The Chefs: No Knead Dutch-Oven Bread

The Chefs column highlights our local culinary masters. They share a recipe that has a lot of meaning to them and thankfully, how to make it. (well, at least most of it, sometimes secrets must remain that). This month’s chef is Levi Winters.

No Knead Dutch Oven Bread

My dad (John) first hooked me on this recipe for “no knead” bread. I added a little of this, took out some of that and am pretty sure it’s better than the one he shared last year.

Don’t tell him. Fragile ego and all. But with everyone still somewhat quarantined and baking bread, here’s my offering.

There are only four simple ingredients. And for cookware, all you need is a Dutch oven. If you don’t have one, go get one. I have no idea how many my dad has throughout the house.

This bread will have a crunchy exterior and a very soft inside. Perfect with olive oil, jam, butter and also for the bread for my four-cheese grilled cheese. But that last one is another story.

3 cups lukewarm water

1 and ½ tablespoons of dry active yeast

1 and ½ tablespoons of kosher salt

6 and ½ cups of all purpose flour

4 quart Dutch oven with lid

Take a big bowl and mix the flour, salt and yeast together. Next, pour in the water and mix it all up with your hands or a big wooden spoon. It will be a little sticky, but that’s okay. Try to get it into a nice round ball and then cover it with plastic wrap. Let it sit for at least two hours at room temperature. It will grow in size.

When you are ready, preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Put the Dutch oven (with the lid on) in there at the same time with a sprinkling of flour on the bottom. Once the oven hits 450, flour the dough and put it in the Dutch oven, with the lid on, for 25 minutes.

Then, take the lid off, and cook for another 25 minutes or longer as desired for crispiness.

(Levi Winters is social and visual manager for Winters Media & Publishing, Inc. He is also one heck of a chef and a renowned Time Traveler, Order of the Shifu.)