If your sourdough keeps coming out flat, pale or dense, your oven might not be the problem. A Dutch oven is the single piece of kit that turns a home oven into something closer to a professional bakery, and for most bakers it's the upgrade that finally delivers a tall loaf with a crackly, deep-golden crust.
This guide covers the lot: why a Dutch oven works so well for sourdough, exactly how to bake a loaf in one step by step, how to choose between cast iron and enamel, and how to look after it so it lasts for decades. New to baking? Our Complete Sourdough Starter Kit and step-by-step sourdough bread recipe will get your first loaf in the oven.
In this guide
- Why a Dutch oven makes better sourdough
- How to bake sourdough in a Dutch oven, step by step
- Choosing your Dutch oven: cast iron vs enamel
- Looking after your Dutch oven
- Common Dutch oven mistakes
- Dutch oven FAQs
Why a Dutch oven makes better sourdough
The secret is steam. When you bake in a sealed Dutch oven, the dough's own moisture is trapped inside, wrapping the loaf in a hot, steamy cloud for the first part of the bake. That steam keeps the crust soft just long enough for the loaf to spring up and open out, before it sets into a thin, crisp, glassy shell.
Cast iron does the other half of the job. It holds a huge amount of heat and releases it evenly, so the base of your loaf gets the strong, steady bottom heat it needs without scorching. A home oven on its own loses heat the moment you open the door and can't match that. Put the two together and you get taller loaves, a more open crumb and that bakery-style crust, all from your regular oven.
How to bake sourdough in a Dutch oven, step by step
This is the bake stage, picking up once your loaf has finished its final proof. For the full method from starter to loaf, follow our sourdough bread recipe.
- Preheat the Dutch oven empty. Put the Dutch oven in, lid on, and heat your oven to 250°C. Give it a good 30 to 45 minutes so the cast iron is fully heat-soaked. A properly preheated pot is what gives you that dramatic oven spring.
- Turn out and score. Tip your proofed dough onto a sheet of baking paper (or a silicone baking mat). Score the top with a bread lame: one confident slash about 1cm deep lets the loaf open up as it rises.
- Load it in. Carefully lift the hot Dutch oven out, take the lid off, and lower the dough in using the paper as a sling. Mind your hands, everything is screaming hot. Pop the lid back on.
- Bake with the lid on. Drop the oven to 220°C and bake for 20 minutes with the lid on. This is the steamy phase that powers the rise, so resist the urge to peek.
- Bake with the lid off. Take the lid off and bake another 25 to 30 minutes, until the crust is deep golden brown. The colour is flavour, so don't pull it too early.
- Check it's done. The loaf is ready when the inside reads at least 97°C on a thermometer, or sounds hollow when you tap the base.
- Cool before slicing. Lift the loaf onto a wire rack and leave it for at least an hour. Cutting in too soon lets the steam escape and leaves the crumb gummy. Hardest part of the whole bake, we know.
Choosing your Dutch oven: cast iron vs enamel
Any Dutch oven will lift your baking, but the right one for you comes down to how much fuss you want and what else you'll cook in it. Here's how our range compares.
Bare cast iron
Our Slim Cast Iron Dutch Oven is the classic. It takes and holds heat brilliantly, it's tough as nails, and it gets better with every bake as the seasoning builds. The trade-off is that bare cast iron needs a little care: keep it dry and lightly oiled and it'll outlast you. The slim profile is purpose-built for bread, and two fit side by side in a standard oven if you like to bake in batches.
Enamel-coated cast iron
If you'd rather skip the seasoning, our enamel-coated options are the easy-care choice. The enamel layer means no seasoning and no rust to worry about: you just wash and dry. You still get the brilliant heat retention of cast iron, with a surface that's happy to move from sourdough to soups and stews. Choose the Slim Enamel Dutch Oven for the same space-saving bread shape, or the Round Enamel Dutch Oven for an all-rounder that handles round loaves and everyday cooking.
Slim vs round
Slim (oval) Dutch ovens suit the bâtard, the long oval loaf, and they're the space-savers if you bake two at once. Round Dutch ovens suit the boule, the classic round loaf, and double as a versatile pot for the rest of your cooking. Either shape bakes a wonderful loaf, so pick the one that matches the bread you most like to make.
Not sure where to start? Browse the full Dutch oven range, or grab a starter kit and Dutch oven bundle to get everything in one go.
Looking after your Dutch oven
Day to day, cast iron is low-maintenance. Let it cool after baking, wipe out any crumbs, and rinse with warm water only if it needs it. Dry it straight away (cast iron and standing water don't mix), and if the surface looks dull, wipe on a thin layer of neutral oil before you put it away. Store it with the lid off or ajar so air can move through and moisture doesn't build up. Enamel versions are even simpler: just wash, dry and store.
For the full routine, including how to season a new pot from scratch and rescue any spots of rust, follow our step-by-step guide on how to season and maintain your cast iron Dutch oven.
Common Dutch oven mistakes
A few easy slip-ups can undo all your good work. Here's what to watch for.
- Not preheating long enough. A cold or barely-warm pot gives you a flat loaf with no spring. Always preheat the empty Dutch oven for a full 30 to 45 minutes before the dough goes in.
- Taking the lid off too soon. The covered phase is where the steam works its magic. Lift the lid too early and you lose the rise, and the crust never gets that glassy finish. Give it the full 20 minutes covered.
- Baking straight on the metal. Dropping wet dough onto bare hot cast iron risks sticking and a scorched base. Always use baking paper or a silicone mat as a sling, which also makes loading and lifting safer.
- Letting bare cast iron sit wet. Air drying or storing it damp is the fastest way to rust. Dry it right after washing and oil it lightly if it looks dull.
- Slicing too early. The loaf is still cooking inside as it cools. Cut in before an hour is up and you'll squash the crumb and let the steam out. Patience pays off here.
Dutch oven FAQs
Do I need a Dutch oven to bake sourdough?
Not strictly, but it makes a real difference. You can mimic the effect with a baking tray and a tray of boiling water below for steam, but a Dutch oven traps that steam far more effectively, which is why it gives you a better rise and crust with much less fuss.
What temperature do I bake sourdough at in a Dutch oven?
Preheat the empty pot to 250°C, then drop to 220°C once the loaf goes in. Bake 20 minutes with the lid on, then 25 to 30 minutes with the lid off until deep golden. The full method is in our sourdough bread recipe.
Do I really need to preheat the Dutch oven?
Yes, and it's the step people most often rush. A fully heat-soaked pot, 30 to 45 minutes in a hot oven, is what delivers the dramatic oven spring. Loading dough into a cold pot is the most common cause of a flat loaf.
Cast iron or enamel: which is better for sourdough?
Both bake a brilliant loaf. Bare cast iron is the traditional choice and rewards a little care with decades of service. Enamel-coated is the easy option, with no seasoning and no rust to worry about. It comes down to how hands-on you want to be.
Will the dough stick to the Dutch oven?
Not if you use baking paper or a silicone mat to lower the loaf in. That keeps the dough off the hot metal, stops sticking, and makes the whole thing safer to handle.
How do I stop my Dutch oven rusting?
Keep bare cast iron dry and lightly oiled, and store it with the lid ajar. If rust does appear, our seasoning and maintenance guide shows you how to bring it back. Enamel pots don't rust, so a wash and dry is all they need.
A good Dutch oven is the upgrade that takes your sourdough from "not bad" to genuinely bakery-worthy, and it'll keep baking loaves for you for years. Browse the full Dutch oven range, or if you're just starting out, our Complete Sourdough Starter Kit has everything you need for your first bake. Then put it to work with our sourdough bread recipe.