Homestyle Country Bread

Whatever you’re making for dinner—soup, stew, steak, roasted chicken, or a casserole—a great homemade bread completes the meal. This Homestyle Country Bread is the ideal match for any soup or chowder, or whatever you’re dishing up. And it’s surprisingly easy to make. No kneading needed.

This recipe, however, requires a Dutch oven. If you don’t have one of the lidded cast-iron baking dishes, they are widely available from name brands like Le Creuset, Staub, and Sur La Table, as well as from less expensive options. While most Dutch ovens today are enameled cast iron, I prefer the original cast iron versions. Mine is a four-quart size.

There’s much debate about where American cooks got Dutch ovens. According to Montana State University, one theory suggests it originated from Abraham Darby’s cast-iron pots, which were produced using the Dutch process for casting metal. The story goes that in 1704, Darby traveled to Holland to learn about the Dutch casting method. They cast brass vessels in dry sand molds. He then experimented with this technique and eventually patented a similar casting process, using a better type of molding sand and baking the mold to improve the smoothness of the cast. He then began casting large quantities of pots and shipping them to the American colonies and around the world. According to this theory, the term “Dutch Oven” comes from the original metal casting process Darby learned in Holland.

However, the university finds that a second theory suggests the name “Dutch Oven” originated from early Dutch traders or salesmen selling these newly manufactured cast iron pots or “ovens,” and thus the name “Dutch Ovens.”

Another popular theory is that pots got their name from Dutch settlers in Pennsylvania, who brought over their cast-iron pots and kettles.

No matter how cooks acquired this favorite tool, it is what gives the bread its delicious, crispy crust.

This recipe has one important warning. It requires the iron pan to be extremely hot, so be very careful when removing it from the oven. Hot cast iron is exceedingly unforgiving (think blacksmithing!).

Ingredients

3 ½ cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons sugar

2 teaspoons yeast

2 teaspoons salt

1 ½ cup warm water

Directions

1. Whisk the dry ingredients in a medium-to-large mixing bowl. Add warm water and mix thoroughly. I prefer using a wooden spoon. The dough should be sticky.

2. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and work it into a ball.

3. Place the dough in a mixing bowl coated with oil. Cover and let rise for two hours or until it triples in size.

4. Preheat the oven to 500°F with the Dutch oven inside.

5. Once the oven is preheated, carefully remove the pan. Place pre-cut parchment paper in the hot pan, then add the dough.

6. Score the dough across the top, replace the lid, and put the pan in the oven.

7. Lower the heat to 450 degrees and bake for 30 minutes. Then, remove the lid and bake for another 10 minutes.

8. Remove the bread from the oven and carefully transfer it from the pan to a rack to cool. It is important to let the bread cool completely before slicing.

9.