Easy Spicy Garlic Bread in a Pot

dutch oven bread

I got pulled over by a cop today. ย He gave me a ticket.

Strangely enough… it was just about the nicest interaction I’ve had all day.

In California, drivers are not allowed to talk or text while driving a car. ย Nice rule, right? ย In California, drivers generally talk and text while driving a car. ย If they have two cell phones… they talk aaand text. ย It’s just a thing. ย It’s horrible.

I answered my phone just as I was passed a police man on a motorcycle. ย I didn’t see him as I was breaking the law… obviously. ย Not but moments later, there he was behind me. ย There were lights and such. ย I dunno. ย I didn’t pull over until I got a good dose of the siren. ย See… I’ve never actually been pulled over. ย The only thing I know about getting pulled over is advice given to me by my uncle when I was 13. ย He said… always keep your hands on the steering wheel as a cop approaches your car so the officer doesn’t think you’re searching your purse for your lady gun to shoot him in the belly.

I kept my hands on the steering wheel. ย Window up. ย Radio (accidentially) blasting. ย Awkward.

I rolled down the window, he told me what I had done wrong, I agreed (because I was totally doing a wrong thing)… and then somehow we ended up talking about his son, my parents, driving in Los Angeles, and whether or not I had a family of my own. ย Seriously. ย It was genuinely awesome…

And then he gave me a ticket. ย That part sucked slightly… but really, I was in the wrong. ย Do the time, pay the crime… that sort of thing.

Lessons learned: ย don’t approach the phone while driving. ย It’s illegal because it’s dangerous… and not like wearing 4-inch heels dangerous… but actually dangerous. ย I get it. ย Learned.

The truth of the matter is it was a lovely, $150 conversation with a stranger… with a gun.

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This is some good ole Sunday supper bread.

It’s the kind of bread you start Sunday afternoon (just before your accidental nap) and throw in a pot to bake just before the stew is ready.

Yes… the stew.

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Yes, it’s bread.

Yes, there’s yeast.

Yes, you might find this intimidating.

I promise that this bread is nearly fool-proof. ย Not that you’re a fool. ย That’s just an expression.

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The dough is studded with fresh chives and thyme, butter and garlic, and red chili flakes.

Salt and pepper make nearly everything better… so they’re in here too. ย The more the merrier.

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After some kneading and resting, and a bit more kneading… the dough is shaped into a ball, set on a bed of olive oil, and slashed.

The slashing is really fun. ย Swish!

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The pouring of the olive oil is absolutely mesmerizing.

We’ve entered dreamland.

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This little love dough is sprinkled with coarse sea salt and red pepper flakes. ย When baked, the dough rises, blossoms, and browns beautifully.

It bakes up into a dense, beautifully flavored bread.

Ok… maybe it tastes a little like pizza, but I wouldn’t’ go so far as to call this pizza bread. ย Let’s keep it classy.

This bread uses bread flour which is important in creating the structure of the bread. ย Using an all-purpose flour won’t quite give you the same result. ย The bread may be a bit more chewy.

Also! ย This bread is baked in a Dutch oven. ย You’ll need an ovenproof pot and lid to bake up this dough. ย The big reveal (when you take the lid off the pot) is a big deal. ย Just don’t hover over the pot as you open the lid for the first time. ย The steam is super intense. ย Trust me. ย Learn from my face full of too hot steam.

Easy Spicy Garlic Bread in a Pot

makes 1 loaf of bread

recipe adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Print this Recipe!

1 cup (8 ounces) of warm water (between 110 and 115 degrees F)

2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

pinch of granulated sugar

4 ounces unsalted butter, melted

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives

3/4 teaspoon dried red chili flakes

2 or 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced

about 4 cups (20 ounces) bread flour, plus more for dusting the work surface

a few big pinches of coarse ground black pepper

2 teaspoons salt

olive oil, coarse sea salt, and chili flakes for topping

Sprinkle yeast over warm water, add pinch of sugar and stir gently. ย Allow yeast and warm water to rest, foam and froth for about 5 minutes. ย If yeast does not foam and froth after 5 minutes, toss it and start over again with new yeast.

