How to Bake Sourdough Bread in a Dutch Oven (Step-by-Step Guide)

Dutch oven sourdough bread is a classic method for baking sourdough in a Dutch oven. It is a staple in sourdough baking because it creates the ideal steam environment for a strong oven rise and a crisp crust. Grab my sourdough bread baking log to track your progress and start baking.

If you are in the process of choosing the best Dutch oven for sourdough bread, I have written an article that outlines how to select one, what to look for, and how to use it effectively.

If you are just starting with sourdough, begin with my Beginner's Sourdough Guide to learn the basics. To make a new starter, refer to my Beginner's Sourdough Starter recipe.

Why use a Dutch oven for sourdough bread

Dutch oven baking is considered one of the best methods for baking sourdough bread for several reasons.

• Ideal steam creation: A Dutch oven traps moisture and creates a steamy environment. The steam allows the dough to expand fully before the crust sets, resulting in a better rise (oven spring) and a more open crumb.

• Even heat distribution: The thick walls of a Dutch oven ensure even heat distribution, which helps maintain a consistent baking temperature.

• Temperature control: A Dutch oven can reach high temperatures and retain heat effectively, creating a stable, high-heat environment.

Overall, Dutch oven baking provides a straightforward and reliable method for achieving professional-quality sourdough bread at home.

How to bake sourdough bread in a Dutch oven

• Place an empty Dutch oven, including its lid, into your oven. Preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C) for 30-60 minutes to make sure the Dutch oven is thoroughly heated.

• Take the fully proofed bread dough from the fridge (if cold-proofing) and flip it onto the parchment paper.

• Use a bread lame or a sharp knife to score the dough.

• Carefully remove the hot Dutch oven from the oven using oven mitts. Using the parchment paper as handles, gently lower the dough into the Dutch oven.

• Lower the oven temperature to 450°F (230°C). Cover the Dutch oven with its lid to trap steam and bake for 20 minutes.

• Remove the lid and bake for 17-20 minutes or until the crust reaches the desired color. Be careful of the steam released from the oven!

• Use a probe thermometer to check the internal temperature of bread. When fully baked, it should be 205-210°F (96-99°C).

• Carefully remove the bread from the Dutch oven and place it on a cooling rack. Let it cool for at least 2 hours before slicing.

Tips for baking sourdough in a Dutch oven

• Preheat thoroughly: Preheat the Dutch oven with the lid to ensure even heat distribution.

• Handle with care: To avoid burns, use oven mitts or heatproof silicone gloves when handling the hot Dutch oven. The lid and pot retain high heat.

• Use top-quality parchment paper: Place the dough on parchment paper (here is how to choose the best parchment) to make transferring it into the Dutch oven easier. This also prevents sticking and ensures smooth removal after baking.

• Add extra steam (optional): Lightly mist the scored dough with water or spray the inside of the lid with water just before closing the pot.

• Retain steam: Keep the lid on for the first 20 minutes of baking to lock in steam. Avoid opening the oven during this critical phase.

• Uncover for browning: After the initial steam phase, remove the lid to let the crust brown and crisp. Monitor closely to achieve your desired crust color.

• Use a cold Dutch Oven (optional): If preheating isn't an option, try the cold Dutch oven method: place the dough in the Dutch oven without preheating and start baking. While results may vary, it is a safe and convenient alternative.

• Cool before cleaning: Allow the Dutch oven to cool completely before washing to prevent thermal shock, which can cause cracks in enamel-coated Dutch ovens.

• Batch baking: When baking multiple loaves, use the same type of covered baker and avoid mixing different types of bakeware, such as Dutch ovens, Granite Ware roasters, or ceramic cloches. This maintains a steady oven temperature, as other materials may heat up differently and require different handling, such as preheating or not.

Ingredients

• Flour: Use unbleached bread flour with a protein content of at least 12.5%. I prefer to use bread flour with a protein content of 12.7-13.5%. If you are comfortable working with whole wheat flour, substitute 5-10% of the flour with whole wheat.
• Water: Opt for unchlorinated tap water, filtered or spring water. To dechlorinate tap water, leave it in an open container on the counter overnight.
• Sourdough starter: Use 100% hydration wheat levain or active starter at peak.
• Salt: Use fine sea salt. Avoid iodized table salt.
• White rice flour is used to dust the work surface and the proofing basket.

Final bread formula

Ingredient	Baker's Percentage	Weight
Bread flour	100%	500g
Water	70%	350g
Leavin/Active starter, 100% hydration	20%	100g
Fine sea salt	2%	10g

• Total dough weight is 960g. To adjust the bread formula for your own loaf, use the baker's percentages or my sourdough calculator.
• Room temperature: 73°F (23°C) and 40% humidity
• Bulk fermentation: 6 hours 30 minutes to 7 hours 30 minutes with a 75-80% increase in dough size
• Cold proof: 14 hours in the fridge
• Baking: 450°F (232°C) in a conventional oven for 20 minutes with the lid on, then 17-20 minutes with the lid off.

