The Perfect Crusty Bread Recipe (Made in a Dutch Oven)

This Crusty Bread Recipe will give you the most delicious homemade bread that's crusty and has a chewy crust, but a soft and delicious interior. 

It's the perfect bread recipe for any beginner to try, but will even satisfy seasoned bakers looking for their next favorite bread recipe. 

With a flavor that's simple but classic, you can enjoy this delicious Crusty Bread with some soup or even have it on its own with some butter. It's a family favorite here, and I'm sure yours will love it too. 

Want to learn how to make this delicious Crusty Bread Recipe? Then keep on reading!

Table of Contents

• What Is A Crusty Bread?
• What Makes This Crusty Bread Recipe Special 
• What You Need to Make this Crusty Bread Recipe at Home
• How to Make Crusty Bread (Step-by-Step)
• What You Can Have With Crusty Bread
• Why Does My Bread Dough Seem Too Wet?
• What Kind of Dutch Oven Should I Use?
• Is Preheating the Dutch Oven Necessary?
• Should I Use Parchment Paper When Baking Bread in a Dutch Oven?
• Do I Have to Cover Dutch Oven with a Lid While Baking?
• How to Store Leftover Crusty Bread
• How to Freeze Crusty Bread
• Similar Bread Recipes
• Recipe Card
• The Perfect Crusty Bread Recipe (Made in a Dutch Oven)
• Comments

What Is A Crusty Bread?

Crusty bread is simply any bread that has a soft interior and a crunchier exterior. It's not necessarily sweet, although some varieties are.

And it doesn't always need to be made into sandwich bread. Some crusty bread are baked right out of the oven, while others are baked in loaf pans or Dutch ovens.

It usually comes out of the oven looking kind of brownish and crusty. Some come out of the oven looking golden brown while others may even be dark brown.

These types of crusty breads are very popular among bakers because they are delicious and pretty easy to make. They are also perfect for sandwiches.

What Makes This Crusty Bread Recipe Special 

Crusty bread is one of those things that we all love but never really know how to make. We've seen recipes online, but they're usually just too complicated for us to follow. But now I'm going to show you how simple it is to make crusty bread!

Bread making is a kind of art, I would say. There's a certain kind of feeling of satisfaction you get when your work turns out into a fantastic loaf of bread that everyone enjoys.

Beautiful and wonderful tasting. Making this absolutely delicious and unique Dutch Oven White Crusty Bread Recipe in a cast iron pot is fairly simple.

A Dutch oven isn't the first thing that comes to mind in bread making, but this piece of an “oven in a pot” is wonderfully versatile.

I think everyone loves a good crusty bread, especially after having a long day at work. It's great for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snacks. Plus, it's very versatile. You can have it plain, or you can load it up with anything you like.

Finding a great loaf of bread that the whole family loves is a great score. Imagine making it yourself? Homemade, oven-fresh, and delicious. I like this bread crusty on the outside, light, fluffy, and kind of airy and chewy on the inside.

This bread is hard to describe but absolutely scrumptious. I would say the texture and taste are somewhere between Costco's long baguette and Torta bread. Fantastic for sandwiches or to be enjoyed by itself.

I begin making this bread the night before, giving it time to ferment and develop into that amazing goodness the family adores, and then baking it in the early afternoon so it has enough time to cook for dinner. It goes great with just about anything.

Or simply with a little butter and a cup of coffee, which seems to be the favorite way it is enjoyed at my house. It is also eaten plain just because it's an incredible bread.

What You Need to Make this Crusty Bread Recipe at Home

Making this Crusty Bread at home is the perfect recipe for beginners! It'll give you beautiful, artisan bread with a chewy crust. Here are the ingredients you'll need to make it: 

• All-purpose flour: All you need is some basic all-purpose flour to make this crusty white bread. No need for any bread flour at all!

