In this blog I'll show you how to bake delicious sourdough bread without a dutch oven. Learn what a dutch oven is, why using a dutch oven is recommended for baking sourdough bread and how you can get similar results without one.
Maybe you're new to sourdough and you're wondering what equipment you actually need and what you can make do without.
Or perhaps, like me, you're just curious and want to experiment a little to see what works best.
So what about the dutch oven? Is it necessary for baking delicious sourdough bread at home, or is it possible to get good results without one?
The good news is it's totally possible, and in this blog I'll show you how you can bake sourdough without any special equipment.
Plus I'll share with you four simple steps to bake amazing sourdough bread at home without a dutch oven.
Let's dive in.
What is a dutch oven?
A dutch oven, sometimes known as a camp oven, is a large lidded pot made out of heavy-duty cast iron that's suitable for cooking at very high temperatures.
At home I use a simple cast iron camp oven that I've had for many years.
I couldn't find the exact same camp oven for sale now, so below I have linked a similar product that's received good reviews; available from Amazon.com.au (AU readers) and similar from Amazon.com (USA and other readers).
Do you need a dutch oven to make sourdough bread?
Using a dutch oven isn't necessary for baking sourdough bread. You can simply use a baking tray and still bake delicious bread.
To prepare for this post I made a double batch of bread and baked one in the dutch oven and one on a baking tray at a slightly reduced temperature.
The only difference was the shape! One loaf was pretty, the other wonky, but they both tasted exactly the same: delicious!
So why did the bread baked in the dutch oven come out looking better?
Let's see how it works.
How a dutch oven works
A dutch oven works by trapping heat and steam inside the pot while the bread is baking. This helps keep the crust soft in the initial stages of baking allowing the loaf to rise well and expand evenly.
The lid also offers protection against immense heat, allowing you to bake at a higher temperate without burning the crust. Cooking at a higher temperature also helps the bread rise well.
How to bake sourdough bread without a dutch oven
So now we know how a dutch works, let's move on to how you can bake amazing sourdough bread without one.
Method one: baking tray
Before I showed you the results of simply baking your sourdough load on an oven tray. It turned out a little wonky, but still tasted great!
Step one: Preheat the oven thoroughly
Prior to baking, preheat the oven at the highest temperature possible, usually around 250 degrees Celsius/480 Fahrenheit. Most recipes recommend preheating the oven for at least one hour to get it nice and hot.
There is no need to preheat the oven tray.
Step two: Reduce the temperature for cooking
After the oven has been preheated and you're ready to set the cooking temperature, reduce it by about 20 degrees Celsius/68 Fahrenheit to avoid burning your loaf.
For example; I usually bake at 240 degrees Celsius/464 Fahrenheit for the first 30 minutes and 220 degrees Celsius/428 Fahrenheit for the last 20 minutes, so I would reduce this to 220 degrees Celsius/428 Fahrenheit and 200 degrees Celsius/392 Fahrenheit respectively.
If you're using a fan-forced oven, you may need to reduce the heat further.
Step three: Prepare the dough
Turn the dough out of the proofing basket and onto a piece of baking paper.
Score the dough and then, just prior to baking, use a spray bottle to spray water on the top and sides of the dough.
Lift the dough onto the baking tray.
Step four: Bake
Place the dough in the oven, on the middle rack.
Method two: cast iron skillet with extra heat and steam
By adding some extra heat and steam, you can achieve even better results.
What you'll need:
- a cast iron skillet
- an additional cast iron skillet and/or oven tray (optional)
- hot water
- 2 cups of ice (optional)
Step one: Preheat the oven thoroughly
Prior to baking, preheat the oven at the highest temperature possible, usually around 250 degrees Celsius/480 Fahrenheit. Most recipes recommend preheating the oven for at least one hour to get it nice and hot.
