A delicious hearty bread to enjoy with a bowl of homemade soup or stew. This is an easy to make recipe that is ideal for outdoor cooking. This is a traditional bread recipe with a long history.
Ingredients
- Basque Sheepherders Bread: makes one extra large loaf in a 10″ cast iron Dutch Oven.
- 3 cups hot tap water
- ⅓ cup sugar (organic evaporated cane)
- 2 Tbsp. dry yeast
- ¼ lb. butter melted
- 2½ tsp. salt (sea salt or Redmond Real Salt)
- 9 – 9½ cups freshly ground whole wheat flour
- Olive oil (for brushing pan)
Instructions
- This bread can be either mixed and kneaded by hand or prepared in a mixer such as a KitchenAid Stand mixer with dough hook.
- Grind fresh flour ahead of time or just prior to making.
- Combine the hot water, sugar and butter letting the mix cool to 110 degrees (or by touch for adding yeast safely).
- Add the yeast, stir and let proof (bubbly).
- Now add the salt and half the flour beating in. Add the remaining flour to make a rather stiff dough yet pliable. Knead for 10 – 20 minutes by hand / less under a dough hook.
- Cover with plastic wrap and let rise to double in a warm area for 1½ hours (more or less depending on room temp).
- Punch down the dough by hand / in mixer just give the dough hook a few swirls.
- Take the ball of dough and knead / shape into a nice round ball.
- Grease the inside of your cast iron Dutch oven plus the inside of the cover with the olive oil.
- Preheat your oven @375 degrees.
- Place the dough into the center of the Dutch oven, place the cover and let rise again until the dough pushes the cover up ½” at most.
- Place into the preheated oven and bake for 12 minutes with the cover still on. Remove cover and finish baking for another 30 – 35 minutes or golden brown and hollow tap test on bottom of loaf.
- Once done remove from oven. Remove loaf from the dutch oven and cool on a rack.
- This bread can also be made with store bought whole grain flours or bread flours. Our personal preference is freshly ground flours at home to ensure the highest quality of nutrients and flavor.