Easy Dutch Oven Bread Recipe
Making Dutch Oven Bread is surprisingly easy – no kneading required! All you need are a few pantry staples and a mixing bowl to make a bakery-quality bread. This one is done in less than 3 hours and most of that is just rising time. That’s my kind of bread!
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Nothing beats a fresh crusty loaf of homemade Dutch Oven Bread. This bread truly tastes like it came from a fancy bakery and still tastes delicious on day 2 – an unusual feat for quick and easy bread! The texture of this bread also makes it perfect to use for sandwich recipes like our Chicken Bacon Avocado Club or even for a Reuben Sandwich.
What goes into Dutch Oven Bread?
The beauty of this quick dutch oven bread is that most of the ingredients are pantry staples. All you need is bread flour, honey, salt, and yeast – adding seeds to the mix creates a beautiful loaf with minimal effort. My parents were mighty impressed with this dutch oven bread and kept raving about it, which is a really big deal because Mom literally makes the best bread ever!
Why Should You Bake Bread in a Dutch Oven?
Baking bread in a dutch oven creates a beautiful crust and is so easy. The dutch oven traps steam that allows the bread to rise more fully before forming the crusty exterior. There’s something really fun about lifting the lid and seeing a perfectly formed golden loaf inside! The best dutch oven for bread is a 5 ½ quart Enameled Cast-Iron Dutch Oven.
How Do You Measure Bread Flour?
No-knead Dutch Oven Bread should be sticky when you set it to rise – which may tempt you to add too much flour. When you measure the bread flour, spoon it into your measuring cup, then level with the back of a knife. If you have more questions about measuring be sure to watch my measuring ingredients tutorial.
Can I Substitute the Seeds?
The seeds in this No-Knead Bread make it taste like an artisan dutch oven bread. They enhance the flavor and add the perfect crunch to complement the soft and spongy center of the loaf. If you don’t have all of the seeds on hand, you can substitute and make it a 3-seed bread or omit the seeds altogether and it will still be a delicious loaf.
Pro Tip: Toasted seeds will have the best flavor. To toast the seeds, put them in a dry skillet over medium heat, tossing often until they are golden and fragrant.
How to Make Dutch Oven Bread:
Prep: Line a work surface with parchment paper and trim corners from the paper to create a round-ish shape to fit better in the dutch oven. Sprinkle the center 9″ of parchment with 1 Tbsp cornmeal, semolina or flour and set aside. Note: Using cornmeal or semolina creates a nice crunch to the crust.
- In a large bowl, combine the warm water, honey, and salt. Stir until honey has dissolved then sprinkle top with the yeast. Let sit at room temperature for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the flour and all of the seeds. Use a spatula to mix until it comes together and seeds are well incorporated (no kneading required). The dough will be very sticky. Cover bowl with lid or plastic wrap and let rest at room temp (70˚F) for 2 hours or until tripled in volume.
- Sprinkle dough with flour and use a spatula to fold the dough in half then fold in half again.
- Sprinkle generously again with flour and with well-floured hands, lift up the dough and form a ball in your hands. Place dough in the center of your parchment folded side down. If desired – sprinkle the top with extra sunflower and pumpkin seeds. Let rise uncovered at room temp for 40 minutes.
- Place the empty dutch oven and lid inside the oven and preheat the oven to 450˚F. Once preheated and bread is ready to bake, remove dutch oven and place on the stove. Be careful not to touch the dutch oven or lid without oven mitts because it will be blazing hot. Transfer the parchment paper with bread dough into your HOT dutch oven. Cover with the hot lid and bake at 450˚F for 30 minutes.
- Remove hot lid and bake another 2- 5 minutes until the top is golden brown. Use the parchment paper to lift the bread out of the dutch oven and cool on a wire rack until nearly room temperature before slicing.
Helpful Tips for Perfect Dutch Oven Bread:
- When the bread is out of the oven, put the empty dutch oven back in the oven to cool down as it will be blazing hot to the touch. My dad lifted the lid to see what was inside before I could warn him – Ouch!!
- No dutch oven? No problem! Follow the baking instructions in our Original No-Knead Bread recipe.
- NEVER slice into hot bread or it will release steam and become gummy. Dutch oven bread will taste best if you let it rest and cool.
More Delicious Homemade Bread Recipes
If you love this Dutch Oven Bread, be sure to also try our:
Easy Dutch Oven Bread Recipe
Ingredients
Ingredients for 5-Seed Dutch Oven Bread:
- 1 1/2 cups 12 oz warm water (100˚F)
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 1/2 Tbsp salt
- 3/4 Tbsp active dry yeast
- 3 cups bread flour, plus extra flour for dusting*
- 2 Tbsp sunflower seeds, toasted plus more for top of bread
- 2 Tbsp pumpkin seeds, toasted plus more for top of bread
- 1 Tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
- 1 Tbsp flax seeds
- 1 tsp poppy seeds
What You'll Need:
- 1 Tbsp corn meal or semolina to dust parchment, optional
Instructions
Quick Prep:
- Line work surface with parchment paper and trim the corners to fit better in the dutch oven. Sprinkle the center 9" of parchment with 1 Tbsp cornmeal or semolina and set aside.
