 to 30 minutes, until the bread is golden brown across the top and sounds hollow when tapped. Remove from the oven and let cool in the Dutch oven for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool for 1 hour before slicing and serving.

Don Samuels
This page last updated: 4/2/21