Dutch Oven Garlic Rosemary Bread (Printable version)

Rustic aromatic bread with fresh garlic, rosemary, crisp golden crust and soft flavorful interior.

# What you need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 3 1/4 cups bread flour
02 - 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
03 - 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast

→ Wet Ingredients

04 - 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
05 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

→ Aromatics

06 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped

→ For Dusting & Baking

08 - Extra flour or cornmeal for dusting

# How To:

01 - In a large bowl, whisk together bread flour, salt, and yeast until thoroughly combined.
02 - Stir in the lukewarm water and olive oil until a shaggy dough forms.
03 - Add the minced garlic and rosemary, mixing gently to distribute evenly throughout the dough.
04 - Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let the dough rise at room temperature for 2–3 hours, or until doubled in size.
05 - Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. With floured hands, shape gently into a round ball.
06 - Place dough seam-side down on a piece of parchment paper. Cover loosely and let rise for another 30–45 minutes.
07 - While the dough rises, place a Dutch oven with lid in the oven and preheat to 450°F for at least 30 minutes.
08 - Carefully remove the hot Dutch oven. Lift the dough with the parchment paper and place inside.
09 - Cover with lid and bake for 30 minutes to create steam and develop the crust.
10 - Remove lid and bake for an additional 12–15 minutes, until the crust is deep golden brown.
11 - Remove bread from Dutch oven and cool on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes before slicing.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The crust gets impossibly crispy while staying pillowy inside, like bakery bread but with zero intimidation factor
  • You can mix everything in one bowl and let time do the heavy lifting
  • That garlic rosemary combo makes people think you took bread baking classes
02 -
  • The dough will look impossibly sticky and messy at first, that is exactly how it should be
  • Skipping the Dutch oven preheat step results in disappointing, pale crust
  • Every minute the bread cools before slicing makes the texture better, seriously wait it out
03 -
  • Mixing the aromatics into the dough creates pockets of concentrated flavor throughout
  • Use a bread lame or sharp knife to score the top before baking for controlled expansion
  • Store cut side down on the counter, never in the fridge which makes it stale faster

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