Whole Wheat Pecan Olive Artisan Bread - Staub Enameled Cast Iron Pot
Bread has long been a staple food in Western countries and for some people in China. Artisan breads, especially those without oil and sugar, are particularly popular for their chewy texture and low calorie content. However, baking an authentic French artisan bread isn't easy. First, you need a high-temperature stone slab specifically for baking bread or pizza to best replicate the environment of a wood-fired stone oven. Stone ovens have high temperatures and excellent heat retention, allowing the dough to rise and set quickly, resulting in evenly distributed air pockets. But building a stone oven for bread is a distant dream, and buying a stone slab just for bread seems impractical and takes up space. There’s a better solution — using a cast iron pot for baking bread. Staub's enameled cast iron pot has a black enamel interior with excellent heat retention, sealing, and insulation properties. This makes it ideal for long high-temperature baking. Its stainless steel lid handle is oven-safe, enabling you to bake bread with a perfect 'ear,' cracks, caramelized crust, and bubbling effects, producing superb results.
Ingredients
Steps
Prepare the necessary ingredients for the Whole Wheat Pecan Olive Artisan Bread:
Mix the two types of flour and water (use ice water in summer, warm water in winter) until no dry flour remains. Place the dough in a container with a light coating of olive oil, seal with plastic wrap, and let it soak for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, add dry yeast and sea salt, knead briefly by hand, then seal and rest for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, drain the olives and cut them into pieces — not too small.
After 10 minutes, fold the dough step by step, four times in total. Cover the container with plastic wrap and seal. Fold every 30 minutes for a total of four folding sessions.
During the third folding session, incorporate the olive pieces and roasted pecans into the dough. If it’s difficult to incorporate all at once, add the remaining pieces during the fourth fold.
After folding, the dough should begin to develop gluten, gradually becoming moist and smooth.
Allow the dough to ferment until it doubles in size, then reshape it and place it in a proofing basket dusted with flour for the second rise. For natural cracks on the surface, place the smooth side up; for manual scoring, place the smooth side down. During winter, cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and ferment at room temperature. In summer, refrigerate overnight in a sealed bag for better flavor and more flexibility with timing.
Preheat the cast iron pot with its lid in the oven at 245°C (473°F) for 45 minutes.
Line with parchment paper, sprinkle lightly with extra flour, and carefully turn the dough out from the proofing basket. Transfer it along with the parchment paper into the preheated cast iron pot. Using oven mitts, cover the pot with its lid and bake for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, remove the lid wearing oven mitts and continue baking for 20 minutes until the bread is golden brown.
The baked bread will have natural cracks.
Alternatively, you can skip the parchment paper and directly place the dough into the cast iron pot. This prevents creases on the surface of the bread.
The cast iron pot’s excellent heat retention ensures natural cracking and a super crispy crust.
If you can’t finish it all at once, slice the bread and store it in the freezer. Reheating preserves its original flavor. The bread's uniform air pockets and rich fillings make it irresistibly delicious even when eaten on its own.