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bonnie’s artisan dutch oven sandwich bread

(1 rating)
Recipe by
BonniE !
Cottonwood, CA

This recipe was created to make a special organic sandwich bread that would hold up to any sandwich filling. One that was pliable and would not crumble, and one that would slice easily. It would have to be a great tasting sandwich bread, soft in the middle, crunchy on the outside, and it would have to be good to eat plain or toasted. Last, but not least, it would have to be the easiest thing to make, ever, and would require no kneading. Mission accomplished. Ready? Let's bake some bread! ~Bonnie

(1 rating)
yield serving(s)
prep time 5 Min
cook time 50 Min
method Bake

Ingredients For bonnie’s artisan dutch oven sandwich bread

  • DRY:
  • 1
    cup organic bread flour
  • 2
    cups organic all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2
    teaspoons active dry yeast at room temperature
  • 1 1/2
    teaspoons salt
  • 6
    level tablespoons cultured butermilk blend at room temperature
  • 1/4
    cup sugar
  • WET:
  • 1 1/2
    cups water at room temperature and measured at eye level a hair below the line for 1 1/2 cups
  • SET ASIDE;
  • 2
    tablespoons melted butter to brush on top of loaf after it is baked
  • optional:
    sprinkle corn meal on bottom of parchment paper

How To Make bonnie’s artisan dutch oven sandwich bread

  • Equipment
    1
    EQUIPMENT: Small Dutch Oven with tight fitting lid Parchment paper Danish Whisk for mixing
  • 2
    Gather your ingredients and read through the recipe before you begin. Make sure your ingredients are room temperature.
  • Danish Whisk is a great tool for handling wet dough
    3
    The Danish whisk is a wonderful tool for mixing flour and wet dough. I use it all the time for pulling dough away from the sides of the bowl. It is very sticky dough and sticks to your fingers, but it doesn't stick to the Danish whisk.
  • Great idea for storing bread and to prevent moisture.
    4
    When the bread is completely cool, place in a ziplock bag with two large paper towels to keep moisture from forming. The bread can be frozen.
  • Use the Danish Whisk to mix the flour and water into a dough
    5
    MIXING THE DOUGH Make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature. I set the ingredients on the counter at least an hour before I make bread. Using a large mixing bowl, combine all the DRY ingredients and mix until well combined. Measure the room temperature water and pour it over the flour. Take the Danish whisk and mix the dough until you don't see anymore flour. No need to knead!
  • cover bowl with saran wrap
    6
    This will be a loose dough. Cover the bowl tightly with saran wrap. I put mine in the pantry because there is no draft in there from the air conditioner. Let the mixture rise overnight for 15 to 18 hours. It will double in size, and it will have bubbles all over the top of it. The dough tries to pull away from the sides of the bowl. It smells yeasty. It is ready! :)
  • Pulling dough away from the sides of the bowl
    7
    FORMING THE DOUGH Dip your hands in flour and sprinkle some flour around the edges of the bowl. Gently pull the bread away from the sides of the bowl with the Danish whisk.
  • Starting to shape into a loose ball without kneading.
    8
    Gradually loosen the dough from the bottom of the bowl. Use as little flour as necessary.
  • The dough is formed, and now it will rise for one hour under a tea towel.
    9
    Shape into a loose ball without kneading. Turn it out on a cutting board. Cover the dough with a tea towel, and let it rest for an hour.
  • Preheat the oven to 425 with the Dutch oven pot without the lid.
    10
    PREHEATING THE OVEN Preheat the oven AND the pot (without the lid) to 425 degrees (for rustic crunchy) or 420 degrees (for a softer crunch) about ten minutes before the dough is ready to bake. (Read more about the temperature in STEP 15) Meanwhile, place parchment paper in a couple of nesting bowls to give it a bowl shape. I put something heavy in it to hold it down until ready to use.
  • optional: sprinkle cornmeal on the bottom of the parchment covered Dutch oven.
    11
    NOTE: If you like the earthy taste of cornmeal on the bottom of your Artisan bread, sprinkle some on the parchment paper just before you put the bread in the oven.
  • After the last rise under the tea towel, make 2 or 3 slits in the top of the dough
    12
    BAKING THE BREAD After the dough has rested for an hour, remove the tea towel and cut two to three slits in the top of the dough with a sharp knife.
  • Dough in the parchment paper and ready to be transferred to the hot Dutch oven.
    13
    Remove the hot pot from the oven. Gently lift the dough and place it in the prepared parchment paper, and gather the edges of the parchment paper in both hands and lift both paper and dough into the center of the hot pot. (Careful it is a hot pot!) This is easier than trying to juggle dough that wants to move and you trying to drop it in the middle of the hot pot. Cover with its lid. Using mitts, return the pot to the hot oven.
  • Golden brown and done in the center.  A Perfect loaf!
    14
    Bake for 40 minutes covered and remove the lid to check how brown it is, and if it is not brown, continue to bake with lid on an additional 10 minutes until golden brown and done in the center. You can also take the temperature with a thermometer. Mine is done all the way through in 50 minutes. So I haven't needed to use a thermometer.
  • Slices beautifully!
    15
    NOTE: Every oven is different. So watch your bread the last few minutes of baking time. In my oven, the bread bakes perfectly in 50 minutes without peeking at 425 degrees to yield a crunchy bread. However, I have been experimenting, and I tried doubling the recipe, but that didn't turn out well. It is best to make only single loaves with this recipe. Next, I experimented making the most perfect loaf ever, and baked at 420 F for 50 minutes with the lid on, yielded an outstanding, golden brown loaf of sandwich bread, pliable and not crumbly. The crust is slightly softer than the loaf baked at 425 F. I like rustic crunchy, and my husband likes a softer crunch. Success! Tip: When you are baking bread in your oven, take note of what you would like to see changed in the finished product. Modern ovens come with adjustable temperatures. You can experiment and find just the right temperature that will work the best in your oven.
  • Wishful thinking at its best!  The end of the bread is always the best!
    16
    AFTER BAKING After you have removed the Dutch oven pot from the oven, brush the top of the bread with the melted butter to keep it soft. Remove the bread from the pot and set on a rack to cool, and cover with a tea towel. Allow to cool before slicing....Of course, I do realize that is just wishful thinking! Enjoy!
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