Fruity Dutch-Oven Bread (no-knead)

• Dried Fruit Blend

Here’s a bread that’s super easy to make. It doesn’t need kneading, and it perfumes the whole house!

Use whole-wheat or all-purpose flour, or a mixture of the two, along with your favourite dried fruit.  

Steps

1. Chop dried fruit coarsely and set aside.

2. Mix flour, yeast and salt in a big bowl. Add water and mix with a spoon. Add fruit and orange zest, and mix till you have a smooth dough.

3. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and leave to rise at room temperature for at least 3 hours. Dough is ready when the surface is covered with little bubbles.

4. Before baking, place a Dutch oven-style oven-proof baking pan (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex, ceramic or aluminum) with a lid in the oven. Turn heat to 450°F, and leave the baking pan to heat for 30 minutes.

5. When the baking pan is ready, finish preparing the dough. Use a spatula to remove dough from the edges of the bowl and push dough to the middle to form a ball. Sprinkle with one or two tablespoons of flour, just enough to make the dough less sticky so you can take it in your hands.

6. Place ball of dough in preheated baking pan (wear oven mitts and be careful not to burn yourself). Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove lid and continue baking for 10 minutes, or until the crust is golden.

7. Cool on a rack.

Recommendations

Like any fresh artisanal bread, this will keep for several days at room temperature. It will also keep for 3 months in the freezer (slice before freezing!).

Water temperature affects how quickly the dough rises. For best results, measure water temperature with a thermometer.

This recipe requires a medium-sized Dutch oven or tajine. If the container is too big, the bread will spread and won’t rise enough.