No Knead Dutch Oven Bread (For Beginners)

Measure and mix:

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, yeast, and salt. Then, add the warm water and using a silicone spatula, mix it in the bowl until all the flour has mixed into a sticky dough.

Rise:

1. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and place it in the warmest spot of your kitchen or house. Let the dough rise until it has doubled in size. This usually takes about 1 ½ hours.

Preheat the oven & pot:

1. When the dough has doubled, place the top oven rack in the middle of the oven and put the Dutch oven pot inside. Preheat the oven to 450F. Let the pot heat up as the oven preheats.

Get it ready:

1. Lightly flour your counter or a large wooden board. Dump the sticky bread dough and sprinkle a little more flour on top of the dough. Gently fold it in half a few times into itself, until you can form a round ball of dough that's no longer sticky.
2. Cut a square piece of parchment paper, large enough to fit inside the pot and some of the sides. Place the round ball of dough on top of the parchment paper.
3. Using a knife, score the top of the bread. I just do two vertical slits but you can get as creative as you like.

Bake:

1. Once the oven has reached 450F, use oven mitts to remove the Dutch oven pot from the oven. Carefully lift the parchment paper and the dough (which will have expanded a bit on the counter) and place it inside the Dutch oven pot. Cover with the lid.
2. Bake at 450F with the lid on for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake uncovered for an additional 15 minutes. After a total bake time of 45 minutes, the bread will be golden brown. Remove the pot from the oven.

Ready:

1. Let this epic crusty bread cool down for 10 minutes before slicing.

Storage:

1. Keep it on the counter or in the pantry by wrapping the bread in a clean kitchen towel or inside a bread bag for a day or two. Freeze this bread whole or pre-sliced for up to 1 month inside a bread bag or freezer-safe zip bag.