# Camp Oven White Bread recipe



## gnubee (Sep 18, 2008)

Basic White Bread In the Dutch Oven
You need a three legged 12 inch Camp oven and 
Ingredients:
12 oz of water 
4 teaspoons sugar 
1 1/2 teaspoon salt 
3 Tablespoons melted butter or olive oil 
*1/4 cup of mashed potato flakes (smoothes out the bread and adds wonderful flavour do not omit this ingredient ) *
1/4 cup of powdered milk 
1 pound 5 ounces of Bread flour 
2 teaspoons of yeast. 
*Method*
Mix all together, let rise 3 times 25-30 minutes each time. Bake in Dutch oven for however long it takes. 
When top is browned brush it lightly with olive oil to give it that appealing shiny brown hue. 
Starting Out.
I started with a plain white bread recipe hand made on the countertop instead of with the Kitchen Aid mixer that I usually use to make bread. I wanted to see if I could really make bread without any technology at all. 
This is my White bread dough on a plate its just starting on its third 25 minute rise.

Placed the dough in the 12 inch Dutch oven . Then I put the lid on to keep the dough moist and warm for the 25 minutes of the last rise
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d132/GnuBeeFlyer/HPIM1243.jpg
I took out the plate set dough in the bottom of a lightly oiled 12 inch Dutch Oven. You need the type of Dutch oven that has three short legs on the bottom. A 10 inch oven. And a 12 inch Oven.

18 briquettes will be ready to go in 8 minutes , using the stacker you only need a piece of paper and a match to start the briquettes. This ensures no petroleum smell to the food. I use my old Red charcoal barbeque for holding the coals and Dutch oven to keep the wind away. (it was quite windy that day ) When the dough is ready and the coals are in place and hot. I set the whole works into the red BBQ. On a windless day you can just set the coals directly on the ground with the Dutch oven over top of them. 
The six coals you see in the center of this next picture are for under the Cast Iron Dutch oven. The rest of the coals you see around the outside are for placing on top of the lid.

Place the remaining 12 briquettes evenly spaced around the top of the lid.

It started to char in the center of the loaf before it was done so I placed the top coals around the rim away from the center which seemed to work because the finished bread did not burn on the top. 



That is a 12 inch dinner plate the bread is sitting on, the loaf is quite large. 
It tasted wonderful with a little butter and homemade plum jam.


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## spirit deer (Mar 12, 2009)

Tip:  To help keep the top of the loaf from browning too much, crumple a sheet of aluminum foil and straighten it out again, then lay it on top the bread under the lid after it's started to brown.


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## DanMcG (Mar 12, 2009)

Nice job Roger! Looks great.


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## bassman (Mar 12, 2009)

Good looking bread.  I'll take a slice with a slab of butter and some clover honey.


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## vtanker (Mar 12, 2009)

wow! that's cool. My mom used to make biscuits and tortillas on a fire like that. Never seen bread done like that.


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## roo-b-q'n (Mar 12, 2009)

Very nice looking bread, was wondering how it would turn out without a loaf pan, but looks very pretty.


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## gnubee (Mar 13, 2009)

I have made bread using a pan placed inside the Dutch oven ( Lodge 14 inch, deep model ) but I decided that I like the free form loaf made in the regular 12 inch Dutch just as well. Placing the coals around the rim of the Lid keeps the top of the bread from charing. I only had that problem on my first loaf because I didn't know any better. If you place a sprig of fresh Rosemary in the oven not touching the bread, you get a really nice flavour in the bread. ( thats an idea I stole from one of Cowgirl's posts ) So I guess in a way its a recipe for smoked bread. 

I may try to put a chip or two of applewood in my next DO Bread to see if that works too. 

I turn the oven and the lid every so often and check the rosemary. When the sprig has charred a bit and given off a tiny bit of smoke I remove it from the oven. 

Yo! Spirit Deer, thanks for the tip about crumpling the tin foil. I ruined a loaf by putting a smooth piece of foil on the dough which of course it stuck too. Crumpling really helped. You have to remember to take the foil off near the end so it will brown nicely.

Note.
This Thread is 6 over months old and this is the first time anyone seemed to even notice it. I had despaired of anyone ever commenting on it. It is the only Thread I have ever started that had never gotten a comment. Replies stood at zero for 1/2 a year. Plus it is one I worked very hard on.


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## alx (Mar 13, 2009)

I overlooked this post as well.I am doing some dutch oven bread etc. camping this year.I usualy just do stews -but you have inspired me to try this.Thanks.


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## bbq engineer (Mar 13, 2009)

GnuBee,

I have burned up more than my share of dutch oven biscuits, rolls, coffee cakes, and coblers, and this looks fantastic. Points for a great post, and the skill to make it look so easy! 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





BBQ Eng.


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## fire it up (Mar 13, 2009)

Very nicely done, that looks great!
How much practice does it take before you are able to cook something like that so beautifully?  
Can't imagine something I cook in a dutch oven turning out right, though to be fair I have never attempted.


