Crusty Chipotle Bread

3+ cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 ¾ teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon instant or rapid-rise yeast

1 ½ cups water

3 Chipotle peppers – seeds and ribs removed, chopped

In a large mixing bowl, sift 3 cups of flour. 

Measure in the salt and yeast. Whisk all together.

Place the chopped peppers in a measuring cup and add water to 1 ½ cups.

Add water to flour/salt/yeast and fold in creating a shaggy mixture. If it is too wet, add more flour.

Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for 18 hours.

Heat oven to 450 degrees. When oven has reached 450, place cast iron pot with lid in the oven and heat the pot for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, scrape dough onto a heavily floured surface and shape into a ball. 

Cover with plastic wrap and let set while pot is heating.

 

Remove hot pot from the oven and drop in the dough. here's the dough ready to go!

Cover and return to oven for 30 to 40 minutes.

After 30 to 40 minutes, remove lid and bake an additional 15 minutes.

Remove bread from oven and place on cooling rack to cool.