Dutch Oven Recipes – Dutch Oven Bread

 Blue Ribbon Sourdough Bread

2 cups sourdough starter
2 cups lukewarm water (potato, rice or macaroni water if possible)
9
1/3 to 1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp salt
3 tbsp salad oil or butter
1 package yeast
7-9 cups flour
Makes two large loaves
Begin the night before by mixing the starter with 2 cups each of flour and water.
Mix well, cover and let sit in a warm place overnight.
In the morning take 2 cups sourdough starter from mixture. Pour the remaining
sourdough into your starter crock and refrigerate.
Mix the starter with the water, sugar, salt and oil. Add yeast (bread will rise
without yeast but it takes forever). Add flour to make a medium soft, but not
sticky dough. Knead well, until smooth and elastic. (6-8 minutes)
For more sour bread; add required water and 2-3 cups flour to bread starter and
allow to work an additional 4-12 hours then add remaining ingredients and knead
as above.
Place in lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease surface. Cover, let double
(about 1 hour) in a warm place. Punch down and let raise again (Second raise can
be skipped to shorten time). Punch down, knead it lightly, and cut into 2 pieces.
To bake in a 12-inch dutch oven, form each piece:
Into a round loaf, place in a lightly greased oven, slice the top several times and
allow to raise again. Pre-heat lid and bake with heat top and bottom for 15-20
minutes, remove half of bottom heat and continue baking 20-30 minutes, or until
browned and done. Cool on wire rack.
OR
Cut each piece into three strips, roll. Braid the three strips, seal the ends and place
in lightly greased 12-inch oven and allow to raise again. Bake as for round loaves.
Both loaves can be baked in a 14-inch oven.
To bake at home: Shape each piece into a loaf, and place each into a standard 9-
inch greased bread pan. Cover and let raise again. Bake in a preheated 350 F oven
for 35 to 45 minutes or until browned and done.