Dinner

Same-Day Dutch Oven Bread

High-hydration artisan loaf made with fresh yeast, bulk fermented, shaped, and baked in a Dutch oven.

Tags bread baking dutch-oven

Prep
2h
Cook
45m
Total
2h 45m
Servings
1 loaf
Difficulty
Medium

Ingredients

  • 560 g bread flour
  • 370 g water
  • 11 g fine sea salt
  • 12 g fresh yeast
  • 10 g vegetable oil or olive oil
  • 5 g sugar/honey (optional, for fermentation and browning support)

Tools

  • Mixing bowl
  • Kitchen scale
  • Bench scraper (optional)
  • Baking parchment
  • Dutch oven with lid
  • Oven
  • Sharp blade or bread lame
  • Cooling rack

Directions

Mix the dough

In a large bowl, combine water, fresh yeast, and sugar/honey (if using). Stir to dissolve.

Add bread flour and mix until almost no dry flour remains.

Once the flour is mostly hydrated add salt and continue mixing. Then add the oil, then mix until fully incorporated and the dough ball forms and looks smooth. Tip: Add a tiny bit of All-Purpose flour into the dough if the oil is too much in the bowl, it will dry up.

Turn it onto a lightly floured surface and continue kneading by hand for about 10 minutes. The dough should look smooth.

Bulk fermentation

Cover and rest at room temperature (70–75°F / 21–24°C) for 1½–2 hours.

During the first hour, perform two sets of folds:

  • Fold #1 at 20 minutes
  • Fold #2 at 40 minutes

To fold:

  • Wet your hand
  • Lift one side of the dough and stretch upward
  • Fold it over itself
  • Rotate bowl 90°
  • Repeat for a full round

After folding, let the dough rest undisturbed until it increases in volume by about 75%.

Check bulk fermentation is complete

The dough is ready when:

  • It looks smoother and slightly domed
  • Small bubbles appear under the surface
  • It jiggles when gently shaken

Turn out and handle

Lay down parchment paper, lightly flour the work surface. Gently turn the dough out so the top is down. If large surface bubbles appear, carefully pop them without fully deflating the dough.

Rest uncovered for 15 minutes so it relaxes.

Shape

Shape into a loaf:

  • Make a rectangle shape using your finger tips, be gentle
  • Pull top and bottom edges inward to make a roll
  • Pull the left and right sides in just enough to seal them off
  • Pinch the seam so it is sealed then roll it over seam-side down

Handle gently to preserve gas.

Final proof

Place seam-side down on parchment paper and cover lightly. Proof for 45–75 minutes (do this while you are perheating the oven).

Ready to bake when:

  • Dough looks visibly puffy
  • A finger dent springs back slowly
  • Surface shows small bubbles

Preheat oven

Place Dutch oven inside oven and preheat to 475°F (245°C) for 30–40 minutes.

Score and bake

Lightly flour the surface and score immediately before baking.

Bake:

  • 20–22 minutes covered at 475°F
  • 20–25 minutes uncovered at 425°F

Cool

Remove loaf and cool for at least 1 hour before slicing. Ideally 4 hours

Notes

  • Slight underproofing is better than overproofing.
  • Strong surface tension improves oven spring.
  • Fully preheating the Dutch oven is essential for a crisp crust.