Bread in a Pot!
Intro: Bread in a Pot!
When you think of "One Pot Meals", you most likely think of chili, stew, or some old-fashioned Crock-Pot recipe.
However, I've found that a single lidded pot is the BEST way to bake bread! The finished bread is a rustic, round artisan loaf.
Follow along as I show how I now bake bread - in a pot!
*This recipe is loosely based on several "no-knead" bread recipes that have been popular in the past few years in newspaper magazines and blogs.
(If you are interested in other "out-of-the-box" baking methods, check out my CROCK-POT BREAD technique!)
Here's a taste-test and review by somebody who tried one of the loaves baked with these directions.
However, I've found that a single lidded pot is the BEST way to bake bread! The finished bread is a rustic, round artisan loaf.
Follow along as I show how I now bake bread - in a pot!
*This recipe is loosely based on several "no-knead" bread recipes that have been popular in the past few years in newspaper magazines and blogs.
(If you are interested in other "out-of-the-box" baking methods, check out my CROCK-POT BREAD technique!)
Here's a taste-test and review by somebody who tried one of the loaves baked with these directions.
STEP 1: Tools & Ingredients
The secret to this baking technique is a good pot.
I'm using a Lodge brand cast iron "dutch oven" enameled pot. Lodge is more affordable than something like a Le Creuset. The only thing that I don't like about it is that it comes with a plastic knob for the lid. When I ordered my Lodge cast iron, I also ordered a Le Creuset brand replacement knob. The Le Creuset knob is metal, looks nicer, and is oven safe to a higher temperature than the plastic Lodge knob. Swapping out knobs only requires a screw-driver and can be done in about 30 seconds.
The heavy cast iron absorbs the heat of the oven, and moderates it. Most home ovens DON'T have an even temperature. They just sort of turn on and off to average to the right temperature. Cooking inside cast iron evens out the heat.
The tight-fitting heavy lid seals in the moisture, steaming the bread as it bakes, creating an AMAZING crust!
You could also use a camping-type black cast iron dutch oven, or a ceramic pot with lid, but the enameled cast iron is my favorite! As long as it's heavy and has a good lid, whichever pot you use should be fine.
You'll also need a mixing bowl, dry and wet measuring cups, measuring spoons, and a clean tea towel or cloth.
For the ingredients:
1/4 teaspoon Active Dry Yeast
1&1/2 teaspoons of Salt
1&1/2 cups warm water
3 cups flour (all-purpose, whole wheat, or a mix of both)
I'm using a Lodge brand cast iron "dutch oven" enameled pot. Lodge is more affordable than something like a Le Creuset. The only thing that I don't like about it is that it comes with a plastic knob for the lid. When I ordered my Lodge cast iron, I also ordered a Le Creuset brand replacement knob. The Le Creuset knob is metal, looks nicer, and is oven safe to a higher temperature than the plastic Lodge knob. Swapping out knobs only requires a screw-driver and can be done in about 30 seconds.
The heavy cast iron absorbs the heat of the oven, and moderates it. Most home ovens DON'T have an even temperature. They just sort of turn on and off to average to the right temperature. Cooking inside cast iron evens out the heat.
The tight-fitting heavy lid seals in the moisture, steaming the bread as it bakes, creating an AMAZING crust!
You could also use a camping-type black cast iron dutch oven, or a ceramic pot with lid, but the enameled cast iron is my favorite! As long as it's heavy and has a good lid, whichever pot you use should be fine.
You'll also need a mixing bowl, dry and wet measuring cups, measuring spoons, and a clean tea towel or cloth.
For the ingredients:
1/4 teaspoon Active Dry Yeast
1&1/2 teaspoons of Salt
1&1/2 cups warm water
3 cups flour (all-purpose, whole wheat, or a mix of both)
STEP 2: Mix the Dough
Combine ingredients on a mixing bowl.
I typically warm water in the microwave in a Pyrex measuring cup. For baking, make sure you use good water. If you have bad well water, or city water with chlorine in it, you might want to use filtered or distilled water. Yeast is a living thing and doesn't like bad water.
Put yeast in the mixing bowl. Add water, stir.
Add salt, stir.
Add the flour. Recently I've been using a mix of 2 cups natural unbleached all-purpose and 1 cup organic whole wheat.
Mix it all together. It will be sticky/shaggy/wet, that's OK. Put plastic wrap over the mixing bowl, and set it aside for overnight. I usually put mine above the refrigerator - it's a little warmer there and out of the way of children and pets.
The long rise time makes it so you can skip kneading the bread, and adds just a tad of a "sour-dough" flavor.
I typically warm water in the microwave in a Pyrex measuring cup. For baking, make sure you use good water. If you have bad well water, or city water with chlorine in it, you might want to use filtered or distilled water. Yeast is a living thing and doesn't like bad water.
Put yeast in the mixing bowl. Add water, stir.
Add salt, stir.
Add the flour. Recently I've been using a mix of 2 cups natural unbleached all-purpose and 1 cup organic whole wheat.
