Dutch Oven Garlic Rosemary Bread (Printable)

Aromatic rustic bread with garlic and rosemary, featuring crispy golden crust and soft interior baked in Dutch oven.

# What You'll 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

# Steps:

01 - Whisk bread flour, salt, and yeast together in a large mixing bowl until thoroughly blended.
02 - Pour lukewarm water and olive oil into dry mixture. Stir until shaggy dough forms and no dry flour remains.
03 - Add minced garlic and chopped rosemary to dough. Mix gently to distribute evenly throughout.
04 - Cover bowl with plastic wrap or damp towel. Let rise at room temperature for 2-3 hours until doubled in size.
05 - Turn dough onto floured surface. Using floured hands, shape gently into round ball without degassing excessively.
06 - Place dough seam-side down on parchment paper. Cover loosely and let rise 30-45 minutes while preheating oven.
07 - Place Dutch oven with lid in cold oven. Preheat to 450°F for at least 30 minutes to thoroughly heat vessel.
08 - Carefully remove hot Dutch oven. Lift dough with parchment and lower into preheated pot.
09 - Cover with lid and bake for 30 minutes to create steam and develop initial oven spring.
10 - Remove lid and bake additional 12-15 minutes until crust achieves deep golden brown color.
11 - Remove bread from Dutch oven. Transfer to cooling rack and rest minimum 20 minutes before slicing.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The crust gets impossibly crispy while the inside stays soft and pillowy, creating that perfect bakery texture at home
  • Minimal hands on time means you can start it in the morning and have fresh bread without babysitting dough all day
02 -
  • Getting that parchment paper underneath the dough before the second rise makes transferring to the hot Dutch oven so much safer
  • The Dutch oven needs to preheat for a full 30 minutes or you will not get that dramatic oven spring
03 -
  • If you want a more pronounced garlic flavor, roast the cloves ahead of time until they are soft and golden
  • The dough should feel sticky and shaggy, not smooth and dry, so resist adding extra flour

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