How to Make 5-Seed Dutch Oven Bread:
- In a large bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups warm water, 2 Tbsp honey and 1/2 Tbsp salt. Stir until honey dissolves then sprinkle with 3/4 Tbsp yeast. Let sit at room temp 5 min. Stir in 3 cups flour and all the seeds. Stir with spatula until it comes together and seeds are incorporated (no kneading required). Dough will be very sticky. Cover bowl with lid or plastic wrap and rest at room temp (70˚F) for 2 hours or until tripled in volume.
- Sprinkle dough with flour and use a spatula to fold dough in half then fold in half again. Sprinkle generously again with flour and with well floured hands, lift up the dough and form a ball in your hands. Place over the center of your prepared parchment paper with the folded seam side down. sprinkle the top with extra seeds if desired. Let rise uncovered at room temp for 40 min.
- Place the empty dutch oven and lid inside the oven and preheat the oven to 450˚F. Once preheated, remove dutch oven and place on the stove. Be careful not to touch the dutch oven or lid without oven mitts because it will be blazing hot. Lift bread with the parchment paper and set it in the center of HOT dutch oven. Cover with lid and bake at 450˚F for 30 min. Carefully remove hot lid and bake another 2- 5 min or until top is golden brown. Remove bread from dutch oven with the help of parchment paper and place bread directly on wire rack. Cool until it's nearly room temperature before slicing.***
Notes
**If you aren't able to find toasted seeds, toast them on a dry skillet a few minutes until golden and fragrant.
***NEVER slice into hot bread or it will release too much steam and become gummy
Nutrition Per Serving
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
I could cry I’m so happy. I’ve been making bread on and off for about 3 years now. Mostly sourdough. It was very unpredictable weather the loafs would turn out or not. Some did some didn’t. But the flavor just wasn’t there.
I though I’d try something different as I wanted to use up some seeds I had leftover.
Well, let me tell you this was the best loaf of bread I’ve ever made. Could not believe how soft the crust was. And the flavor. YUM. I will be making again.
Aaaw this makes me so proud. Thank you for sharing that with us, we appreciate and love that it was a success!
I wish I could post a picture. It’s a thing of beauty. 🤣
My husband asked if I could make it again but without the seeds ( he’s nuts not to love seeds 😁). I’ll peruse through you’re recipes to see if I can find one. Or, could I use the same recipe and just remove the seeds?
Hi Mary! I’m happy to hear it was enjoyed! There is room to experiment with this recipe. You can make it plain without the seeds or add in a variety of things. Let us know how it turns out. I would love to see a picture if you tag me on Instagram or Facebook. #natashaskitchen
Overall, I do like this recipe. Especially the amount of honey it uses, gives the bread a nice flavor. However, the steps at the beginning are not the best way to start. My bread wasn’t rising a great deal in the oven and after some trouble shooting, I learned what the issue was. First, do not mix the salt in with the water/honey. Salt tends to kill the yeast activation process so I mix it with my flour instead. Second, you should mix the yeast instead of just sprinkling on top. You’ll be able to tell when it activates a lot easier.
Hi Adnan, it may be that the yeast was old and may need to be replaced with fresher yeast. The salt won’t kill the yeast but you can add it later if you prefer. I have always added it per the recipe and haven’t had any issues. Also, make sure to use room temperature yeast (if it’s cold, it can struggle to activate or take longer).
So good! The directions were easy to follow and I really appreciated that!
Thank you for your appreciation, Amy. That means a lot to us!
Mine comes out OK the texture is nice. It lacks flavor though if you follow the recipe exactly. Also, not sure what size dutch oven is used for the recipe, but mine comes out flat as opposed to a nice boule round shape. I’ve made it twice and same result. Maybe my dutch oven is too big.
Hi B, also I suggest checking your yeast to make sure it’s fresh and also start with room temperature yeast. Cold or expired yeast can negatively affect the rise of your bread.
Five stars all around for this easy and bulletproof recipe. I’ve done several no knead bread recipes online and this one is a winner. I’ll do it again but add more salt or use salted nuts. Mine was fairly bland. Maybe a more flavorful seed mixture would help? I’d also avoid putting seeds on top, it’s picture perfect but they just fall off when you slice. Looking forward to future experimentation. Thank you for another great recipe.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Kay!
This is the BEST bread and the first of many attempts I’ve made at making any bread that actually turned out right. I could literally eat the entire loaf. I hope it’s as good tomorrow! Question about yeast. I don’t feel like my bread rises enough. My yeast is not past its expiration date and I was careful to measure the temperature of the warm water. my house was around 70 today but the kitchen was probably a bit warmer since I was cooking. I don’t think my dough tripled in size. maybe doubled. I just expected it to be bigger. maybe it was right. i just seem to be having trouble with my breads not rising enough and being too dense. This bread, however, was a home run. so good! Thanks for your recipes!
You’re welcome, Trisch! I’m so glad you loved the recipe.
I have some sour dough starter left over. Can sour dough starter be used in this recipe?
Hi Jess! I haven’t tested it to advise. You’d have to experiment with it.