Melt butter in a small saucepan. ย When butter is melted, remove from heat and add herbs, chili flake, and garlic. ย Set aside.

Place flour in the bowl of an electric stand mixer, fitted with a bread hook. ย Add salt and pepper. ย Pour in activated yeast mixture, and butter mixture. ย Stir on low speed, with the dough hook, for about 10 to 12 minutes. ย The dough ball should clean the sides of the bowl and not stick to the bottom of the mixing bowl. ย The dough will be relatively smooth and supple, with some firmness from the bread flour.

Place dough in a large greased bowl. ย Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest in a warm place until double in size, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

When doubled in size, place on a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for about 2 minutes.

In a large Dutch oven, add about 2 tablespoons olive oil, to coat the bottom of the pot. ย Place dough in pot and use a large knife to slice a fairly deep cross into the dough. ย Drizzle about 3 more tablespoons of olive oil atop the bread. ย Sprinkle generously with coarse sea salt and pepper flakes.

Cover with tight fitting lid and bake for 30 minutes. ย Reduce oven heat to 400 degrees F, remove lid, and allow to make for about 15-20 minutes more.

Remove from oven and allow to cool until easily removed from the pan. ย Bread will last, well wrapped at room temperature, for up to 3 days. ย 

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Questions

223 Responses

  1. Hi Joy! I am currently obsessed with your blog and recipes, reading onto page 54 and counting… I was wondering if this can be made in a cast iron casserole pot? All the dutch ovens I’ve seen hit over $150!

  2. Just made this today for hubby and it smells fantastic. It’s my first attempt at bread by hand. I am usually a bread machine kind of girl. The only issue was the bottom is really dark. Maybe I didn’t have enough olive oil on the bottom. I will try again and next time add more.

  3. I made this over the weekend. Holy cow, this recipe is awesome! My house smelled like the best restaurant in town. I’ll definitely be making this again.

  4. Hi joy! So Im thinking about making this divine bread tomorrow and since I don’t own a Dutch oven,was wondering if its possible to be made in a disposable deep aluminum pan?

  5. Fabulous! Thank you for such a clear – and clearly inspiring – recipe.

    Can it be done in a Le Creuset Dutch oven, or is the oven temp too high? Should I preheat the pot along with the oven to bring it up to temp slowly? I have been dying to try a bread-in-Dutch oven recipe, but would hate to destroy my Le Creuset!

  6. The bread turned out great! Thanks for such an easy recipe, a great way to make bread making attainable for anyone : )

  7. Love this recipe. Already made it a couple times.

    One pointer, your friends and family will harass you if you call it “pot bread”

  8. I am sooooo glad I found your post. I’m using the Pioneer Woman’s recipe and I just realized that it only called for 1 tsp of yeast so I was freaking out that my bread was going to suck, but I’m so glad you use a full packet and your bread looks wonderful. Panic attack diverted.

  9. Hi! I bookmarked your site awhile ago and haven’t really gone through and seen the abundance of recipes you have until now. I love it! I love discovering new blogs with beautiful pictures of food, and ‘meeting’ other bloggers who are genuinely appreciative of their fans :)

    I also *LOVE* garlic, and garlic bread, and yes, I am intimidated because that’s just how it is with me and yeast breads- but I’m determined to overcome that. Need to get myself a Dutch oven first, though!

    Thanks for an awesome recipe and can’t wait to keep reading!

  10. I made this bread this afternoon, as it seemed a perfect Sunday kind of thing to do while kids were away.

    It is amazing! Perfect combo of crusty outer bits, soft inner bits.. great flavors. I had my doubts about slicing the garlic, but so glad I did. Loved seeing it all come together.

    I’ve been making bread for the last year or so, and I love using the dutch oven too. Thus far, I’ve only used it for no-knead recipes. I read through the recipe twice before I made it, not realizing that you didn’t include a second rise in your instructions.

    Once I made the dough, let it rise, then punched it down to begin kneading, did I realize it seemed kind of small. So, I let it rise again for maybe 15 minutes… it puffed up nicely..

    Then I slashed it, liberally poured the olive oil and salt, and set it to bake.

