Escape
To Moab

Fresh-baked bread is a treat anytime you make it, but in camp it's especially satisfying. The dough for this Dutch oven bread can be prepared at home and allowed to rest in the cooler until it's time to cook your camp feast. The smell of fresh sage and a little kick from the chili flakes make it the perfect complement to a desert view.

What You'll Need

• 3 cups warm water
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp yeast
• 1 tbsp salt
• 6 cups flour
• 1 ¾ cups cornmeal
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 3 tbsp fresh sage, chopped
• 1 tbsp chili flakes

What You'll Do at Home
Combine the water, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl. Allow the mixture to bubble for 10-15 minutes. Add the flour, cornmeal, salt, oil, sage, and chili flakes to the yeast mixture. Knead by hand until dough is easy to handle, sifting in flour as necessary. Coat the dough ball in oil, cover the bowl in plastic wrap, and allow it to rise for 30 minutes. Re-knead for a few minutes, cover with plastic, and place the bowl in your cooler.

What You'll Do in Camp
Preheat a 12-inch Dutch oven by placing 7-10 coals charcoal briquettes underneath and 10-15 on the lid. Ambient temperature and wind can have an impact on temperature so having a thermometer helps; you want to keep the temperature a close to 350° as possible. You'll also have to add fresh coals during the bake to maintain your heat.

Melt a big pat of butter in the hot Dutch oven, spreading around to coat the bottom and up the walls. Place your dough ball in the oven and flatten until the sides are nearly touching the walls.

Drizzle with olive oil, a sprinkle of salt, and a few sage leaves. Allow the bread to bake for about 1.5 hours—cooking time will vary based on variables in temperature. Simply put, just leave it in there until it looks golden brown and delicious. Serve with soft butter and honey, and enjoy.

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