This bread is amazing. WOW. My family’s new favorite. Everything is perfect. Taste, texture, crustiness, smells divine while rising and baking. We toasted it the next day for BLT sandwiches which we delicious. I am going to try it with rye flour and caraway seeds which should be good. Probably use a mix of rye & white flour. Have you tried that yet?
There hasn’t been one of your recipes yet that we didn’t love. Keep them coming , Natasha.
Aww, thank you, Andrra! I’m so glad you loved this recipe. I appreciate the feedback and great review.
This bread was absolutely delicious. I”ve been bread baking for a few years and this was one of the tastiest! I was a little confused with the measurements so for anyone else math impaired 3/4 of a Tablespoon is 2-1/4 teaspoons.
I’ll be making this again soon!
Hi Michelle, thank you for the good comments and feedback. I’m glad you loved the result!
Hi Natasha! I’m not a noob to baking bread. The first couple times I made this bread it was picture perfect and my husband loved it. I’m finding lately that I can’t get the dome like a nice bread would have. Our kitchen is about 82’ today; I followed the directions to a T; the 40 minute uncovered rise resulted in some rise and I was hopeful, but alas, it came out with a flattop. With the kitchen this warm, would it work to give the uncovered rise just 20 minutes? My husband says the breads taste fine, but I love a bread that tastes good AND looks nice! I appreciate your input!
Hi Diane, it’s hard to say without being there myself, but a warmer kitchen may be the culprit and may require less rise time.
Hi Natasha,
I followed the recipe exactly how it was described, and I’m wondering why the dough was so (floppy) after the 2 hrs rising time (it did rise beautifully though!) I wonder if it could be the temp in the room— I live in Fl and the temp is about 78 degrees inside. I will continue following the rest of the recipe, and hope for the best!
Hi Adina, that could be the reason. If it’s a warmer room temperature, it would rise faster, but make sure not to overproof or you may exhaust your yeast and it won’t rise properly.
Would the Dutch oven bread recipe work with gluten free flour???
Hi Janet, I have not tested this with gluten-free flour, so, unfortunately, I cannot make specific recommendations for that. If you do any experimenting, let me know how you like it! Sorry, I can’t be more helpful.
Hi there,
Great recipe, it turns out perfectly all the time!
Could the all purpose flour be replaced with a whole grain flour such as brown rice flour?
Hi Jessica, while I haven’t tried this myself, Someone commented this: “So I tried a whole wheat version, subbing a mix of white whole wheat and whole wheat for all but 1/2 c of bread flour. I increased the water by 1/4 cup and it turned out awesome! I experimented again by letting it rise the second time in a loaf pan to see if it would make good sandwich bread…again… awesome. I did decrease the oven temp to 375 and baked for 25 min.”
How high is this supposed to raise when baked? Mine seems slightly low.
Hi Amelia, I recommend using my photos for reference. If it doesn’t rise enough I recommend ensuring there wasn’t a skip step or process. I hope it turns out great!
Hi, Natasha!
I live in Alaska and it is very cold and dry, even in the house! Should I placed in the oven at a low temp to help it rise?
Thank you,
Amelia
Hi Amelia, we recommend a room temperature room temp (70˚F). If it’s colder than that. You may preheat your oven to 70 degrees, add your dough and turn it off to trap that temperature in the oven. I hope this helps and it works out well!
I simply turn on the oven light, which heats the oven just enough for a good rise. You can leave the oven door slightly ajar to regulate the temperature. This is especially helpful in winter when we set back our house temperature at night or in the middle of the day.
Natasha, I have made several of your recipes and they all turn out great. I just bought a enameled cast iron Dutch oven to bake bread in. Have you ever used any of the lidded clay bakers for bread baking? Their claim to fame for perfect bread baking is the top and bottom are soaked in water. I have 2. I use one for rye bread and one for pumpernickle. Great bread results.
Hi Cathy! I have not tried that, but I bet the process is similar to making it in a dutch oven so I bet it works great!
This is the most requested bread at my house!!! For anyone else who has a Perfect Pot from Our Place, this bread cooks BEAUTIFULLY at 425 degrees (pot and lid are ovenproof up to 425) for 30 minutes and easily releases from the pan without any need for parchment paper, if you grease the pot. I was amazed! My other Dutch oven has a lip so it was a real chore to get the bread out of that one and the parchment paper always ended up sticking pretty badly to the bottom of the bread too. This bread is always gone within the first day two or in our family of five.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Lauren!
Would this work in my 4 quart dutch oven? Should I adjust the ingredients downward? Looks great, would love to make it. Thanks for your help.
Hi Janie, it may make for a taller bread if it fits the four qt. You may need to make adjustments to the baking time.
This is a very easy bread to make. I used instant yeast by adding the yeast to the flour. The bread turned out great!
Thank you for sharing that with us. I’m glad it was a success!
amazing recipe, I baked this bread last night… you are doing great Natasha…would like me to be your assistant 😁
Thank you, I appreciate it!
Hi Natasha, I love this bread recipe! Today I accidentally let it rise for 1.5 hours instead of 45 min… do u think that will cause the doe to go bad? Or will it be ok to continue on baking ?
Hi Alena, the taste and texture of the finished bread may suffer once it’s complete. I hope you give it another try soon!