    Perhaps it was the flour combo I had that necessitated another rise. I didn’t have bread flour. I used a combo of all purpose and pastry flour. Little bit of both.

    Great recipe. Loved it and will definitely make again.

    S

    I

  11. Is rising on the stove right this very moment. The first time I made it, it didn’t cook all the way through. Now I know my new stove a little better, so should be perfect! Too bad I left it so late today and won’t be able to eat any until tomorrow!!

  12. I have always wanted to bake bread, but have always been terrified of yeast. I’ve recently been trying to “no knead” methods of bread baking and came across your recipe. It’s AMAZING! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!

  13. I know I’m really late to the party on this, but this is pretty much my favorite bread of ALL TIME now. It’s my fancy-company’s-coming-over bread. So far, no loaf has made it to the day-old stage.

  14. Awesome. This is the best luck i have had with a yeasted bread, it was delicious and a huge hit to go along with chicken parm. Love your recioes!! Thanks.

  15. This bread is incredible! My family couldn’t get enough. I do not have a stand mixer or a dutch oven–I mixed/kneaded by hand and used my stainless stockpot–still turned out great.

  16. Just pulled this from the oven. It is delicious. It was easy to make, so I will definitely make it again. @ Amanda, I used Rapid Rise yeast and it come out fine.

  17. Amazzzzzzing! This bread is so pretty to look at and so delicious to eat! Thank you for sharing your recipe. I’ll be sharing it with the rest of the family and friends once I WOW them with this!
    I’m astonished at how easy the recipe comes together and already I am thinking of ways to jiggle the herbs and spices for a different outcome.

  18. YUM! Made it yesterday. Was not as pretty as yours, but delicious. Okay now I need you to post a hamantaschen recipe. I will say that I try just about every recipe you post (that does not have pork in it) because they are always fabulous, and entertaining.

    Thanks!

  19. I just took the lid off mine for the last stage of baking, and wow, even with a cup of whole wheat flour subbed in, the oven spring on this thing is amazing! I’m sure it will taste great. (Although my husband will have to report on that, as I’m gluten-free and can’t eat it, boo hoo.)

  20. I tried (twice) to make this bread the other night because I was so desperate to get something done in my day other than change a millionth diaper, but I failed. Miserably. Twice. Yeast frothed, bread flour was used, but it all fell apart in crumbles in the mixer. Where oh where did I go wrong? I wanted so much to have this bread with our leek/pear/potato soup, but it was not to be. Guidance please!

  21. I made this bread and it is so totally amazing! I’m just wondering if there’s some way to make it more hand-kneader friendly? It doesn’t seem to work quite as well that way, but overall yum!

  22. Made a loaf Saturday afternoon. Couldn’t even wait til it had cooled to cut and devour it! HAD TO (as in first loaf almost gone, plus had chives and thyme in frig that couldn’t go to waste) make another loaf Sunday afternoon. Wow, this is soooo easy and soooooo good!

  23. This looks so good. My two year old daughter just loves to help me in the kitchen, and this looks like the perfect thing to let her sink her little hands into! And I’m sure we will all love eating it – bread is pretty much one of our food groups!

  24. Oh my GOD this bread is good. I did a half batch (and realized the damn stand mixer is too big and can’t make a half batch, so kneaded it by hand, and I promise I’ll stop whining now). Turned out GREAT. I am sitting here watching the Oscars and trying NOT to eat it all before it even gets a chance to cool down. We have this amazing Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar shop here, and I used their Tuscan herb oil to drizzle on the bread. GOOD CALL! Then I had some dipped in Peach balsamic. I’m really just rambling to try and keep me from eating it all, I’m sorry.

    I do so enjoy your site. I often get the feeling that we are kindred spirits – internet wise, anyway. :p

  25. I made this last night and brought it to brunch this morning. We ate it with fried eggs and it was amazing! YAY. It was my first time making bread and I think I’m hooked. Thanks for sharing!

  26. I just made my first homemade pizza (dough included) without my mother’s help (*/*) and this looks like it’s just as easy and just as delicious. Definitely going to make that as a weekend snack.

