Step 1

Mix 3 cups of flour with yeast, salt, and oatmeal. Pour in the water and mix until combined.

Step 2

Cover with plastic wrap (or a plate) and let stand in a warm area for 3 hours or more if needed. (FYI-The ideal temperature for yeast growth is 37° C degrees Celsius or 98.6°F but the dough will rise at room temp.). Prepare a square piece of parchment paper and have a large clean bowl ready.

Step 3

When the mixture has little bubbles on top and a flat surface, turn it out onto a well-floured surface (this is a very wet and sticky dough), and using a dough scraper (it’s less messy if you use one, this is a very useful tool to have), fold the dough over at least 10-12 times.

Step 4

Place the dough on the prepared parchment paper and put it in the clean bowl. Cover with a dishtowel and let rest for 30-35 minutes for the second rise. Place a Dutch Oven in the oven with the lid on. Preheat oven to 450°F. ***450°F is very hot, please make sure you have proper oven mitts for both hands for handling the Dutch oven.**(after first rise)(after 2nd rise)

Step 5

Take the hot Dutch oven out. Take the lid off and pick up the bread dough in the parchment paper and place it into the Dutch oven. Cover with lid. Put the Dutch oven in the center rack of the oven and bake for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, take the Dutch oven out of the oven, remove parchment paper and place bread back into the pot without the lid for 10 minutes or longer, if you want a harder crust. When it’s done, you should hear a hollow sound when you tap the bottom. Let cool on a wire rack. Once cooled it can be stored up to about 3 days in an airtight container.