Hi, Just double checking about the parchment paper. On the box it says withstands temperatures up to 400 degrees. ?? I’m dying to try this bread, just don’t want to start a fire.
Hi Lori, I’m not concerned about it at all since the lid is on for the majority of the cooking time. I’ve never had a problem with the paper getting dark – it hardly has any color to it since it’s covered most of the time. It’s not recommended to use parchment paper under a broiler though since it can burn and scorch. This article from Cook’s Illustrated should definitely ease your mind about using parchment at higher temperatures than recommended :).
Hi Lori! Pretty late response, but we use two dutch ovens for our bread and use parchment paper. Some edges come out, and we take the top off half way through. We started at 500 and go down to 450. The paper gets very dark, and crumbly, but NEVER burns.
Hi from Hong Kong 🙂
Great recipe and it turned out pretty much perfectly – although a little more salt perhaps?
The family now want this daily! 🙂
Hi David, thanks for your good comments and feedback. Feel free to add more salt on your next try and share with us how it goes.
Hi! Thanks for the great recipe! I am wondering what I did wrong here. The dough was really sticky and thus difficult to shape. Also, during the second proof, the dough kept spreading out. What mistake did I make?
Hi, it sounds like something was off in the proportions of dry to wet ingredients and it may have needed a little more flour. Check out our post on how we measure ingredients for baking which may help.
I am baking no-kneed bread for years. From my experince, just put dough on perchament paper for second proof in a bowl. It prevents spreding out and dough will rise up.
I haven’t made this yet but on my list. I’m buying a new dutch oven but what size to get? Any help would be appreciated.
Hi Debra, we mention in the recipe for you, I’ll quote it here: “The best dutch oven for bread is a 5 ½ quart Enameled Cast-Iron Dutch Oven” You can find my favorite kitchen tools in our Amazon Affiliate Shop HERE.
We made this bread today, but I didn’t notice the yield is 8 servings. It’s just 2 of us. How long should this keep if properly stored?
Hi Ron, I store it in a ziploc bag at room temperature after that and I prefer it toasted either in the toaster or a skillet if it’s more than 2 days old to freshen it up, just like any loaf of bread I guess 🙂
Great idea, but it only lasted 3 days. LOL
Glad it was a hit!
Can u tell me what the temp of bread should be after baked since all ovens are different and want to make sure bread is cooked
Hi Rose, I did a Google search, and it says, “a temperature of 190°F at the center will yield bread that’s fully baked”.
Hi NK
I recently bought dutch oven and wanted to know if we have to bake the bread in the oven or on the hot plate?
Hi, I highly recommend following the recipe as directed and baking the dutch oven bread.
Hello from Ireland.
I was wondering if i could use all purpose flour instead of Bread flour, ive yeast in press an all will be ready to give it a go!
Love your content. Thanks.
Hi Michelle, thank you. Usually, you would need more all-purpose flour since bread flour has more gluten in it than all-purpose. Without testing it, it’s difficult to say exactly how much
I tried making this today, but for some reason, the parchment paper started burning and it left a chemical taste on the loaf. HELP!!!!
Hi Tara, are you certain you used oven-safe parchment paper and not wax paper?
That happened to me once and I discovered that I had used wax paper instead of parchment paper. I had both in the drawer and grabbed the wrong one. Definitely that was the problem! Burned and chemical taste!
Can this be proofed in about 1 hour if kept at 90-100 instead of 2 hours at room temp? I am not an experienced baker, especially when it comes to yeast stuff, but I made your cinnamon rolls and they had the option of 2 hours at room temp vs 1 hour at 100 degrees.
Hi Galina, yes it can be done, but I have found that the texture is better when you let it proof slower at room temperature. It works both ways and I have tested both ways.
I didn’t have any of the fancy seeds (not staples in my Pantry 🤣) so instead I added a quarter cup of oats, three tbs chia seeds, and about a couple tbs of flaxseed meal. When I took the lid off I drizzled a honey/butter mixture on top. Wife says it’s my best bread yet! Thanks!
Yay, perfect! Thanks for sharing the substitute ingredients that you used, Mike. It is so helpful!
Could I use everything bagel spice and should I mix it in or just top the bread with spice.
Thx
Hi Rose, I haven’t tested that but it may work, If you experiment I would love to know how you like that.
Use any herbs/spices you like and mix them in…I do it every time and it’s amazing. I can’t even imagine eating unflavored bread ever again, after doing this. I use my favorite herb mixes, or today I did minced onion, onion powder and dill weed and dill seeds. All mixed in. Incredible fresh, and toasted the next day.
Wanted to share my experience with cutting the recipe in half, I have a smaller Dutch oven and it just makes more sense for my smaller family. I also only had regular all purpose flour and it turned out just fine. Love the recipe! I only had flax and pumpkin seeds, so I just doubled those. I baked for 20 min covered, and 4 min uncovered. I was just guessing with time based on another Dutch bread recipe I’ve cut in half before. I think it needed a bit more time to cook; I gave it plenty of time (1 hour) to cool down but it just seemed just a tad undercooked, and the top was almost all soft, yet browned. Taste was great though after we cut and toasted it a bit more in the oven. I’m thinking of trying again but cooking 25 minutes covered? Or should I try the full 30 minutes? Would love some advice 🙂
Hi Galya, it may just need an extra 5 minutes of cooking time. Thank you so much for sharing your experience!
