How to Bake in a Dutch Oven

To bake bread in a Dutch oven, preheat the empty pot with its lid in a 230 to 250°C (450 to 480°F) oven for 30 to 45 minutes, lower your dough in on parchment paper, cover and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, then remove the lid and bake for another 15 to 25 minutes until the crust is deep brown. The lid traps steam for a big rise and a crackly crust. You can also bake cobblers, cornbread, roast chicken and even cakes in a Dutch oven; those usually go in without preheating the pot and with the lid off.

Why a Dutch Oven Is Great for Baking

A cast iron Dutch oven works like a small, very hot, steamy oven inside your oven. Its thick walls store heat and release it evenly, and the heavy lid traps moisture. For bread, that means the crust stays soft long enough for the loaf to rise fully, then sets into a shiny, blistered crust, just like bread from a professional steam oven.

What You Need

• A 4.5 to 6 liter (5 to 7 quart) cast iron or enameled cast iron Dutch oven
• Parchment paper
• Thick oven mitts
• A razor blade or sharp knife for scoring
• An instant-read thermometer (helpful for bread)

Check the lid knob first. Some plastic knobs are only safe to around 190 to 250°C, so swap for a metal knob if you bake bread often.

How to Bake Bread in a Dutch Oven

1. Preheat: place the covered pot in the oven and heat to 230 to 250°C (450 to 480°F) for 30 to 45 minutes.
2. Turn out the dough: flip your proofed dough onto a sheet of parchment.
3. Score: cut a slash about 1 cm deep across the top so the loaf opens neatly.
4. Load: take out the hot pot, remove the lid and lower the dough in by the parchment.
5. Bake covered: put the lid on and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
6. Bake uncovered: remove the lid, lower the oven to 220 to 230°C (430 to 450°F) and bake 15 to 25 minutes more.
7. Check doneness: the crust should be deep golden brown, the loaf should sound hollow when tapped underneath, and the inside should read 96 to 99°C (205 to 210°F).
8. Cool: lift the loaf onto a wire rack and let it cool for at least 1 hour before slicing.

Simple No-Knead Bread

Mix 400 g (3 cups) bread flour, 8 g (1 1/2 tsp) salt, 1/4 tsp instant yeast and 300 ml (1 1/4 cups) water until shaggy. Cover and leave at room temperature for 12 to 18 hours. Shape it into a ball on a floured surface, let it rise on parchment for 1 to 2 hours, then bake as above: 30 minutes covered and 15 to 20 minutes uncovered at 230 to 245°C (450 to 475°F).

Other Things to Bake in a Dutch Oven

Cobblers and crisps

Add fruit, sugar and a little lemon juice, top with biscuit dough or crumble, and bake uncovered at 180°C (350°F) for 35 to 45 minutes until bubbling. Enameled pots handle acidic fruit best.

Cornbread

Heat a little butter or oil in the pot in a 200°C (400°F) oven, pour in the batter and bake uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes. The hot iron gives a crisp edge.

Roast chicken

Roast a whole chicken on sliced onions and vegetables at 220°C (425°F) for 60 to 80 minutes, until the thickest part of the thigh reaches 74°C (165°F).

Cakes and brownies

Line the pot with parchment, add the batter and bake uncovered at 170 to 180°C (325 to 350°F). Cast iron holds heat, so check 5 to 10 minutes earlier than the recipe says.

Camp baking

Outdoors, use a camp Dutch oven with legs and a flanged lid. Place coals underneath and on the lid; for baking, put about two-thirds of the coals on top.

Tips for Better Results

• Preheat the pot fully for bread; most other bakes do not need it.
• Put a baking sheet on the rack below if the bottom of your bread burns.
• Use rice flour on bannetons and parchment to stop sticking.
• Let enameled pots cool before washing to avoid thermal shock.
• Lift the hot pot with two hands and good mitts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to preheat a Dutch oven for bread?

Preheating gives the best rise and crust. Some no-knead recipes also work from a cold pot; add 5 to 10 minutes to the covered time.

What size Dutch oven is best for bread?

A 4.5 to 6 liter (5 to 7 quart) round or oval pot fits a standard loaf made with about 500 g of flour.

Why is the bottom of my Dutch oven bread burnt?

Cast iron conducts a lot of heat from below. Put a baking tray on the rack underneath, or raise the pot one rack higher.

Can I bake in an enameled Dutch oven?

Yes. Just check the knob’s temperature limit and never shock the hot pot with cold water.

Final Thoughts

Baking in a Dutch oven is the easiest way to get bakery-style bread at home: preheat the pot, bake covered for steam, then uncover for color. Once you have tried bread, use the same pot for cobblers, cornbread, roast chicken and cakes.

For more Dutch oven baking tips, see how to transfer dough to a Dutch oven and adding ice to a Dutch oven.