Mix it all together. It will be sticky/shaggy/wet, that's OK. Put plastic wrap over the mixing bowl, and set it aside for overnight. I usually put mine above the refrigerator - it's a little warmer there and out of the way of children and pets.
The long rise time makes it so you can skip kneading the bread, and adds just a tad of a "sour-dough" flavor.
STEP 3: Dough Rise & Handling
The next day, the dough will have risen.
Dust your work surface with a little flour. Pull the dough out of the mixing bowl. Just roll it into a ball, sprinkle with flour as needed.
Set the tea towel or cloth over a bowl, and sprinkle a little flour or corn meal in it. Put the ball of dough in there, sprinkle a little more flour on top, and cover with the rest of the towel.
Allow the dough to rest for an hour or two. This gives it a bit of time to rise a little more.
Dust your work surface with a little flour. Pull the dough out of the mixing bowl. Just roll it into a ball, sprinkle with flour as needed.
Set the tea towel or cloth over a bowl, and sprinkle a little flour or corn meal in it. Put the ball of dough in there, sprinkle a little more flour on top, and cover with the rest of the towel.
Allow the dough to rest for an hour or two. This gives it a bit of time to rise a little more.
STEP 4: Preheat Oven WITH the Pot
Here's part of the magic.
Half an hour before your dough is ready, preheat your oven to 475 degrees F. But put the cast iron pot in the oven right away.
The dutch oven will heat up inside your bake oven as it gets hot.
Half an hour before your dough is ready, preheat your oven to 475 degrees F. But put the cast iron pot in the oven right away.
The dutch oven will heat up inside your bake oven as it gets hot.
STEP 5: Put Dough in Pot
Remove the cast iron from the oven, and take off the lid.
Now, lift the tea towel and use it to transfer the dough to inside the hot pot.
Put the lid back on, and place the whole thing in the oven.
Now, lift the tea towel and use it to transfer the dough to inside the hot pot.
Put the lid back on, and place the whole thing in the oven.
STEP 6: Bake
Bake with the lid on for 30 minutes.
At 30 minutes, remove the lid, and bake uncovered another 20 minutes.
After that, remove from oven and let bread cool on a rack.
At 30 minutes, remove the lid, and bake uncovered another 20 minutes.
After that, remove from oven and let bread cool on a rack.
STEP 7: Eat!
This bread is delicious and has an amazing, crunchy crust! Every loaf is artisan, and will turn out just a little different, but always great!
You might find that it's almost hard to cut with a bread knife! I've found that an old-fashioned deli-style meat slicer actually works really well to slice bread, especially if you want even slices for sandwiches.
This bread also toasts and grills extremely well. It's IDEAL for classic grilled sandwiches like Reubens and Grilled Cheese.
If you want to get REALLY wild, you can even make dinner rolls or sausage rolls with this same recipe and baking technique.
So now it's your turn! Why don't you mix up some dough tonight and tomorrow you will have have delicious BREAD IN A POT!
You might find that it's almost hard to cut with a bread knife! I've found that an old-fashioned deli-style meat slicer actually works really well to slice bread, especially if you want even slices for sandwiches.
This bread also toasts and grills extremely well. It's IDEAL for classic grilled sandwiches like Reubens and Grilled Cheese.
If you want to get REALLY wild, you can even make dinner rolls or sausage rolls with this same recipe and baking technique.
So now it's your turn! Why don't you mix up some dough tonight and tomorrow you will have have delicious BREAD IN A POT!
24 Comments
littlebuddha 11 years ago
suayres 12 years ago
drmike-s 8 years ago
This recipe is the same as Jim Lahey's (see his book on bread baking). The long rise means no kneading is necessary.
bennelson 12 years ago
garnishrecipes 11 years ago
bennelson 11 years ago
My sister loves crockpots. She tried a chocolate cake in a crock pot a while back which did NOT turn out.....
I think bread is more likely to work. If nothing else, it sure would smell good!
drmike-s 8 years ago
You need a round crock pot & I just have a big oval one. The dutch oven works perfectly.
bennelson 11 years ago
I now CAN make bread in a Crock-Pot!
Read about it right here on Instructables!
https://www.instructables.com/id/Crock-Pot-Bread/
garnishrecipes 11 years ago
However, they do note that the taste is superior with no-knead bread made in a dutch oven. :)
http://www.thekitchn.com/noknead-bread-alternative-to-d-42145
avocadostains 9 years ago
This is way cool. Im meaning to try this.
chabias 10 years ago
Judith756 11 years ago
Thanks!!!
The Rambler 12 years ago
Chimex14 12 years ago
The Rambler 12 years ago
bennelson 12 years ago
I haven't tried it yet, but this bread recipe should also work quite well for making a bread bowl. Might be best for something like an artichoke dip, where the bread that gets cut out would then be dipped back into whatever goes in the bowl.
Chimex14 12 years ago
I made teh bread
Tis Delicious
Me Gusta
I also made the Sandwich.
For it being my first try i guess it turned out well.
barbnelson 12 years ago
abbie81 12 years ago
GummiBear 12 years ago