No Knead Crusty Dutch Oven Bread

I tend to go back and forth on whether or not I like baking bread. I wanted to find a foolproof recipe that I could whip together without worrying about kneading too much or adding too much flour. I found this recipe and absolutely love it. It is so easy to make and the end result has a crusty outside and softer inside. Spread some butter over a slice of warm bread and you have a perfect side dish or snack. The dough will be very sticky when you do form it in to a ball, but do your best with it and keep your hands covered in flour the whole time (I dunked my hands in flour multiple times). This is the only step that actually requires a little effort, but do your best to shape the dough. This also gets easier the more comfortable you get with bread dough.

Recipe from Joanna Cismaru

3 cups all purpose flour
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups water at room temperature

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, salt and yeast. Add the room temperature water and mix, using a wooden spoon or spatula. Once well incorporated, cover the bowl in plastic wrap and allow to sit on a counter for 12-18 hours.

Once the dough is ready, place your dutch oven/cast iron pot into your oven and preheat your oven to 450F/230C. Allow the pot to warm up to 450F as well. Once preheated, remove the pot from the oven and take the lid off. Sprinkle some flour on the bottom of the pot to prevent any sticking(though this will likely not happen).

Sprinkle flour over the dough and cover your hands in flour. Gently form the dough in to a ball, covering your hands in more flour as needed. Drop the ball into the pot and cover with the lid. Bake, covered, for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake another 15-25 minutes. Once baked through, remove the pot from the oven and take the bread out. Allow is to cool before serving. Pin It Now!