  27. I pretty much live by your recipes. I routinely make pretzels now from your pretzel recipe. And as well you make me laugh out loud. Sorry you got pulled over, but I bet you made the officer’s day!

  28. Well now Joy I went back and re read your post again and somehow I was so mesmerized by the bread itself I missed the part about being like pizza bread but not pizza bread. Now I think I may improvise simply want to make your recipe, and then turn around make another loaf with pepperoni and extra sharp cheese added to it, thus turning it into Garlic Pizza Bread, I am a great one to experiment and this bread is just right to experiment with! Thanks,

  29. I got a ticket in la for going 75 mph on a freeway. Apparently I was on the only freeway in the world where the speed limits is 55, and the freeway is all of 2 miles long. Somewhere by Venice I think it was. Aaaaaanyway, I remember that afternoon all I wanted was a nap and comfort food to fix my annoyance over the lame sauce ticket. This bread woulda done the trick, fooooor sure!

  30. Sucks about that ticket. But at least you didn’t have to drive off fuming from a frusterating po-po interaction! That’s just the worst.

    Now about the bread– my co-worker just showed me a really cool recipe where you make the dough with very little yeast and then throw it into the dutch oven, covered to rise for 24 hours. Then you take the dough out, place the dutch oven in the oven to get really hot then place the dough back in the dutch oven, cover and bake. The results are amazing… a deliciously fluffy inside, with a crusty outside, rustic loaf of bread!

  31. Somehow this post (especially the bread) made me think of you. Did you see Deirdre’s wedding pix. I will send you a link to their site…very cute. miss you, suzani

  32. This looks amazing! I have the exact same pot.. :) I’m really interested in making bread, but I’m a rookie. This might be the first thing I attempt. Thank you for posting!

  33. I have written you before….ready you absolutely all the time! I can hardly stop smiling or laughing out loud, and if you knew me, you would know how rare it is to hear me crack up out loud! I can totally relate to “owning it” when doing wrong. I bet he saw how adorable you were and thought, hey, if she’s single I won’t ticket her; but ask her on a date! However once he found out you have a family…out came the ticket!!!! So although pleasurable conversation, like most cops, he is an ASS, he could have given you a WARNING! Now, hope I made you laugh!!!!HAHAHAA.

  34. Oh wow- that bread looks amazing! And I’ve had my fair share of tickets. I agree with previous posts- too bad you didn’t have this bread in your car. That would definitely have gotten you off :)

  35. I love the picture of the flour-dusted dough on the cutting board. It’s so tactile. I can’t wait to go home and get my own hands nice and floury. And my belly nice and full with bread! I haven’t made a loaf in awhile, so I’d say it’s about time.

  36. I love the idea of baking this inside a dutch oven and not getting to see it until the end. I am definitely making this soon. Maybe this weekend when I run out of bread!

  37. This looks AMAZING. I’ve never heard of cooking bread in a dutch oven. I might have to make this today instead of crying about the additional half a foot of snow that dumped on us overnight here in Denver. I used to get pulled over and ticketed for speeding when I lived in Oklahoma. The cops there apparently were bored out of their minds, so they sat around clocking speeds. They were also mean. I did not like them one teeny little bit. But I never had a bad experience with a cop in L.A. In fact, I knew my neighborhood beat cops. They would get coffee in front of me in line or eat breakfast at the booth next to me at Fred 62. They were nice. I felt safe when they were around. The LAPD often gets a bad rap, but I think they’re pretty cool. ;-) Sorry for the ticket though, that sucks. I find that keeping my iPhone earbud in my right ear while I drive allows for quick answering of the phone without actually touching the phone. ;-) xoxo

  38. I landed on this page from Google Reader and totally fell in love with the pictures first and your write-up next! I am going to have to RSS your blog! Oh and try this bread this weekend too! Cops in Oklahoma are the nicest I have seen anywhere around. They let you know you are in the wrong and then give you a warning ticket. We are moving to Texas soon and I am sure going to miss the cops from here! :-)

  39. Made this last night and holy.eff. I was a little worried about the dough while watching it mix but bread like this makes a good case for making my own bread for the rest of eternity! Thanks for sharing!

