ARTISAN BEER BREAD IN YOUR CAST IRON FINDS

Here is a great way to put your antique cast iron finds to good use.  Have you picked up a 8 inch Dutch Oven?  They are perfect for baking bread.

Mix the day before baking

Recipe and Images: Rick Beach

3 Cups    Flour

¼ Cup     Ground Flax Seed

1 ½ tsp   Salt

¼ tsp      Instant Yeast (bread machine yeast)

12 oz      Beer (Beer varieties change the flavor – Experiment)

·       * Add salt, yeast, and Ground Flax Seed to the Flour.

·        *Add beer to the dry ingredients.

·        *Stir together and completely mixed into a rough ball.

·        *Cover with plastic wrap 8-18 hours on the counter

·        *Sometime after 8 hrs, turn proofed dough out on floured board

·        *Pat dough flat.  Fold over on itself 4 or 5 times (no kneading required)
*Oil a bowl.  Place dough in oiled bowl.  Cover and reproof 1 2/3-3 hours to raise

·        *Preheat oven to 425°F and an empty Dutch Oven for 30 minutes.

·        *Dump the proofed dough into the hot Dutch Oven that has just been well greased.

·        *Bake in covered Dutch Oven 25-30 minutes with the lid on, 3 minutes longer with lid off.  

    Or bake with lid off for a hard crustier bread.

·         I use a 8 inch Dutch Oven with the lid off the entire time.   Mine is too low to use the lid.  If you have a deep 8 inch diameter perhaps the lid would work.

·        Shake it out and cool on rack.  For soft crust (As shown in photos) rub all surfaces with butter as soon as the loaf is shaken out of the cast iron.