I love making bread. The kitchen smells so inviting, and oh, a warm slice of bread dripping with butter. Is anything better?
So when I saw a recipe in Dutch Oven & Cast Iron Cooking using yogurt, I thought, okayyyy. It was called Easy Sourdough Bread. Now, I don’t really like Sourdough bread. I do not enjoy the sour-tart flavor. But this recipe using yogurt intrigued me. The yogurt- plain old unflavored yogurt – replaced all the water or milk that most breads use.
Bread, at it’s most basic, is flour, salt, yeast and water. Different bread bring in different flavors and textures. So I decided I really wanted to try this yogurt bread, but with my own twists. I already had a large container of yogurt in the fridge, unopened, just waiting… I made the bread at least a little healthier by incorporating some freshly ground spelt flour. You could use anything whole grain – white whole wheat, whole wheat, maybe even rye. I like coarsely ground flours that add visual interest (and taste) with bits and pieces of grain showing.
For dinner, I sliced the large round loaf in half, baked in my cast iron Dutch oven, the one I use only for bread. Oh my gosh… this bread was light and fluffy and soft. It had the texture of a loaf of store bought bread but without all the preservatives. And even though I baked it in a Dutch oven, this is not the no knead, dump in the wet dough kind of Dutch oven bread. It did need to be kneaded, and I let it rise a good long time, until it was taller than the edge of the pot when I finally put it in to bake.
I use a a 3 quart Dutch oven that is only about 8.5″ in diameter. I use it exclusively, only, for bread. I find large pots cause the bread to spread too much, resulting in a shorter loaf of bread.
This recipe goes into my family favorites recipe box now!
Fox Pines Yogurt Bread
A large loaf of fluffy bread, baked in a Dutch Oven
Ingredients
- 2 cups plain yogurt
- 1 tbsp yeast
- 1/4 cup warm water
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 c spelt or whole wheat flour
- 4-5 cups bread flour
- cooking spray for bowls and pot
Instructions
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Warm the yogurt – 1-2 minutes in the microwave or over very low heat on the stove top. Just take the chill off.
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In a large bowl, combine the yeast, 1/4 cup of water, and the honey. Let sit 10 minutes to proof. It should become bubbly and foamy. Add the yogurt and mix to combine.
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Stir in the oil, and the spelt flour. Stir until mostly combined and then add the salt. Adding the salt after some flour will keep it from killing the yeast. Stir until well combined.
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Add 2 cups of the bread flour, stirring until the dough starts to form. Add more flour 1/2 cup at a time until the dough comes together into a ball.
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Turn out on to a floured surface and start to knead, adding a bit more flour to keep it from sticking. Knead about 10 minutes until soft and no longer sticky.
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Place into a large greased bowl, turning the ball of dough over so the top is greased. (Cooking spray works fine – in fact after I turn the dough I spray the top and sides to make sure it's covered). Cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled, about 1.5 hours.
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Turn the dough out onto the floured surface, knead a couple times, and then form into a ball with any seam on the bottom. Place in an oiled Dutch oven (I use a 3 quart), and spray the top again with cooking spray. Slice the top open with a lame or sharp knife.
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Let rise until double again. 35-45 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350F.
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Bake 45-55 minutes or until the internal temperature is 190-195F, and it sounds hollow when tapped. Cool on a rack.
I have always under baked bread, until I found out that a thermometer will help me bake perfect loaves every time. I use 190F as a guide. Over 200F and the bread will be over cooked. Just like other foods, the bread will continue to bake a few minutes once removed from the oven.
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