  40. Ohh, I’d almost forgotten how much I love this bread! I made it from PW’s recipe a couple of years ago, and then I made it like 3 more times in rapid succession, and then… I got distracted. But now I’ll have to make it again, with your scrummy-looking adaptations!

    The one time I got a ticket, I also didn’t fight it (I mean, I *was* going like 95 in a dead-quiet part of Nevada), and I also had a lovely (if shaky, on my part) convo with the policeman who pulled me over. And I learned my lesson โ€“ first and last time I ever take such willful advantage of an awesome straightaway…

  41. I want to make this bread NOW! Bad luck getting pulled over :-( did you try saying ‘Is there a problem Officer?’ in a very breathless voice? I’ve heard that helps!

  42. I used to use my phone while driving all the time even though it was illegal, until my husband got hit by a car on his bike by a lady on her phone. Ironically, I answered my phone while driving when the hospital called to tell me he was there. They made me pull over before they would tell me what was wrong. Lesson learned. This bread looks fab. I’ve been totally in to baking bread in my Dutch oven, it always turns out so great. I’ll definitely be giving this a try!

  43. Funny, I had a similar experience while driving through California. Nice officer, I explained I was lost and had gotten off at the wrong spot and didn’t think I was going that fast. Unfortunately my great conversation/speeding ticket was more to the tune of $370. Barely over at that.
    It took me 6 months but I think I’m starting to accept it as peacefully as you are.
    mmm garlic bread.

  44. I will admit that my to do list now looks something like this
    1) make this bread, like, yesterday
    2) clean apartment
    3) complete online traffic school to reduce the fee on a recent speeding ticket… ooops, me!

  45. I so wanted to drag my finger through the pouring olive oil. Beautiful images as always! I have to try this on Sunday. Thank you Joy!

  46. It’s forbidden to drive and text/talk in Brazil too. Except here you don’t get pulled over, the ticket arrives in the mail so you don’t have to deal with the cop and the person doesn’t know he/she got a ticket until it’s delivered. It once happened to my father, he was on the phone and didn’t see the cop filling the ticket, I saw but I didn’t warn him on purpose :)

  47. Since you’re a newbie to all this, just a reminder, you’re going to want to go the traffic school, yet another expense, though not as incontinent as it once was, now that you can do it online. Bread looks fantasic, you made it to What’s Hot in Google Reader. Congrats!

  48. Bit of advice with tickets from California. Don’t pay it, you can fight it in court by proxy. Basically you write a little note of your side of the story and the court decides if you are guilty or not. Just put down that you were declining the call or something. Chances are you’ll get off. It’s worked for me more than a few times when I was in LA.

  49. Hi, Joy, I’m Tanja and am from Serbia. I completely understand your driving problems and 150$ chat. I got 62 $ police camera photo – me and my car in yellow line (booked for buses and taxi cars)…… 2 times in 3 weeks – that’s what I call an attitude :-)
    I like your blog and this recipe as well.

  50. Is it crazt that I really want to make this bread mostly because I look for any excuse to use my bright red adorable dutch oven? Well, and it looks totally yummy! I’m totally making it this weekend, Yum!

    1. I’m going to say that you’re NOT crazy because I was totally thinking the same thing – my teal blue dutch oven is pretty much my favorite thing ever, so baking bread in it can only make me love it more! I’ve got to make this soon.

  51. This may be a dumb question, but what is bread flour? Does it say “bread flour” on the package? Recipe looks delicious!

  52. Oopsie! The first time I ever got pulled over was in high school. I think I was a jr. or something. Anyway, it had been raining all day and I was stuck inside for the majority, until we had a nice clearing and a bit of sun. So, I decided to take a trip to barnes and nobles for some good trashy magazine reading. I took my mom’s car, b/c seriously I was in hs, you think my parents gave me a car? think again. I was nearing the bookstore when I saw a cop, I was going way under the speed limit but of course, there he came flashing his lights and chasing me down. My mom’s inspection sticker was out, much to my surprise. Of course it was my first time being pulled over, so I cried, and then couldn’t find my DL! The cop let me off with a warning…think he felt a little bad for me! haha!

