Preheat the Dutch Oven
You need to preheat the cast-iron Dutch oven for around 30 minutes to ensure you get a decent accumulation of steam when you put the dough inside the pot.
This is why it’s a good idea to start preheating the pot around 30 minutes before the rising dough is ready for baking.
While trying to calculate how quickly the dough will rise, you should keep in mind that the kitchen temperature will play a role in determining the speed.
Yeast is sensitive to temperature, so a couple of degrees change, either way, can significantly alter the rise time.
However, most no-knead bread recipes will require anywhere from 1-3 hours for the dough to rise. Softer dough—with a bit more water—will rise in less than an hour in a warm kitchen.
If your kitchen isn’t very warm, you should let the dough rise for an hour before starting preheating the Dutch oven.
By the time the oven is warm, you’ll have waited 90 minutes for the dough to rise—which is usually enough in many cases.
Just put the pot into the oven when your dough is almost ready and set the oven temperature to around 445°F (230°C).
Some recipes will have their own temperature requirements, so just stick with the recommendations in such a scenario. Don’t forget to cover the pot with its lid before putting it in the oven!
In 30 minutes, you’ll have a properly preheated pot and dough that has risen. Now, remove the pot from the oven and carefully place it on a surface such as a wooden board, kitchen towel, or a cooling rack.
You need to ensure it doesn’t come in contact with a cold surface, or worse, cold water. The hot cast iron material may crack in such conditions.
Start Baking the Bread
To begin baking, you need to gently spray some non-stick coating (vegetable oil-based), as well as some flour or cornmeal in the pot.
You’ll have to be careful at this stage to avoid inhaling the smoke that may form during the application of these materials.
Once that is done, carefully lift the towel or parchment paper to turn the dough into the pot. Make sure the seam side is down.
Use a bread slashing tool like this Baker of Seville model to create a few slashes on the top of the loaf, then cover the pot with the lid and place it in the oven.
You should allow it to bake for half-an-hour first, then remove the lid and allow it to bake for another ten minutes. This will ensure the loaf browns properly.
After baking, take out the loaf from the oven and allow it to cool completely on a rack before slicing it. If done properly, you should have your nicely flavored, crusty cast iron Dutch oven bread.