So I was determined and tried again! My 3 year old helped by putting the ingredients together and also had tons of fun. Thanks for the suggestion 🙂 25 minutes covered and 5 minutes uncovered was perfect for half the recipe.
It still wasn’t as crusty (which I actually like, easier for the little kids to eat it), but I think I figured out why. I’m not using a real Dutch oven, just a pan that’s oven safe with a heavier lid (Caraway brand), but unlike a Dutch oven lid, this one has a tiny hole so some steam still comes out of it.
Thanks for sharing that with us! I’m glad you liked the recipe.
I’d like to recommend using a digital thermometer and making sure it’s 200 degrees F to make sure it’s done. King Arthur Flour has a no-knead bread recipe and that’s what they say, 200-205. For some reason, the non-dutch oven breads say 190 degrees, but this kind, higher temp = done.
It’s the easiest dutch oven with no-knead bread I have ever done. I have done this several times now and it hasn’t messed up once. My partner loved with maple syrup butter! Yumm
That’s so great! It’s one of my favorite methods for bread making! I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Hi !
I’m NOT A BAKER! I’ll cook any recipe, but baking never turns out!
HOWEVER, THIS IS THE BEST RECIPE EVER! Question…. can I add Kalamata olives to this recipe, instead of seeds?
Yay, so fantastic, and great job to you! I haven’t honestly tried adding that yet to this recipe. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes.
Hi Natasha. If I use gluten free flour in bread recipies will I get the same great results ?
Hello Isabelle, I have not tested this with gluten-free flour, so, unfortunately, I cannot make specific recommendations for that. If you do any experimenting, let me know how you like it! Sorry, I can’t be more helpful.
Just made it. Easy and delicious
I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
Just made it. Easy and delicious. Thank you
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
Hi Natasha! Thank you for this recipe, it is great! I feel that my bread comes out a little too sweet for my taste, would it be possible to use less honey?
Thank you for your help!
I’m so glad you enjoyed that, Julia! I’m curious if it was the type of honey. Several readers responded, saying they were surprised it wasn’t sweet since honey was added.
Thank you Natasha! Possibly my honey gives this sweet flavor, I am not a big fan of honey, so investing in different kinds is not my preference:) Do you think I can experiment with adding sugar instead?
Hi Julia, a sugar substitution should work!
Thank you Natasha, will try it next time.
You’re welcome. I hope you love it!
Try olive oil instead of honey. Works for me.
Natasha
I have been making the overnight no knead bread but prefer this recipe as it takes less time and is just as easy. I didn’t have pumpkin seeds so doubled the sunflower seeds. Also substituted one cup of whole wheat flour for a cup of the regular flour. By far the best bread I have ever made.
Can you make this with some cinnamon and raisins or with nuts?
Hi Myron, there is definitely room to experiment with this recipe. You can make it plain dutch oven bread without the seeds or add in a variety of things. I like your idea of cinnamon and raisins or nuts.
Hi Natasha. Can this recipe be done without the Dutch oven? It looks similar to the Crusty No Knead Artisan Bread recipe.
Hi Cheryl, yes that would work without a dutch oven. You could follow the instructions for our no-knead bread or for a true crusty bread, you might try the method we used for our French Bread.
Hi Natasha! I had the same problem that another reader mentioned – the crust was hard when it was out of the oven, but got softer after cooling. I prefer a thick hard crust and I’ve read that the more moist the surface is, the more steam there’ll be in the dutch oven as the crust forms. Is there a reason why the dough should be left uncovered during the second rise? Thanks so much! You’re amazing!
Hi Bertha, it helps to stay crisp if you take the bread out of the dutch oven to cool and also make sure not to cover it while cooling. I hope that helps.
Could I bake this in a rectangular loaf pan?
Hi Andra, that should work in a loaf pan.
Hello, Can we make the same bread with 2qt. dutch oven? I bought my first dutch oven yday and want to try out bread recipe. Would you please let me know if the proportions?
Also, if I were to make them flavored with Jalapeno, caraway seeds, do I add them initial or after proofing?
Hi Paru, I don’t think this would fit a 2 Qt dutch oven and I haven’t tested it with a 2 qt to give exact instructions for it. I would add the flavorings before proofing so that it becomes incorporated throughout the dough.
So easy and absolutely delicious. This is now my go to recipe for bread!
That’s just awesome, Patt! Thank you so much for sharing that with me!
I’m a good cook but a lousy baker. I was so intimidated to try this recipe but today I bit the bullet. Well, my bread came out fantastic!!! It was so simple, yet it looks like a professionally baked artisan bread! I posted my pics to my fb page along with a link to the recipe!!
Very nice! Great job, Marie. I’m so happy to hear that you loved the result. Thanks for linking your post to the recipe, I would recommend sharing on our Facebook page or group too!
I’m curious to know what would this bread be good with in particular. I’m quite sure I can eat it all by itself. But was thinking that I should have something to go with it that made all that fuss worth it! I do understand that it’s mostly just waiting for the dough to rise. Thanks for the great recipes.