  53. I must say, that’s some pretty great advice from your uncle!! This bread has my mouth watering, I made pretzel buns with simliar flavours and it was out of this world – – so I know I need to make this bread. I also need to buy a dutch oven, it seems like most of the yummy breads are made using one.

  54. I will not comment about being pulled over because I don’t want to jinx myself soo…let’s talk about the dutch oven. O man, I want one, I want one, I want one! Not only for this lovely bread but I also have a nice recipe for a sourdough in one too! There is an old one that my in-laws have that was an heirloom from a grandmother, that they think is cool but would NEVER use. They know I would use it but they haven’t offered and I don’t want to ask. Ho hum, back to wishing…
    Until next Tuesday at the book signing!

  55. what if you don’t have a mixer? kneed by hand? I am never sure of the timing, and bread scares me a bit! I think I will have to try this soon though!

  56. Okay, I’d totally have lost my cool if I was pulled over (I haven’t been pulled over ever). I think you handled it beautifully.

    Now about this bread…it’s blowing my mind. In a dutch oven?! I need to explore this, even if it means borrowing my friend’s oven because my dutch oven doesn’t fit in mine (with the lid on).

  57. Yeah…I’ve been there. Day before my birthday. It made me feel not pretty because well, don’t the pretty girls get out of tickets? But as your story shows, not always, so now I feel better about that. And (this is a good thing, I think)…now you really can’t do it again because I hear the fine for repeat offenders is WAY worse, like in the $300+ range. So not only is it just not smart, but if you get caught again, holy moly it’s pricey.

  58. Now this story and bread just made my day! Love the humor! I will have to repeat this story to my husband and friend! You are a mess Joy! That is southern for you’re lots of fun!

  59. I just got a dutch oven and I’m so excited to use it! Potential problem though: I don’t have a dough hook… is that something I can do by hand?

    p.s. Looking forward to meeting you in Huntington Beach! So excited!

  60. I got pulled over this morning, too! It was as I was pulling into work…failure to slow down “enough” at a stop sign :( It truly didn’t register for me, meaning I really didn’t know why I was getting pulled over. It was not my first ticket and will be expensive, traffic school, blah, blah, but…the officer was very nice :)

  61. Cop story is great and isn’t that the way it always goes…just when you do something that you realize you shouldn’t have, there they are. This bread looks wonderful and looking back at original recipe, could easily be adapted to many different flavorings and cheese. Wonderful!

  62. Wait! Isn’t this Pastor Ryan of http://www.thisisreverb.com? I ask because I’ve been wanting to make this recipe since I saw it on the Pioneer Woman’s website but Pastor Ryan was her guest who made it. Not sure if Ryan is a pastor but that’s what the Pioneer Woman called him.

  63. If I see a cop in uniform at your Huntington Beach book signing, I will try not to laugh :D But I WILL ask for a photo of the two of you :D See you sooooooon!!!

  64. That looks amazing! My partner recently bought me a dutch oven, but I haven’t used it yet. This might be the perfect thing to start with though. He loves pizza, so I think I’ll add some cheese and call it pizza bread. ;)

  65. I’m glad you didn’t reach for your lady gun, that’d be a bad move for sure.

    I’m also jealous of your purple pot – I’ve been drooling over that exact one for quite some time now. It would be SO useful!

    Also, this bread looks heavenly. I guarantee I’ll be making this soon! Who could turn down something with olive oil poured over it? Not me….

  66. Unfortunately I have been pulled over one too many times…sorry to hear about your ticket, but glad to hear you met a genuinely nice officer. (those seem hard to come by these days!)
    Just wanted to say this bread looks amazing and at 9am, I wish I had a slice right now! I will be archiving this recipe for a later date! Thanks for sharing : )

  67. Have you ever seen Annie Hall? When Woody Allen rams his car into another and a cop comes up, and he tells him “I have a real problem with authority” while nervously ripping up the ticket and sort of running away? That’s basically me with cops. I get pulled over for the smallest thing, like a tail light out, and I get completely flustered and I act like someone who has a trunk full of cocaine (I don’t…promise).
    This bread would probably make those type of experiences a whole lot better. Yum! :-)

