Baking with a Dutch Oven

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If you’ve taken my in-person sourdough baking workshop then you would have witnessed my process for steaming my oven while baking on a baking stone. What if you’re only baking one loaf? The simplest way is to use a dutch oven.

To use, preheat the oven with the baking stone (including lid) in the oven to 450 deg. F. Once the oven reaches the correct temperature, remove your prepared dough from the banneton basket and place on parchment paper. Score your dough with a lame or serrated knife. Taking are to reduce heat loss and prevent unwanted burns, open the oven dough and remove your dutch oven lid. Place the scored dough WITH PARCHMENT PAPER into the dutch oven and cover with the lid. Close the oven door and bake for 15 minutes with the lid on. After 20 minutes, remove the lid and continue to bake for an additional 20 - 25 minutes until desired golden crust is achieved. Remove from the oven and let the bread cool on a cooling rack.

NOTE: Every oven is different, it is important to monitor your dough as it bakes. I have burned the bottom of my bread in the dutch oven so you may need to reduce the heat to about 375 degrees F half way through, or remove the loaf from the dutch oven and resume baking on a rack one level higher so it is farther from the heating element in the bottom of the oven.