How To Bake the Perfect Sourdough Boule in Your Dutch Oven – Recipe + Video Instructions (2024)

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Over the last few years I’ve made it my mission to learn how to make the softest, fluffiest, chewiest, naturally leavened bread with my sourdough starter.

How To Bake the Perfect Sourdough Boule in Your Dutch Oven – Recipe + Video Instructions (1)

This easy sourdough boule is the result of much practice and formula testing. I wanted to keep the recipe very simple and straightforward so that even an amateur sourdough baker could reproduce this bread with beautiful results! If you follow my recipe and learn the technique from watching my video you will definitely be able to master baking an artisan sourdough boule at home in your Dutch oven.

How To Bake the Perfect Sourdough Boule in Your Dutch Oven – Recipe + Video Instructions (2)

Are You Interested in the Science of Sourdough?

I’ve written a comprehensive guide to sourdough. It answers questions about what sourdough is, why it’s better for your body, how to talk about sourdough and understand common terminology, and how to save yourself years of trial and error.

Demystifying Sourdough – Everything You’ve Ever Wanted To Know About Sourdough Starter – Why It’s Better for You – And How To Start One

How To Bake the Perfect Sourdough Boule in Your Dutch Oven – Recipe + Video Instructions (3)

One of the First Steps To Making Great Bread Is Having a Great Starter!

Learn how to feed your starter for optimal performance and successful baking in my easy visual guide,

How To Feed Your Sourdough Starter for Successful Baking

How To Bake the Perfect Sourdough Boule in Your Dutch Oven – Recipe + Video Instructions (4)

Once you’ve mastered the sourdough basicsyou will be ready to bake an incredible loaf of bread like this one.

How To Bake the Perfect Sourdough Boule in Your Dutch Oven – Recipe + Video Instructions (5)

This Recipe Uses the Stretch and Fold Method of Kneading.

What I love about stretch and fold:

  • It’s easy.
  • It can be done over a period of time and at your own pace.
  • It develops an insane amount of gluten, making your bread reach for the clouds with the absolute BEST oven spring.
  • It’s flexible. (Only have time for two stretch and folds? No problem, you will still have an awesome bake!)
  • It can be done in the bowl, keeping your workspace clean.
  • You don’t need a stand mixer — stretch and fold is a “by hand” method, uniting you to your food!

This video will walk you through the steps of the recipe and stretch and foldmethod.

How To Bake the Perfect Sourdough Boule in Your Dutch Oven – Recipe + Video Instructions (6)

How To Bake the Perfect Sourdough Boule in Your Dutch Oven – Recipe + Video Instructions (7)

How To Bake the Perfect Sourdough Boule in Your Dutch Oven – Recipe + Video Instructions (8)

How To Bake the Perfect Sourdough Boule in Your Dutch Oven

Yield: 12

Prep Time: 1 day

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 day 40 minutes

Learn how to bake a big and beautiful loaf of real sourdough bread. This formula yields a soft and pillowy crumb perfect for slathering with real butter!