Add the two cast iron skillets to pre-heat also; one on the middle tray which we'll use to bake the bread, and one on the lowest tray. Place a tray of hot water in the skillet on the lowest tray. This combination of cast iron and water will help hold heat in the oven and produce steam which we'll cover in step step four.
Extra note: Don't just put hot water straight into the bottom skillet without a tray or you'll ruin the seasoning on the skillet. Yes, I learned that one the hard way!
Step two: Reduce the temperature for cooking
After the oven has been preheated and you're ready to set the cooking temperature, reduce it by about 20 degrees Celsius/68 Fahrenheit to avoid burning your loaf.
For example; I usually bake at 240 degrees Celsius/464 Fahrenheit for the first 30 minutes and 220 degrees Celsius/428 Fahrenheit for the last 20 minutes, so I would reduce this to 220 degrees Celsius/428 Fahrenheit and 200 degrees Celsius/392 Fahrenheit respectively.
If you're using a fan-forced oven, you may need to reduce the heat further.
Step three: Prepare the dough
Turn the dough out of the proofing basket and onto a piece of baking paper.
Score the dough and then, just prior to baking, use a spray bottle to spray water on the top and sides of the dough.
Lift the dough into the the preheated cast iron skillet (from the middle tray in step one).
Place the dough in the oven, on the middle rack.
Step four: Create steam
Working quickly, pour the ice cubes into the tray of hot water on the lowest tray. Close the door quickly to capture the steam. Then go ahead and bake the bread as per the recipe instructions.
The result
Side by side, you can see that compared to the loaf baked in a dutch oven, the loaf cooked on the skillet has risen a little less and has expanded horizontally at weak points giving it a less even shape. However on the inside, the results are much the same. And that's what counts!
While there is some advantage to be had in using a dutch oven, if you're ever in a pinch, or just want to make do without one, this experiment proves you can still get good results by baking sourdough without a dutch oven.
Thanks for following along!
If you'd like to get started with sourdough baking check out my FREE eBook a Beginners Guide to Sourdough and get baking.
Frequently asked questions
I have found the best way to bake sourdough bread without a dutch oven (or any other specialised equipment) is to cook the bread on a preheated cast iron skillet and create steam in the oven by using a tray of hot water and ice.
Yes you can; however, if you simply bake the dough on a baking tray you won't get a well-risen, beautifully shaped loaf of bread (it will still taste delicious). Follow the steps in this tutorial to add extra heat and steam for best results when baking without a dutch oven.
Preheat the dutch oven according to the recipe instructions for up to one hour. Place the prepared dough on a square of baking paper and score it ready for baking. Once the dutch oven has preheated, carefully remove it from the oven (it will be very hot) and remove the lid. Working quickly, lift the dough into the dutch oven using the baking paper. Carefully replace the lid and put the dutch oven back into the oven. Bake according to the recipe instructions, removing the lid half way through cooking.
It is totally possible to bake delicious sourdough bread without a dutch oven. I recommend baking the bread on a preheated cast iron skillet and follow the steps in this tutorial to create extra heat and steam during baking.
Yes you can. I recommend reducing the cooking temperature by about 20 degrees Celsius/68 Fahrenheit to avoid burning your loaf. It will also help to spray the dough with water just prior to baking, so the crust doesn't dry out too quickly.
If you don't have a dutch oven, you can bake sourdough bread on a regular baking tray. I recommend baking on a cast iron skillet for added heat. Follow the steps in this tutorial for best results.
Bake the bread for as long as the recipe required, usually around 45 minutes to an hour for a standard loaf, however lower the cooking temperate by about 20 degrees Celsius/68 Fahrenheit to avoid burning the crust.
Yes! You don't need any specialised equipment to start making sourdough bread at home. Follow the steps in this tutorial for best results.
If you don't have a dutch oven you can simply use a regular baking tray to bake sourdough bread or better still use a cast iron skillet. This will help retain heat in the oven. Follow the steps in this tutorial for best results.
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