Ideas & Recipes

Savory

Sweet

By Special Request

When we sample Bijoux Crème butter, we (almost) always serve it on our very own Dutch Oven Bread. This is our very own recipe--as delicious and unique as everything we make. By now, enough of you have asked for the recipe that it's time we oblige. So, without further ado...

Bijoux Crème's Dutch Oven Bread

Prep Time: 30 minutes; Rise Time: 10 – 14 hours; Cook Time: 50 minutes; Total Time: ~13 hours (start the bread either first thing in the morning or just before bed)

Equipment:

One enameled, cast iron, heavy-bottomed, 6- to 7-quart Dutch oven

Ingredients:

2¼ cups all-purpose flour (330g), plus more for dusting
2¼ cups bread flour (350g)
1 envelope instant dry yeast (7g) (2¼ teaspoons)
4 teaspoons fine Himalayan salt (20g) (or 2 teaspoons table salt)
1½ cup medium-flavored lager (Boulevard Wheat)
~½ cup lukewarm water (see note below)
¼ cup honey (82g)
2+2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 teaspoons white vinegar

Preparation:

1. In a large bowl, whisk flours, yeast, and salt.
2. Create a small well in the middle and pour in lager, water (~½ cup, enough to yield 2 total cups when added to the lager), honey, two tablespoons (26g) of the cooled melted butter, and vinegar.
3. Using rubber spatula, fold mixture, scraping up dry flour from bottom of bowl until shaggy ball forms.
4. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature (~70°F) for at least 8 hours or up to 12 hours.
5. Transfer dough to well-floured surface and knead 10 to 15 times. Shape dough into ball by pulling edges into middle.
6. Lay 18 x 12-inch sheet of parchment paper on counter and brush with some of the two more tablespoons of the (re)melted butter. Transfer dough seam side down to center of parchment. Brush surface of dough with the last of the two tablespoons of butter.
7. Pick up dough by lifting parchment overhang and lower into heavy-bottomed 6- to 7-quart Dutch oven (preferably an enameled cast iron Dutch oven) (let any excess parchment hang over pot edge).
8. Cover loosely with plastic and let rise at room temperature until dough has doubled in size and does not readily spring back when poked with finger, about 2 hours.
9. Adjust oven rack to middle position. Remove plastic from over pot. Lightly flour top of dough and, using sharp knife, make two 4-inch-long, 1/2-inch-deep slit on top of dough to form a plus.
10. Do not preheat oven. Cover pot with Dutch oven lid and place in oven. Set oven to 450°F. Bake bread for 50 minutes.
11. Loaf (boule, actually) is done when its center temperature registers ~185°F. Remove bread from pot; transfer to wire rack to cool. Allow the boule to cool for at least one hour before slicing—preferably, overnight.

 Enjoy!

Any republication or commercial use of this recipe must credit both Bijoux Crème and Buon-Riche Foods, Inc. Thanks.