Crusty Bread In A Cast Iron Pot Recipes

NO-KNEAD BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 1/2 cups/345 grams water and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.
• Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.
• Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.
• At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is OK. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

THE BEST CRUSTY BREAD (DUTCH OVEN)

Steps:

• 1. Whisk flour, yeast, and salt in a 3-4 quart bowl with a tight-fitting lid. I like to use my trusty Tupperware. If you don't have a bowl w/lid use plastic wrap on a bowl.
• 2. Add the water and stir with a wooden spoon until the dough is mixed well.
• 3. The dough will be quite sticky and shaggy looking, but that's OK.
• 4. Cover the bowl and set aside for 12-18 hours (up to 24 overnight is fine).
• 5. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place a cast-iron Dutch oven with the lid into the oven while preheating and heat the pot/lid for 30 minutes.
• 6. Meanwhile, scrape the risen dough from the bowl onto a heavily floured surface. (Dough will still be very sticky.)
• 7. With floured hands, gently shape the dough into a round loaf, making sure there's enough flour on the surface so the dough doesn't stick. Let the dough just sit there until your pot is preheated.
• 8. Take the hot pot from the oven and gently place the dough into the pot.
• 9. Cover with the lid and return to the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
• 10. Remove the lid at that time and return the pot to the oven for another 10-15 minutes.
• 11. Gently shake the loaf onto a cooling rack and enjoy the beautiful aroma. Give it a chance to cool before cutting into the loaf.