Hello Marti, this bread is so delicious you can eat it by itself and it’s when eaten fresh out of the oven. You can also slice it for toast, sandwiches, to serve with soup, etc. Feel free to get creative and add ingredients you love.
i pull mine at 25 min. convection oven ive had for three yrs bakes faster.
Thank you so much for sharing that with us Jason!
Hi Natasha
There are some question I need your help,
1) I came across few time
When I put my ready bread for baking into the oven, the bread sink
Why is that please guide me to correct it.
2) my bread result when is ready, I find sometime the bread is dense, is the reason too much water added
Hi Wendy, I haven’t had that experience but the dry ingredients may be the culprit here. I would also make sure to check your ingredients (active dry yeast) are not expired. Our post on measuring should also help – make sure you are not scooping your dry ingredients. Please see this section in our recipe: ‘How Do You Measure Bread Flour?’
I love all of your recipes , I just baked the bread and OMG it was just beautiful , Thank you so much for sharing all your recipes I wish you had a book .
You’re welcome Penny! Thank you for that great review!
I find some of your measurements confusing. To me 1/2 tablespoons of salt and 3/4 tablespoon of yeast are unusual measurements; I would think it would be more traditionally expressed as teaspoons. Is it a typo? Only the poppy seeds are measured in teaspoons.
Hi James, it isn’t a typo – it’s just a non-traditional measurement. If you were measuring teaspoons, I suppose it would be about 2 1/4 teaspoons.
Hi Natasha, I am making the bread now. I was wondering if you can put it in the oven to proof it with the proofing setting? Is so would I have to wait an hour instead of 2?
Hi Sofiya, that may work! If you experiment I would love to know how it turns out.
Hello don’t have lid for Dutch oven any alternative
Hi, I haven’t tested with anything besides the lid, but a couple of sheets of heavy-duty foil might work. I’m not sure if it would have the same effect because you can’t really preheat them, but it’s worth a try.
Absolutely love this recipe!! Thank you so much for making our lives easier with your simple step by step directions. My crust is hard when I take it out and when I put it on the rack to cool it always goes soft. Is it suppose to be with a soft crust? Thanks again
I’m so happy you enjoyed that Laura! This crust should be nice and crunchy!
Hi Natasha,
I tried making the bread, but the dough was too runny to turn into a ball, even though it was generously floured. I didn’t make any modifications to the recipe or ingredients. Any suggestions as to why the dough is runny and what can be done to prevent that in the future?
Hi Sara, the dough should be pretty soft, but not runny. I wonder if the flour could have been miss-measured by mistake or if a different type of flour was substituted (different flours have varying amounts of gluten which can affect how much flour is needed).
I used All purpose flour. Did I need to use more if I used All purpose flour instead of bread flour? And if so, how much more? Thanks for responding and for all your great recipes
Hi Sara, usually you would need more all-purpose flour since bread flour has more gluten in it than all-purpose. Without testing it, it’s difficult to say exactly how much.
Do I have to use bread flour for this recipe ? I only have regular so if I do should I make the No knead recipe instead ??
Hi Juniper, The next best thing would be to use all-purpose flour instead of bread flour. You may need slightly more flour since bread flour has a higher protein and gluten content.
Hello. Is there a way I can make this bread without using parchment paper? It’s impossible for me to get it at the moment. I have everything else, including the dutch oven.
Hi Claudia, I always use parchment paper but I have seen other tutorials recommend spraying with cooking spray before putting the dough into the pre-heated dutch oven.
Did you stir in the yeast, or just sprinkle it ontop and leave it be
Hi Diane, sprinkle it in. Please see step number 1. “In a large bowl, combine the warm water, honey, and salt. Stir until honey has dissolved then sprinkle top with the yeast. Let sit at room temperature for 5 minutes.”
What about jalapeño and cheese bread. Could I do this? And how much of each?
This is so delicious I will never buy bread again but would be nice to change it up sometimes
I haven’t tried adding cheese yet but if you give it a try please share if you liked it!
Hi Natasha,
Thank you for sharing your recipes. My family love everything I have been cooking for them using your recipes. They especially love the 5-seed bread which I changed and made jalapeño cheddar cheese bread instead and let me tell you, It’s a big hit with my family and friends!! I made this bread recipe about every other week. I have made the jalapeño cheese bread using your No-Knead Bread recipe (Easy Artisan Bread) and it’s turned out great too!
That’s so great Anchela! Thank you for that great feedback!
Would really love to know how much you jalapeno and cheese that you added and what type of cheese that you would recommend, Anchela? Sounds yummy!
Hi Bonnie,
I add 1/2 cup of diced jalapeños and 1/2 cup of cheese to mixture and I used any kind of shredded cheddar cheese I have on hand. I also sprinkled some more diced jalapeños and cheese when I am ready to bake the bread. Hope that helps. 😊
I will never buy store bread again! This is so amazing, that I just about ate half of it myself! I do omit the seeds because I’m not a fan. And let me tell you, this turns out perfect without it as well! I don’t have a bread maker, and this recipe makes me happy! Super easy to follow, you won’t go back to the store after this! Thanks Natasha!!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it Anna!
