Dutch Oven Bread

Ingredients

• 15 ounces All-Purpose Flour–weighed on kitchen scale
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Instant Dry Yeast
• 11 ounces Water–weighed on kitchen scale

Steps

1. Mix all ingredients until no dry ingredients are visible in bowl.
2. Cover dough with plastic wrap.
3. Let dough sit at room temperature overnight or up to 18 hours.
4. Turn dough onto floured surface–dough will be sticky (dust hands and dough with additional flour if necessary).
5. Press dough flat into rectangular shape.
6. Fold dough into thirds and press down.
7. Rotate dough, fold, and press again.
8. Form into ball–seal bottom.
9. Line bowl with parchment paper.
10. Place ball into parchment-lined bowl.
11. Lightly spray dough with vegetable oil.
12. Cover with plastic and let rise.
13. After two hours place Dutch oven into regular oven.
14. Set oven temperature to 400 F.
15. Heat Dutch oven for 30 minutes.
16. Avoid burns by carefully removing Dutch oven with oven mitts or pot holders–it will be hot!!
17. With a sharp knife or razor blade, make a 1/2″ deep horizontal cut through entire top of dough.
18. Remove Dutch oven lid.
19. Carefully lift dough out of bowl by holding onto edges of parchment paper.
20. Lower dough and parchment paper into Dutch oven–remember that the Dutch oven is very hot!
21. Replace lid and return Dutch oven to regular oven.
22. Decrease oven temperature to 400 F.
23. Cook for 30 minutes.
24. Remove Dutch oven lid and cook for another 30 minutes.
25. Remove bread to wire rack to cool completely.