Sea salt: We'll need some sea salt or kosher salt to add the right level of flavor to our delicious bread so that it goes with just about anything: 
Warm water: Another ingredient we'll need is water. It needs to be lukewarm water in this recipe and it's important that it's warm. The temperature of the water must be between approximately 95 to 105 degrees Fahrenheit (35 to 40 degrees Celsius), as anything warmer will kill the yeast. This will be water that feels tepid to the touch.
Honey: You'll also need some honey to activate the yeast and give it something to eat. It also helps to make the bread softer as some of the water will be absorbed by it and it slows down the formation of gluten strands.
Active dry yeast: We'll be using some active dry yeast in this recipe to get the most delicious crusty bread you've ever tried!

How to Make Crusty Bread (Step-by-Step)

Making this bread is super simple for beginners and more experienced bakers. To make things simple, this recipe has been broken down into two days. Here's what you need to do step by step:

What to do to Make Crusty Bread Recipe on Day 1

To start off, combine yeast, honey, and water.

Next, sift the flour into the stand mixer bowl, add salt, and pour in the yeast mixture. Using the mixer's dough hook attachment knead the dough for a couple of minutes until the liquid combines well with some flour.

Then scrape down the sides and bottom of the mixer bowl with a silicone spatula to mix in all of the flour.

Continue kneading for 5 more minutes or until all the flour is incorporated. The dough will be very sticky (this is why a silicone spatula is a lifesaver).

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or transfer it into another large bowl and then cover it. Puncture 3 holes for the dough to breathe, and let it sit at room temperature on the countertop for 12 to 15 hours to rise.

What to do to Make Crusty Bread Recipe on Day 2

Start by preheating the oven to 450 F. (235 C).

Use a silicone spatula to scrape down the dough off the sides and bottom of the bowl.

Transfer the dough onto a well-floured surface with the help of the spatula and shape it into a sphere. When shaping the dough, make sure to fold it over on itself several times until it feels tight and starts to resist folding.

How to Bake Crusty Bread

Sprinkle some flour on the bottom of your cast iron (mine is a 5 quart).

Transfer the dough into the pot.

Cover the cast iron pot with the lid and bake it in the oven on the middle rack for 30 minutes. Remove the lid from the pan and bake the bread for an additional 15 minutes.

Remove the bread from the oven and let the bread sit in the Dutch oven for 15 minutes.

Let me cool completely before slicing with a sharp knife. Your delicious homemade crusty bread is ready to be served! It's great served with some soup or stew. 

What You Can Have With Crusty Bread

You can eat crusty bread plain, or you can stuff it full of whatever you like.

Try spreading butter on top, then sprinkling brown sugar on top of that. Then, drizzle some honey over the top. Next, cut slices off the loaf and serve them with jam. They're perfect for breakfast sandwiches, or even dessert.

Why Does My Bread Dough Seem Too Wet?

The dough should feel quite wet, sticky, and loose when mixed. So if that's what yours feels like, that's absolutely okay and you don't need to worry at all. This is what will give it that crusty outside.

What Kind of Dutch Oven Should I Use?

Any brand of Dutch oven will work as long as it's a 6 - Quart in size.

Is Preheating the Dutch Oven Necessary?

If you want the bread to be very crispy on the outside then you may preheat your Dutch oven. I like mine to be a bit chewy, so I bake the bread in a Dutch oven that hasn't been preheated.

Should I Use Parchment Paper When Baking Bread in a Dutch Oven?

A parchment paper is not necessary to produce good bread. The coating of flour creates a non-stick surface which prevents the dough and baked bread from sticking to it.

The only challenge with using only dusting flour is in the process of transferring your proofed dough onto the hot baking surface which I scrape off after the bread cools down.

Do I Have to Cover Dutch Oven with a Lid While Baking?

Yes, this is a crucial step to achieving moist bread with a perfectly crusty crust.

Bread needs to be baked in a humid environment and keeping the lid on to the Dutch oven traps the steam resulting in sticky and moist dough on the inside.

How to Store Leftover Crusty Bread

Store bread in an airtight container for up to 3 days. To preserve crispy crust and moist bread keep cut-side down in a bread box with the lid open for up to 24 hours. You can also store it in the fridge for up to 3 days.

How to Freeze Crusty Bread

Store sliced bread in an airtight container in the freezer for 2 - 3 months. I prefer slicing the bread before freezing, which enables you to take out one slice at a time. Let it thaw on the kitchen counter before using.

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