Can I add garlic instead to make a garlic flavoured bread?
I haven’t tested that Ange but I bet it could work.
Warning: metric conversion incorrect
I’ll give this recipe a try today, I like to weigh my flours but notice that when I press the metric button on this page the recipe calc for 3c flour comes out to 700+ grams and that’s not right
Hi Dave, thank you so much for pointing that out. I think our recipe conversion calculator got confused. I change it from “better for bread flour” to just read “bread flour” and now the conversion displays accurately at 375 grams for 3 cups of bread flour. Thank you again!
Hi. This looks great but I don’t have bread flour. Can I use regular all purpose flour instead? Thanks in advance.
Hi Mona, all-purpose flour will work in the recipe as well.
I love this recipe. But, I don’t use much sliced bread. I like rolls. So I rolled the dough into a pile of rounds. The whole thing baked up beautifully and now I can pull of a small “roll”. And since I love the crust of this bread, this method gave me more. I’d love to send a photo.
That sounds great, Rita! Thanks for sharing that with us, you can actually share photos of your creation on our Facebook page or group. Hope to see you there!
Can I bake it without the lid or cover with foil instead?
Hi Jenny, I always bake with the heavy dutch oven lid so I”m not sure how that would affect the outcome without it. If anyone else has tried, please let us know.
I always bake mine without a lid just add a pan of a small amount Like a few ounces to creat steam or as soon as you add raised dough spray water on back and sides ,,inside ,oven 40 min at 450 ,depending on your oven true temp get bakkkin
I made it and it was perfect. I am wondering if I can substitute the seeds for tomato and basil? I just love the recipe and it has been so far my favorite one. I don´t want to change.
I haven’t tested that with tomatoes but I think it could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
Sun dried tomato dry basil fresh herb and tomato would be to moist thus to much water ,,,add some Italian sausage pre cooked to reader fat ,,,little pieces not big ones olives the ones that look wrinkled take out pis and chop ,,,experiment I amusing 7grain raw seed from Amazon have fun if it doesn’t work to your likest week it an try try again ….
Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
I am so eager to try this but the cast iron cookware I bought from Walmart (it was all I could afford) says temp highest at 400 degrees. It does have a metal knob so not sure why not higher. Do you have ideas about what would happen if I put it in a hotter oven (as in 425-450)? and would this recipe work in a 400 degree oven? Thanks in advance
Hi Diane, I really can’t say for sure what would happen without testing that out. I would follow the manufacturer’s warnings about not overheating the pot so your knob doesn’t melt or get destroyed.
Diane, I use a dutch oven at 430 degrees for 25 mins with lid on then remove lid for 8 mins to brown the top. Longer than that will give you a harder, crustier top if you like it crunchy. I wouldn’t go above the temperature that the manufacturer recommends or you risk damaging your dutch oven. Enjoy! I’ve made it this way at least 30 times.
great bread recipe and I have tried all on line ,well 5 diff ones , yours is a 10 star , got 7 seed raw ,on Amazon ,comes in a sealed bag really great finished bread ,,,
Thank you for sharing that with us, Joseph!
Thank you Natasha for all the recipes great job.
I have some whole wheat flour can I use it for the Dutch oven bread?
Hi Salwa. Someone commented this “So I tried a whole wheat version, subbing a mix of white whole wheat and whole wheat for all but 1/2 c of bread flour. I increased the water by 1/4 cup and it turned out awesome! I experimented again by letting it rise the second time in a loaf pan to see if it would make good sandwich bread…again… awesome. I did decrease the oven temp to 375 and baked for 25 min.”
Made this bread today and it looks just like your pictures. Added chopped pecans and poppy seeds, I think it could be a great breakfast bread with raspberry jam, mmm … Thank you, Natasha for all your recipes, they ALWAYS turn out great. More like “no fail recipes”. My daughter learned how to cook from your site since she was 11. Blessings to you and your family!
Lovely to hear that, Mila! Thanks for sharing that with us. Please say hi to your daughter, it’s so great to know that she learned how to cook at an early age, great job!
Hi there
I have started using your recipes especially making freshly baked breads all the way in a Singapore!
I’ve love to bake and cook but I’m not talented in either. I rely a lot on recipes and yours Are wonderful!
Thank you!
Thanks for sharing that with us, Florence. I hope you love every recipe that you try!
Hello Florence Beckman. Have faith in your talents you are cooking remember food is a matter of taste so feel free I have been using recipes fro 50 years and then tweet them to my likes a little more of this or less of that cook and learn all ingredients are not always the same one pepper is hotter than the other although from same plant one garlic more pungent than the next salt pepper add leave out cause your soup broth was already seasoned ,,,be proud of what you create ,,da ya think a chef may have to tweak a recipe or try 5 times ta get it rite they all do ,,,as James Beard said ,”Good Eating ‘
I’m wondering if I could omit the honey or substitute it. I’m making this for my son’s vegan girlfriend!
Hello Kerri, it depends on your preference but we love it with honey!
Hi Kerri,
I would just substitute with sugar.