  68. Seriously?! Joy, where have you been living?! Didn’t you hear “Oprah” few years back re NO TXT-ing while driving?! Bad girl, but can’t stay mad at you, love your writting, the ending of $150 conv with a stranger, with a gun was pricelless…..can’t wait to meet you in Seattle, hotel booked, husband on board, driving down from Vancouver/BC…………oh almost forgot, why is it that I can’t print your recipes?!?!?!?! I always end up with a blank page-do you know? Thanks, Sonja

  69. This makes me laugh. My friend and I recently got pulled over for running a stop sign (one of those little dinky fake ones that we didn’t even notice – oops!). But just like your situation – the officer was nice – almost too nice. His parting words were… “don’t let this ruin your day.” We hadn’t planned on it :).

  70. LOOOOOOOOOVE the way you put it!!!! The same thing happened to me! One hundred forty six dollars for a stupid mistake! Never again!!!!!!!!

  71. “It was a lovely, $150 conversation with a strangerโ€ฆ with a gun.” Now, that’s a sentence you don’t hear every day! You get the award for Positive Attitude Toward Life!

  72. When I got my last ticket (for talking on my cell while driving which is also illegal in NY) I actually said “thank you” when the cop handed over the citation. Who does that?! Thank you for handing me $175 bill officer..wtf?
    I made bread this past weekend, with yeast…I felt like a domestic rock star.

  73. This bread looks to-die-for!!! YUM! Wondering if your new cop friend will read this posting (hope so – it might make his day. Especially to see what a fabulously talented, gifted woman you are in the kitchen. What man doesn’t appreciate that?) BTW – I know I’ve said this before, but I’ll say it again – LOVE your humor! You make me smile, well, actually giggle. =) Thanks!

  74. No you are not crazy….yes, it is bonkers crazy that you were just pulled over for the FIRST. Time. EVER. Your a very lucky lady, Joy! Sorry for your fine-I will learn from experience and quit doing those dangerous acts myself….bread looks delish!!

  75. Hi Joy — This recipe looks great, I want to try it! Do you really only let it rise once? You don’t let it rise again after you put in the slits, but before you bake it?

    Thanks!
    Katie

  76. Looks so delicious!! I have a question though, I don’t really make bread, so sorry if I sound dumb..haha But does it have to be “Bread Flour” specifically? or can you use regular all purpose flour? or even wheat flour?

  77. Wow. This looks amazing, and I’m pretty sure that I could put it in the fridge for the rise and let it come to room temperature and bake in the evening for a weeknight bread fest!

  78. In high school, a cop showed up to a kegger we were having at a park. Out of 40+ people, I was the only one who didn’t run. I told him yes, we were drinking. He asked if anyone was driving drunk. I said no, and that I’d stop drinking, and drive home anyone who was inebriated. He thanked me, and drove off. It was the nicest, weirdest cop interaction I’ve ever had!

    (ALSO: I. Need. A. Dutch. Oven.)

  79. Oh how I love fresh baked bread! I would love the spice but unfortunately my husband would not and the last thing i need is to eat a whole loaf of bread by myself. I’m sure I could leave the red pepper out, right? Also, is there any way to tell if your pot is ovenproof? I don’t have a beautiful Le Creuset like some people…

    1. I don’t know the actual price of the ticket. He was guessing. I’ll know exactly when I get that lovely piece of mail. Also… Does anything in CA cost as little as $20!? Dang.

  80. I can’t wait until it is illegal in Florida to text/speak while driving.
    The amount of people on the phone in I-95, turnpike, etc. Is sad.
    Loved the bread!

  81. …Whoa. This looks and sounds amazing! :o)

    …And I love that it bakes in a pot, so pioneerish. Homesteadish. You know what I’m gettin’ at, right?

    …Sorry ’bout the ticket. Was the cop cute? That always helps. ;o)

    …Thank you for the recipe and have a spectacular day Miss Joy!

    …Blessings :o)

    1. …Oh, and I second what ‘Michele’ said up there. Seriously Miss Joy, don’t drive and use your phone. If you have to, keep the phone in your purse and put your purse in the backseat. Do whatever it takes to not use it while you’re driving around a 1000+ lb. vehicle at any speed. Seriously.

