Dutch Oven Sourdough Bread

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This recipe for Dutch Oven Sourdough Bread will be the easiest loaf of sourdough bread you will ever make! All you need is a Dutch oven and 4 ingredients to make this artisan-style bread at home.

dutch oven sourdough bread loaf in front of caraway dutch oven.

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Why You Will Love This Recipe
Ingredients Needed to Make Dutch Oven Sourdough Bread
How to Know if Your Sourdough Starter is Active
How to Make No-Knead Sourdough Bread
Expert Tips For This Recipe
Tools You Will Need to Make This Bread
Recipe FAQs
Dutch Oven Sourdough Bread (no-knead)

Why You Will Love This Recipe

This will be hands down the easiest sourdough bread you ever make! I took my No-Knead Rosemary Bread recipe and subbed out the instant yeast for an active sourdough starter and presto! Amazing bread with little effort just like my Easy Ciabatta Rolls Recipe.

This bread is completely from scratch and it will seem like you took hours folding and kneading. And if you want even more bread in your life, check out my 33 Easy Homemade Bread Recipes.

Ingredients Needed to Make Dutch Oven Sourdough Bread

Remember to use quality ingredients and maintain proper hygiene when working with sourdough bread recipes to ensure the best results. Enjoy the process of baking and savor the unique flavors of homemade sourdough bread!

no-knead sourdough ingredients: flour, salt, water and sourdough starter.

All-purpose flour is a versatile type of flour suitable for various baking purposes.
It is made from a blend of hard and soft wheat, which gives it a moderate protein content (around 10-12%). All-purpose flour provides structure and contributes to the texture of the bread.
Salt plays a crucial role in bread baking, including sourdough bread. It enhances the flavor of the bread and also strengthens the gluten structure, contributing to a better texture and crumb in the final loaf. It also helps control the fermentation process by regulating the activity of yeast and lactobacilli in the sourdough starter.
Sourdough starter (well-fed and active)- A sourdough starter is a combination of flour and water that has undergone fermentation. It contains wild yeast and lactobacilli, which provide natural leavening and add distinct flavors to the bread.
A well-fed and active starter has recently been fed with a mixture of flour and water, allowing the microorganisms to multiply and produce gas for leavening.
Water is a crucial ingredient in sourdough bread recipes. It hydrates the flour, allowing gluten formation and enzymatic activity. The amount of water used can vary depending on factors such as flour hydration, dough consistency, and personal preference, affecting the final texture and hydration level of the bread.

*See the recipe card for the complete list of ingredients and quantities.

sliced sourdough bread in front of a caraway dutch oven.

How to Know if Your Sourdough Starter is Active

Rapid Growth: After feeding, your starter should double or triple in size, with visible bubbles on the surface and sides of the jar.
Texture: The starter should be light and airy. When you scoop a spoonful, it should be fluffy and slightly stretchy.
Aroma: A mature starter will have a pleasant, slightly tangy smell, with hints of fermentation and acidity. Avoid strong vinegar-like or foul odors.
Float Test: To check readiness, perform a float test. Drop a small spoonful of starter into a glass of water—if it floats, your starter is active and ready to use.

How to Make No-Knead Sourdough Bread

dutch oven sourdough dough beginning step.

Step 1: Place the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl and whisk together to fully combine. Add the sourdough starter and water and combine everything using your spatula. The dough will be shaggy and sticky.

dutch oven sourdough after rising overnight.

Step 2: Tightly cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest for a minimum of 12 hours at room temperature. I like to make my dough in the evening and let it rest overnight.

Step 3: Preheat the oven to 450°F and place the Dutch oven in the oven to warm up for 30 minutes. Gently scrape the dough out of the bowl onto a piece of lightly floured parchment paper. Sprinkle some flour on top of the dough and with floured hands, gently shape the dough into a ball the best you can. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean towel to rest while the oven is heating up.

Step 4: After 30 minutes of the oven and Dutch oven heating up, take the parchment paper with the dough on it and place the entire thing in the preheated Dutch oven. Be careful, it's hot.

baked-no-knead-sourdough-bread-on-parchment-paper.

Step 5: Place the lid on the Dutch oven and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for another 10 minutes to get a nice brown crust.

Step 6: Remove the Dutch oven from the oven and allow the bread to cool in the Dutch oven or on a cooling rack.

Expert Tips For This Recipe

Only use a sourdough starter that is active, well-fed, and at room temperature to ensure you get the best results possible.
Parchment paper is a must! Because the dough for this bread is so sticky, the parchment paper will not only help you move it into the hot Dutch oven, but it will also keep it from sticking to the pan itself.
Make sure your Dutch oven or pan is rated for high temps because this bread cooks at 450º. As I mentioned above, you need your Dutch oven or covered pot to be able to get nice and hot and be safe while doing so.
Don’t forget to preheat your Dutch oven while you are preheating the oven. This will help create the awesome crust and bubbly insides of the bread.

Tools You Will Need to Make This Bread

To make Dutch Oven Bread, you will need a Dutch oven. My new favorite brand is Caraway, as seen below. It has a non-toxic ceramic coated inside, is oven-safe up to 550°F, and comes in some beautiful colors.

And you will want to use a sturdy silicone spatula for mixing and scraping the dough out of the bowl. I use my silicone spatulas every single day and this set has the perfect sizes at a great price.

a Caraway Dutch oven. — Caraway Dutch Oven in Cream

Recipe FAQs

What if I don't have a Dutch oven to make sourdough bread?

The best way to cook this bread is in a Dutch oven. If you don’t have one, you can also bake it in a different pot and have delicious bread with hardly any effort. Just make sure you have a pot with a lid that can handle 450º.

Why is a Dutch oven used to bake sourdough bread?

Using a Dutch oven when baking bread creates a beautiful and crunchy crust that most people think of when they think of rustic or crusty bread. The lid of the Dutch oven keeps in the steam which helps with the crust and the overall baking process.

Do I have to score the top of this bread?

Not only is this bread no-knead but there is also no scoring! The crust on my bread shown in the photos happened naturally and looked great.

If you get a chance to make this Dutch Oven Sourdough Bread, tag me on Instagram or Facebook and show me, or leave a review below! You can also follow me on Pinterest and sign up for my e-mail list to receive more fun and delicious recipes in your inbox.