Elaine
Perfect every time! I use any kind of seeds I have handy, and Robin Hood all purpose flour. Thanks for the recipe 😉 Lot of them are simular to my home cooking 😋👌
Thank you for your great feedback, Jarmila. Thanks for sharing the substitute ingredients that you used too!
Hi Natasha,
I am wanting to make this bread but I don’t have an cast iron Dutch oven can I use a ceramic Dutch oven instead?
Thanks,
Dipali
Hi Dipali, I honestly haven’t tried that yet to advise. If you want to do an experiment, please share with us how the outcome goes.
Hi Natasha,
I made the bread using a metal cooking pan to allow room for bread to rise and it turned out great!
Dipali
So glad to hear that, thank you for sharing!
I put it in a loaf pan and then into my roasting pan to get the rectangular shape. Works perfect every time.
That’s so great! Thank you for sharing that with me Ange!
What is better for bread flour?
Hi Angela, we used bread flour, I have a photo of it in the recipe. The next best thing would be to use all-purpose flour instead of bread flour. You may need slightly more flour since bread flour has a higher protein and gluten content.
hi Angelka I use Caputo 00 flour Amazon. A great Italian bread or pizza dough. just follow da Recipe as directed Im letting a dough rise at this time add 7 grain mix also from Amazon. Happy Baking
Thank you for sharing that with us Joseph.
I made the Dutch oven bread today and it turned put better than those artisan recipes.
Thank you,
Don and Virginia Mims
I’m so glad you enjoyed that Don!
Hey Natasha! My family and I love your recipes! I’ve tried this bread recipe twice, and for some reason, my bread comes out to be a bit doughy. I’ve waited before cutting into it to prevent letting out steam. I’ve also kept it in the oven for a bit longer to account for longer baking times. Any other tips or reasons as to why my bread is coming out sticky?
Hi Esther, are you making any substitutions in the recipe or changes in the process? Is the dough rising as expected (like what you see in the photos)?
I didn’t add seeds into my bread. It seems to rise fine, except for the fact that it spreads out like a pancake. I’m not sure if that’s supposed to happen.
You most likely need more flour.
Hi,
Can Canadian flour be used? Or all purpose flour? What kind of result would be if I use that?
Thank you
Hi Ella, I haven’t tested this with Canadian, but generally you would use less flour using Canadian flour. If you experiment with Canadian, I’d love to hear about your results.
Hi Ella, I am in Canada so I make it with Canadian flour. I use “better for bread” flour, but I’m sure it would be just as good with unbleached or all-purpose.
Thanks for sharing that with us, Elaine and for giving this recipe a great feedback!
I use 🇨🇦 Robin Hood all purpose flour. Exact measurements, and it’s always perfect 👍 made it many times 😁
Made it today and love it! Had all ingredients on hand except flax seeds. Thank you!
You’re welcome! I’m so glad you enjoyed that, Catherine!
Hi Natasha! Made this last night. It was amazing!!!
Love it! Thanks for sharing that with us and I hope you love every recipe that you will try.
Love it! Thanks for sharing that with us, Diane and I hope you love every recipe that you will try.
Love the bread!
Its awesome that you add honey to it but the bread is not sweet.
Glad you loved it and the honey definitely adds a bit of flavor!
Thanks so much for this recipe, the bread looks so delicious, I’m making it next week, can’t wait!
Sounds like you found a favorite! Thanks for your great review!
Dear Natasha, hope you and your family are safe in this crucial time.
I was reading comments, it seems I am missing this recipe…
I really WANT to make this bread. But I don’t have bread flour. And in this time, I don’t want to go to supermarket for bread flour.
Is there any substitute for bread flour?
PLEASE let me know…
In this crazy time, you and your recipes are one of the motivation to
deal this situation.
I really appreciate your help.
Stay safe
Hi, the next best thing would be to use all-purpose flour instead of bread flour. You may need slightly more flour since bread flour has a higher protein and gluten content.
Amazing – my family was loved it so much. They are already asking me to make it again! Great recipe!
So great to hear that your family enjoyed this recipe. I hope that you all love every recipe that you try!
Nothing like warm, homemade bread!! It is the source of comfort right now! I am so making this for my family! We could use it for so many things!
So true Natalie. I am excited for you to give this recipe a try, please share with us how it goes!
This is really perfect! And I love how easy you can make it!
Thank you for your compliments Toni and for giving this recipe a great review!
Look at that gorgeous crust! This would go perfectly alongside some homemade soup. M’mm…
That’s a great combo, April! I can imagine while I am reading your comment. Thanks for your excellent review!
Love the original no knead and getting ready to try this recipe. My Dutch oven is 7 quartShould I make any adjustments?
Hi Dru, that should work in a 7 quart. You may need to adjust the cook time since the bread will be a little flatter with more surface area.
This bread is a family favorite! I normally pop it back into the oven for a few minutes before dinner, and that makes the most delicious and crunchy crust!
Ooh that sounds so yummy! Thank for giving a great review and I hope you all love every recipe that you try.
Hi Natasha, I made this bread before and it came out really good. I am wondering do you have any Easter bread recipe? I can’t find any. I trust your recipes. Thank you.
Hi Alla, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! If you search for Easter Bread in the search bar on our site, you will find all of our Easter bread recipes.