      …Remember all, driving is a privilege – not a right. :o)

      …We love ya and want you to stay safe, ‘kay. That’s all. ;o)

  82. Quite the funny retelling. You should have offered the officer some baked goods. I smiled when you mentioned the accidental Sunday nap…as that’s totally my thing. This recipe will be incorporated this weekend. Thanks!

  83. Such a beautiful-looking bread! My boyfriend brought home a loaf the other day, an olive bread, that tasted a bit like pizza, too. Weird. Can’t wait to try this one!

    I got pulled over once… on my birthday as I was driving to work. Ugh. Sucks. Nice to see you’re taking it so well.

  84. I thought there would be a happy ending, where he lets you off with a friendly warning.
    “In California, drivers are not allowed to talk or text while driving a car.” Are they allowed to talk AND text? :) There’s one way to find out…

  85. I really do hope that you don’t drive with your cell phone anymore – not because you don’t want to get a ticket but because you understand that your actions could potentially put other people’s lives at risk.

  86. It’s so great when you mention the things that happen to you–it makes them seem less tragic when they happen to us–and then you tell us how to make things better with great recipes for delicious, comforting food. I cannot wait for the day you have your own cooking/baking show or at least guest appearances on Martha or other prominent shows until that day.

  87. I LOVE this bread. I haven’t tried it yet, but I love the pictures and your description of the flavor, and that it bakes in a pot, and just the fact that you mentioned it goes with stew (OF COURSE), and that it goes with Sunday dinner. . . .Love all of it!! Thanks!
    And sorry about the ticket, but glad for your new cop-friend!

  88. Somehow it doesn’t seem as bad to be pulled over (apart from the $150 price tag of course).
    This bread will be made tonight as I visit my bestie in Ghent. Yes. It’s a plan.

  89. Hey – I’ve made this bread before (at least the original version on PW). Thanks for reminding me of its existence, I might have to make a loaf for Friday to go with the butternut squash soup I have planned.

  90. I’m a total bread lover and this is a perfect last minute bread. As I’m normally baking sourdough bread it’s really last minute ;).
    I just blogged about my favourite hazelnut bread. So this comes just the right time.

  91. I always find it quite heartening when people have good experiences with the police, even if it does end up costing them $150. Love the idea of bread in a pot especially when it’s all full of spices and flavour too.

  92. Joy, you crack me up… love that part of the $150 {lovely}conversation with a stranger and his gun ;-)
    the bread sounds, looks and probably tastes amazing. definitely tryworthy. thanks for sharing. xo, Helene

  93. So sorry you got pulled over (for the first time ever…today??!… I managed to get that honor 3 days after my 16th bday..and then repeated it many times that year. Hello, Lead Foot.) and sorry he gave you a ticket anyway. Ugh.

    I would drown myself in lots of bread. And wine. The irony is that it’s Fat Tues and no doubt there will be thousands of drunk drivers on the road and you, of all people, got pulled over in broad daylight. I live in San Diego and pretty much see a jillion people drive and text, daily.

  94. The first (and only) time I got pulled over was on the way to my 18th birthday party…and I pulled over on the wrong (left) side of the highway (was just looking out for the officer’s safety…?) AND I couldn’t find my insurance. Triple whammy. I was so unbelievably grounded. Just be glad you can’t be grounded now!

    This bread seems like it might have the ability to erase all bad ticket memories (until you have to write the check). In other news, I need a dutch oven so I can make this bread pronto.

  95. I can’t believe you made it so long without getting pulled over! Very admirable of you for being so responsible about it. Now back to food.. I’m an old hand at yeasted breads but just got a dutch oven for Valentine’s (very romantic, I know). But! It has a metal oven proof knob, because the beau knows me. I’m really looking forward to trying this out, and maybe roasting a head of garlic too, until it’s creamy and spreadable. Because you can never have enough garlic!

  96. wow, I have never baked bread this way but I love the look of it and will do this this afternoon and source your blog as inspiration (if that’s OK?)… i’m so excited to try it, it looks fantastic x

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