Fresh Baked Bread
The only thing better than the smell of fresh baked bread is the taste! Here in the village I can get fresh baked bread for less than $1.50 daily, but I still prefer making my own! Once you get into a rhythm it’s easy enough to always have on hand.
Common Questions:
Can you make it in a few hours? Yes, but it won’t be quite as good without the rising time.
Can you store the dough overnight? Yes absolutely! Keep covered in the fridge (I keep it in the bowl with plastic wrap and a towel on top). Bring to room temp the next morning (takes 1-2 hours) before baking.
Can you add dried herbs or spices? 100% I add some oregano flowers that we pick and dry locally.
Don’t have a dutch oven?
You want a pan that’s tall enough for the bread to bake in. Here on the island I use a large round cast-iron braising pan and an inverted cake pan on top.
You can bake it on a preheated pizza stone or preheated sheet pan, use a metal baking dish with boiling water on the rack underneath to add steam
What about steam in a dutch oven? Try adding a few ice cubes to the dutch oven before adding your bread
Never forget that your dutch oven lid is going to be screaming hot.
Pro Tip:
If your kitchen is cold, you can turn the oven light ON, with your oven OFF. Place the bread in a metal bowl in the oven (OFF) covered with plastic and/or a towel. The heat from the bulb will slightly warm the oven and keep it draft-free. DO NOT TURN OVEN ON WITH BREAD INSIDE :)
Your bread will always turn out differently depending on humidity, temperature, yeast and more.
Don’t fight with your parchment paper - crumple it up with a little water and it will take the shape of anything you want!
Bake bread in a preheated dutch oven like this one.
Ingredients:
1 packet active dry yeast (usually 7-8 grams)
1.5 tsp sea salt
1 tsp sugar (feeds the yeast - you can use brown sugar, honey or white sugar)
350 grams (1.5 c) warm water (should be warm to the touch, too hot and you’ll kill yeast)
500 grams all purpose or bread flour (roughly 4 cups) ±
Any dried herbs (few pinches)
Detailed Instructions:
Get a deep bowl ready for your dough to rise in - lightly oil and set aside. Get out the plastic wrap too and set it nearby so you’re not struggling with sticky hands and dough.
In a separate bowl combine your yeast, salt, sugar, water - stir with fork.
Some recipes tell you to wait until foamy, I don’t bother.
Add flour and any herbs if desired.
Mix dough (hand or in a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment. If it’s too sticky, add flour (only as much as needed) and if it’s too dry sprinkle in water.
Knead the dough until it’s smooth and elastic 3-5 minutes.
Place in oiled bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, lay a kitchen towel on top for added warmth.
Place in a warm, draft-free area of the kitchen (or see note re: oven light and oven but do NOT turn that oven on to preheat with dough inside)!
Let dough rise 2 hours. I like to stretch and fold it a few times then shape it back into a ball and cover it again while I do the below.
Place dutch oven and lid (or pizza stone or baking sheet) in the oven and turn to 450º. Ideally use convection as well. It will take some time to get up to temp, so while that’s happening:
Get out your parchment paper and a bowl in roughly the same size as you want your bread to be.
Crumple up the parchment paper with a little water and line the bowl.
Take your dough out of the bowl it’s rising in and rest it in the parchment lined bowl
Let it rise while the oven preheats.
When the oven is ready, use scissors to snip 8-10 cuts down the center of your loaf so steam can escape.
Sprinkle top with salt
Quickly open the oven, remove the lid (use mitts) and lift your dough (with parchment) into the dutch oven or onto the sheetpan, optionally add a few ice cubes on the outside of the parchment for more steam.
if you are using the pizza stone/baking sheet, also pour boiling water into the oven-safe pan on the bottom rack too
Cover the dutch oven and quickly close the door. Set timer for 35 minutes.
Using oven mitts, remove cover, bake another 5-10 minutes until top is dark golden.
Carefully remove pan and transfer bread to a rack to cool completely before cutting open - this may be an hour.
Experienced Instructions:
Mix ingredients
Rise 2 hours+ covered in oiled bowl.
Stretch and fold, rise again in parchment-lined bowl
Preheat oven with dutch oven inside 450º
Place bread with parchment inside dutch oven, put lid on, bake 35 minutes.
Remove lid, bake 5-10 minutes until golden brown
Cool on rack