Step-by-step Dutch oven sourdough bread

If this is your first loaf of bread, make sure to read my pilar Beginner's Sourdough Bread recipe.

1. Make a levain (an active starter):

Feed the starter in the morning at a 1:1:1 ratio (35g starter, 35g flour, and 35g water), and wait 4-6 hours for it to peak. Or feed it right before bed, based on your starter feeding ratio and peak time.

2. Autolyse

Weigh the water and flour into a large mixing bowl. Mix with your hand or a dough whisk until a shaggy dough forms. Cover the bowl with a plastic film or a damp kitchen towel and let it sit for 30 minutes (see my guide to sourdough autolyse).

3. Mix the dough

Add the levain (an active starter) and sea salt to the bowl. Mix thoroughly by hand for 3-10 minutes, depending on your schedule and the desired level of gluten development. A more extended mix builds a stronger gluten network.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let the dough rest for 30 minutes. Bulk fermentation begins once the starter is added.

4. Bulk fermentation

Do two sets of stretch and folds, 30 minutes apart, followed by two sets of coil folds, also spaced 30 minutes apart. For each set, fold the dough in all four directions. Keep the bowl covered between folds and let the dough rest for 30 minutes after each set of folds.

After the last set of coil folds, allow the dough to continue bulk fermentation, checking its rise to track progress. Bulk fermentation speeds up in a warm kitchen and slows down in cooler conditions.

Note: I usually aim for about a 75-80% rise at 73°F (24°C), though with King Arthur bread flour and proper mixing, I can push it to 90%.

Finish bulk fermentation when the dough has visible bubbles on the surface and along the sides of the bowl (if it is glass), the edges have a slight dome, and the dough jiggles gently when you move the bowl.

6. Preshape the dough

Preshape the dough into a round, then let it rest uncovered for 15-20 minutes.

7. Shape the dough

Lightly flour your work surface with rice flour. Turn the dough out onto the table and shape it into a boule or batard (see my guide to shaping bread dough).

Prepare a banneton or an alternative proofing basket, such as a small bowl lined with a cotton tea towel. Dust it with rice flour. Place the shaped dough into the banneton or bowl, seam side up.

8. Proof the dough

Cover the banneton with a clean towel or place it inside a plastic bag, then refrigerate. Refrigerate for a cold proof lasting 12-16 hours, or up to 48 hours. The longer the proof, the more pronounced the sourdough flavor will be.

9. Score the dough

Remove the dough from the fridge. Flip it out of the banneton onto a piece of parchment paper. Use a pastry brush to remove any excess flour.

Score the dough using a bread lame. If you are a beginner, opt for a single slash for a batard or a cross "X" for a boule. Once you are more confident, try creative scoring patterns.

10. Bake the bread

Place your Dutch oven into the oven and preheat to 500°F (260°C) for 30 minutes.

With the oven mitts on, transfer the dough to the Dutch oven, cover with the lid, and place it on the middle rack of the oven. For extra steam, spritz the dough with water or lightly spray the hot Dutch oven lid before covering. Lower the temperature to 450°F (232°C) and bake for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, use the oven mitts to remove the lid and continue baking for an additional 17-20 minutes, or until the crust reaches your desired color. Check the internal temperature of bread with a probe thermometer. It should reach 205-210°F (96-99°C).

Let the bread cool on a wire rack for at least 2 hours before slicing. See my guides on how to cut sourdough bread and how to store sourdough bread.

Dutch oven baking variations

• Combine Dutch oven baking with finishing directly on the oven rack. After the initial steaming phase, carefully lift the loaf from the Dutch oven using the parchment paper ends, then transfer it to the oven rack (without parchment) to finish baking.

• Replace the Dutch oven with a Granite Ware roaster. Don't preheat the roasting pan before loading the loaf.

• When baking multiple loaves in a limited oven space, rotate bread between racks for different stages. Begin with loaves in Dutch ovens on the lower shelf. After 20 minutes of steaming, move them to the upper rack to finish baking and reload the Dutch ovens with scored dough. Adjust the temperature and timing to balance the steam and dry phases.

• Experiment with baking temperature and time for the best results.

Sample sourdough baking timeline

Day 1
8:00 AM	Build levain/active starter
12:00 PM	Autolyse, rest for 30 minutes
12:30 PM	Add levain (starter) and salt, rest for 30 minutes
1:00 PM	Stretch and folds #1, rest for 30 minutes
1:30 PM	Stretch and folds #2, rest for 30 minutes
2:00 PM	Coil folds #1, rest for 30 minutes
2:30 PM	Coil folds #2, rest for 30 minutes
7:00 PM	Preshape and shape the dough.
7:45 PM	Cold proof
Day 2
8:00 AM	Score and bake

FAQ

Ready to keep learning?

Learn what the internal temperature of bread should be for perfectly baked sourdough.

Print

Recipe