Dutch Oven Artisanal Bread Recipe

How to make it

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• Step 1: Whisk flour, yeast and salt in large bowl.
• Add water, beer, and vinegar.
• Using rubber spatula, fold mixture, scraping up dry flour from bottom
• of bowl until shaggy ball forms.
• Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 8 to 18 hours.
• Step 2. Lay 12-by-18-inch sheet of parchment paper inside 10-inch skillet and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
• Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface and knead 10 to 15 times.
• Shape dough into ball by pulling edges into middle.
• Transfer dough, seam-side down, to parchment-lined skillet and spray surface of dough with nonstick cooking spray.
• Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until dough has doubled in size and does not
• readily spring back when poked with finger, about 2 hours.
• About 30 minutes before baking, adjust oven rack to lowest position, place 6- to 8-quart heavy-bottomed Dutch oven (with lid) on rack and heat oven to500°F.
• Lightly flour top of dough and, using razor blade or sharp knife, make a 6-inch long, ½ inch deep slit along top of dough.
• Carefully remove pot from oven and remove lid.
• Pick up dough from skillet by lifting parchment overhang and lower into pot (let any excess parchment paper hang over pot edge.)
• Cover pot and place in oven.
• Reduce oven temperature to 425° and bake covered for 30 minutes.
• Remove lid and continue to bake until loaf is deep brown and instant-read thermometer inserted into center registers 210°, 20 to 30 minutes longer.
• Carefully remove bread from pot; transfer to wire rack and cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.
• ***
• Same bread with olives, rosemary and parmesan: add 4 oz. finely grated Parmesan (about 2 cups) and 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves to flour mixture in step 1.
• Add ½ cup pitted, chopped green olives with water in step 1.
• The bread is best eaten the day it is baked but can be wrapped in aluminum foil and stored in a cool, dry place for up to 2 days