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## Dutch (Mar 20, 2009)

MMmmm-nice recipe GnuBee. Gives me a new bread recipe to play around with using my sourdough. . . .Oh so much to do and so little time!!!

GnuBee-here is another trick that I use cuz they don't let you use plates or aluminum foil in the ovens in competitions- Oil the bottom of the oven-take a sheet of parchment paper and using the lid for a template cut out a circle and then place the parchment paper circle in the bottom of the oven. Press the paper up the sides; give the parchment paper a very light coat of veg. oil and then oil the sides of the oven.

Use the same amount of briquettes as in your original post. Remove the oven from the bottom briquettes during the last 10-15 minutes of the cooking time and move the center ring of briquettes on the lid to the rim. This will keep the top and bottom from over-browning.


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## bud lite (Nov 13, 2009)

Thanks for posting.  
Something else to try on my new Dutch Oven.


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## treegje (Nov 13, 2009)

You're a master in this


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## gnubee (Nov 13, 2009)

If you can make bread in an oven, you can do this. It is really quite easy once you've used the Dutch oven once or twice. They really keep nice steady temperatures. I grew up cooking and baking with a wood stove. Its just like smoking meat, everything to do with fire management.

Its great to have a Dutchman checking out our Dutch oven cooking section. The Dutch oven is how the North American Pioneers cooked everything. Many of the original Pioneer Ovens are still in use today and are prized by their owners. 
The Native tribes prized Dutch ovens above all other leagle trading goods.


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## race_ready (Nov 13, 2009)

What is the approximate cooking time?


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## beer-b-q (Nov 13, 2009)

Ditto what he said...


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## gnubee (Nov 20, 2009)

Sorry for the slow reply. 

About 30 minutes to 45 minutes depending upon the heat generated inside the oven. I just check till the tops starts to brown then keep an eye on it. I don't own a watch and usuall its baked at a campground where attention not time is needed. When you thump on it and it sounds hollow its done. I brush it with butter to get that nice golden hue and finish the crust really nicely.


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## jjmrascal (Nov 21, 2009)

I just got a good deal on a Lodge 14" bread oven.  I bought it at the Lodge factory outlet in Tn.  I am new to dutch oven cooking but want to get into it.  All the recipes, including this one, are for 12" ovens.  How do you adapt them to 14"?  Do you just do it the same way?  I do understand the briquette formula, though.


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## mballi3011 (Nov 21, 2009)

How come the wifes bread don't look anything like yours. Well maybe cause she's using a bread makerbut it is hard and yours looks soft. Maybe I'll let her use your recipe cause your bread look great all lite and fluffy too.


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## gnubee (Nov 21, 2009)

Rascal...... I did one in a friends 14" dutch oven and there was really no difference. It is an oven and the size really doesn't matter once you get the temp right. I started with an empty oven , put in an oven thermometer adjusted coals till I got 350f pretty consistantly. Once I got that done I made the bread. PS it was exactly on the formula. go figure. 

Mark, trust me on this one. Put 1/4 cup of *mashed potato flakes* in the recipe just leave out an equivilant weight in flour. I measure by weight every time. With todays digital scales it is the easiest and most accurate method of measuring flour and liquids. for example if your flour should weigh 19 oz put 1/4 cup of the mashed potato flakes in the bottom of the container and add flour till it weighs 19 oz. 

The flakes will greatly add texture to the bread and the taste is superior. 

It takes a little practice but once you get the dry ingredients to wet ingredients ratio correct everything will come together for a great loaf every time.


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## alx (Nov 21, 2009)

Its been 9 months since i said nice job in this thread..

Nice job again Roger!!!!!


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## jjmrascal (Nov 21, 2009)

Makes sense.  I'll have to try it!


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## jimwalter73 (Jan 11, 2010)

How often did you have to add some coals.

Looks awesome and I can't wait to try it out!


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## morkdach (Jan 12, 2010)

wow im glad this got bumped cause i now gots a 12" D.O. with legs


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## gnubee (Mar 12, 2011)

Sorry I missed your post jimwalter73

"How often do you change the coals?"

Well actually never.

The first set of coals is enough to go right to the end of the bake. Just jiggle the ash off of them every once in a while and by the time the bread is done they are still hot enought to maintain 350f in your pot. If your out in the wind you will probably have to replenish them. I use that neat little red bbq I got at wal-mart for $30.00 as a wind break so never have to worry bout the wind.

When camping up at the lake I dig a circle twice the width of my DO and about 6-8" deep then level the bottom of the hole.  I pile the dirt from the hole on the windy side of the hole as a further windbreak & place the coals in the bottom.

It works really well. If is so windy that you need a deeper hole, it is too windy to have a fire in the forest anyway so I bite the bullet and make bread in the motorhome.


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## tyotrain (Mar 12, 2011)

Man That bread looks real good.. Nice job


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## billyj571 (Oct 4, 2011)

That looks great. I burn the top of mine so I'll try your aluminum foil thanks for sharing


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