Crusty Bread in a Cast Iron Pot

Last week hubby got me a cast iron Dutch oven for my birthday - which isn't for another 10 days, but I am not opposed to early birthday presents. At all.

I specifically wanted it so I could make this recipe for crusty bread. My mouth watered just thinking about it. With only 4 ingredients and no kneading, I knew I wouldn't be able to find any bread that is easier to make.

And so I tried it. It was amazing! My husband said it was worth every penny he spent on the Dutch oven for just one loaf! He compared it to an artisan loaf you'd spend $5 for at a bakery. The crust was very crunchy while the inside was delightfully chewy. So, so good!

Here's what you need:

3 cups unbleached flour
1 3/4 teas salt
1/2 teas yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt and yeast. Stir in the warm water and mix until the flour is no longer dry. Your dough will look like a sticky mess.

Cover the bowl and allow to sit on the counter for 12-18 hours. I made my dough the night before I wanted to bake the bread. It was perfect. This is what your dough will look like after 12 hours.

See all those lovely bubbles in the dough? Those will make for some great texture in your bread!

When you're ready to bake your loaf, scrape the dough out of the bowl onto a floured surface. I just use a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper to reduce the mess I have to clean up later. Shape the dough into a round loaf shape.

Place your cast iron pot into the oven and heat the oven to 450 degrees. Allow the pot to heat up for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven very, very carefully - remember it's 450 degrees! Drop the loaf into the hot pot. Cover and place back into the oven for 30 minutes. Now take off the lid and allow to bake for another 10-15 minutes.

Isn't that just gorgeous?

Carefully remove the bread from the pot. I use two spatulas to do this since my pot is so heavy I can't tilt it while it's hot. Place the loaf on a cooling rack and wait about 30 minutes to slice.