Dutch Oven No-Knead Bread

650 gr

bread flour

4 gr

dry yeast

8 gr

salt

450 gr

water at room temperature

Oat flakes and whole wheat flour for finishing

Equipment

Mix the flour, yeast, and salt in a bowl.
Add the water and simply combine the ingredients with your hand or a spoon – Do not knead at all – until you have a dough with an irregular shape that is quite wet.
Transfer to an oiled bowl, cover with cling film, and leave on the kitchen counter for 18-19 hours.
The texture of the dough after resting should be quite pliable, very soft and wet, full of bubbles, fibers, and strands.
Remove with floured hands onto a well-floured counter and press lightly with your palm to widen it.
Do not knead it at all, simply shape it with your hands. Fold it in thirds, forming a long piece which you also fold in thirds. Pinch all the seams of the dough to seal them.
Place a clean towel in a bowl and sprinkle with oat flakes and whole wheat flour.
Place the bread with the seam side down on the cloth. Sprinkle the surface with oats and flour as well. Cover and leave for about 30 minutes to rise.
Preheat the oven to 230°C (445°F) and place a cast iron pot on the lower rack to heat well for 15 minutes.
Heat the lid of the pot as well.
Line the pot with parchment paper and very carefully, to avoid burning yourself, flip the bread with the help of the towel into the hot pot, bringing the seams to the top.
Cover with the hot lid and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue baking for about 15-20 minutes, until it puffs up, browns nicely, and the crust becomes crispy.
Flip the bread onto a towel to cool and dry. Let it cool for 20 minutes before cutting.

Every time you disturb or press the dough or shape it, let it rest for 20-40 minutes to relax and rise again.
If you don’t have a cast iron pot, you can use any other baking dish with a sealing lid.