Overnight Dutch Oven Bread
Say hello to the easiest Homemade Overnight Dutch Oven Bread recipe you will ever need! If you've never made your own bread before, this simple no-knead bread recipe is the place to start. With just 10 minutes of prep time, this bread is versatile, delicious and quick enough to make every week!
Servings: 10
Calories: 201kcal
Ingredients
- 4¼ cups flour plus about ¼ cup more for dusting on day 2
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups water warm
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
Instructions
Day 1
- In a large bowl, mix together flour and salt. In a glass measuring cup, measure the water and microwave for 30 seconds until luke warm but not hot. Add the yeast and olive oil to the water, stir, and let sit a few minutes.
- Add the liquid to the flour. Mix with a spoon until you can't stir anymore. Then flip and squash the dough with your hands several times until the flour is incorporated. Shape it into a ball by pulling and tucking the seams underneath and set in the bowl. It's ok if it's sticky.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or pop the whole bowl in a reused bun or produce bag. Let it sit on the counter for 8 to 24 hours.
Day 2
- Your dough will have doubled in size, taking the shape of the bowl and no longer be in a ball.
- Preheat the oven with the Dutch oven in the oven to 450℉.
- Turn the dough out of the bowl onto a sheet of parchment paper sprinkled generously with flour. Use a bendable bench scraper or a spatula to remove all the dough from the bowl. The dough will be loose and sticky, sprinkle with more flour, you may use about ¼ cup or more extra flour for dusting. Keep adding flour as you go wherever the dough is sticky. Don't bee afraid to use too much flour, keep sprinkling until it is no longer sticky.
- Stretch the dough and fold it over in half a couple times, turning it into a ball by tucking the seams underneath.
- With the ball of dough still on the floured parchment paper, cut 2 or 3 large slits across the top with a serrated bread knife. Sprinkle with seeds or herbs if you like.
- Carefully remove the hot Dutch oven from the oven and lift the parchment paper with the dough ball into the pot. It will bake on the parchment paper.
- Bake COVERED for 30 minutes, then remove the cover and bake another 25 to 30 minutes until golden.
- Allow to cool at least an hour before slicing!
Notes
- Toppings - I topped this loaf with a sprinkling of sesame seeds, black sesame seeds, flax seeds and a dusting of garlic powder. Fresh or dried herbs such as rosemary, thyme, oregano or sage make great additions or substitutions. The bread can also be baked plain without any topping.
- Cinnamon Raisin Bread - Make by sprinkling the dough with 1 to 2 teaspoons each of cinnamon and sugar and a handful or raisins as you fold the dough several times incorporating it in layers (step 4 on day 2).
- Flour - Use regular all-purpose flour or bread flour. On day 2, sprinkle the dough, your hands and the parchment paper with plenty of flour wherever it is sticky. You may use about ¼ cup extra flour or more for dusting.
- Yeast - I like to buy a small amount of yeast from the bulk bin at the co-op and store it in a jar in the cupboard. Packets of instant dry yeast or active dry yeast are fine, but check the expiration date!
- Rise Time - Bread dough can be made in the morning and baked for dinner, about 8 hours. Or it can be made anytime on day 1 and baked on day 2, about 24 hours. The dough should be doubled in size.
- Preheat your Dutch oven in the oven as the oven preheats. Be careful when transferring your parchment paper with the dough, it's hot!
- A large soup pot with a lid can be used if you don't have a Dutch oven.
Nutrition
Calories: 201kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 236mg | Potassium: 60mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin C: 0.001mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 2mg