17 Cozy Bread Recipes You Can Make in a Dutch Oven (2024)

FAQs

Is a Dutch oven worth it for bread? ›

Baking bread in a Dutch oven produces results that rival bread made in fancy, steam-injected bread ovens. It's something of a miracle of science that such a simple and common device could be so effective, especially with so little effort required.

Cover with the lid and bake for 20 minutes, covered. After 20 minutes, remove the lid from the oven and continue baking per the recipe (typically 25 to 35 minutes)

Generously flour a sheet of parchment paper; transfer dough to parchment and, with floured hands, quickly shape into a ball. Place dough on parchment paper and sprinkle top lightly with flour. Top with a sheet of plastic wrap and let rest 30 minutes. Remove Dutch oven from oven.

Any tips for preventing a thick, hard crust on the bottom of my bread done in a Dutch oven? Make sure you are using a heavy gauge Dutch oven and that it isn't too close to the bottom heat element in your oven. If you are still getting a thick, hard crust, you can put a pillow of foil down, like this.

Preheat the pot with the lid on to 500°F for about 20 minutes. I used a 7 1/4 quart pot to bake a 1 1/2 pound loaf of bread. Shape your boule from any of the non-enriched doughs from the book and allow to rest on a piece of parchment paper as suggested in the recipe.

You just need a lid to cover it and the proper heat-conducting cast-iron material, and your bread will come out perfectly every time. Size & Shape: Look for a 6- to 7-quart, round Dutch oven. Anything much bigger will cause the bread to spread out and go flat.

Do I need a Dutch oven to make sourdough? Dutch ovens are a fantastic investment but they're not necessary to make sourdough bread. In fact, they're not even the best piece of sourdough equipment available. Instead, we recommend a domed bread cloche or a combo cooker.

Option 2: Use an oven-safe pot and a tight lid or sheet pan. Next up: baking crusty bread with an oven-safe pot and a sheet pan! If your pot has a tight-fitting, oven-safe lid, feel free to use that instead of a sheet pan.

The Dutch oven is a must-have for home cooks—it's something you'll use almost daily. Heavy-bottomed, with a tight-fitted lid to help retain heat and moisture for cooking flavorful and tender meals like soups and stews, it's a kitchen workhorse.

Haven't had one single loaf of bread stick to the pot. If you might want a larger pot for other cooking, you might prefer the 7 quart, otherwise, as others have said, 5 quart should do. It's a heavy pot, so a 7 might be more awkward to remove from oven.