Dutch Oven Garlic Rosemary Bread (Printable)

Aromatic bread with garlic and rosemary, featuring 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

# Directions:

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

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The crust gets impossibly crispy while staying tender inside
  • Fresh garlic and rosemary transform simple dough into something extraordinary
  • Almost no kneading required but tastes like you worked all day
02 -
  • The Dutch oven must be fully preheated or you will not get that professional oven spring
  • Resist cutting into the bread while it is hot or the steam will escape and the texture will suffer
  • Measuring water by weight if possible yields more consistent results than cups
03 -
  • Use a kitchen scale for flour precision and you will see a huge difference in consistency
  • The dough should feel sticky and tacky, not dry or smooth

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