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Weigh all ingredients in a glass or ceramic bowl.
  2. Mix the ingredients into a loose shaggy dough with a wooden spoon or dough whisk.
  3. Wet your hands and gently knead the dough in the bowl by hand until it comes together with no excess flour.
  4. Let the dough rest covered for 10 to 15 minutes.
  5. Start the first stretch and fold by wetting your hands and lifting one side of the dough and folding it toward the middle. Repeat this stretch and fold process in all four directions.
  6. Sometimes you can get away with an extra one or two folds depending on the elasticity of the dough. If it wants to stretch, stretch it! If it's tearing or breaking, it needs a rest.
  7. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
  8. Start the second stretch and fold by wetting your hands and repeating the same folding motion in (at least) all four directions.
  9. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
  10. Repeat the stretch and fold and resting process up to five more times for a total of seven stretch and folds (or as many as you are able). I have made great bread by just doing two stretch and folds. But remember, the more stretching and folding, the more gluten will develop, and the higher your bread will rise!
  11. After the last stretch and fold cover the dough and allow it to double in size. This can take anywhere from 3 to 6 hours depending on starter strength and ambient temperature.
  12. Prepare your banneton (proofing basket) with a coating of flour. My trick is to use sprouted wheat flour. Sprouted wheat does not develop gluten so it will keep the bread from sticking to the basket. Rice flour, buckwheat, or other non-glutinous flour can also be used.
  13. Working with the doubled dough, start the final stretch and fold. This will act as the "punch down" of the dough, deflating the gasses trapped inside the gluten network. Stretch the dough several times toward the center, each time pressing down on the dough to remove air bubbles.
  14. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
  15. Lightly wet your hands and remove the dough from the proofing bowl onto your work surface. Shape the dough by repeating the same folding toward the center action. Once a tight ball is achieved flip it seam side down and push it gently in all directions across the work surface to build tension in the outer layer (see attachedvideo).
  16. Let the dough rest seam side down for 5 minutes.
  17. Transfer the dough to the banneton basket. This time you want the seam to be up and the tight surface to be down in the basket.
  18. Sprinkle the seam side of the shaped dough with a light dusting of flour and cover it securely with wrap and a rubber band.
  19. Place the banneton basket in the refrigerator overnight for at least 10 hours. 12 to 24 hours is my preferred proofing time.
  20. Once the dough has crested the edge of the banneton it is ready to bake, but you may keep it in the refrigerator for a longer period of time.
  21. Preheat your oven to 450°F with your covered Dutch oven inside.
  22. Cut a piece of parchment paper big enough to overhang your loaf's circumference by a few inches.
  23. Remove the banneton from the refrigerator, remove the wrap from the dough, and place the parchment sheet over the exposed dough. Hold the parchment in place with your hand while you flip the dough onto the counter. Now the parchment is on the bottom.
  24. Carefully ease the banneton off the dough. Sometimes it takes a little coaxing. Use your fingers to gently work between the dough and basket. Hopefully the basket will lift away clean!
  25. Using a sharp razor blade, score the dough along the top. There are so many scoring patterns to practice with, but a good one to start with is a simple slash or a cross. Score the dough about 1/2 inch deep.
  26. Using baking gloves, remove the Dutch oven from the oven and remove the lid.
  27. Working quickly, pick up the boule by the parchment paper edges and place it into the Dutch oven on top of the parchment.
  28. If desired, add a few ice cubes to the Dutch oven between the parchment and the wall of the Dutch oven, or spray the boule with a few spritzes of filtered water. Adding additional moisture will keep the crust soft, allowing for more rise and giving a nice blistered texture and appearance.
  29. Cover the Dutch oven and place it back in your preheated oven. Bake undisturbed for 25 minutes.
  30. Open your oven and remove the Dutch oven lid. Bake for an additional 15 minutes.
  31. Remove your Dutch oven from the oven and gently lift the boule out using the parchment paper as handles. Remove the parchment paper and cool the boule on a wire rack. Cool the boule completely before cutting (possibly the hardest part of baking this incredible loaf of bread!).

Notes

Beginners: Start with 275 grams water, about 1 1/5 cups.

Also note that all cups and spoons measurements are approximate, for best results please weigh your ingredients!

This recipe yields a boule that has a hydration percentage of 73.3%

Higher hydration doughs will have a more open crumb (bigger holes). Want to play around with hydration? Use this website to calculate the hydration percentage of your dough: Bread Hydration and Conversion Calculator.

How To Bake the Perfect Sourdough Boule in Your Dutch Oven – Recipe + Video Instructions (17)

Because You Are Awesome and Read All the Way to the Bottom of This Post You Get My “Pro Tips” for This Recipe!

Pro Tip #1You can use up to 60% whole wheat or other heirloom or ancient grain in this recipe. Be aware that you may want to add additional water because whole grains absorb more water in the dough. Start with 10 additional grams of water per 50 grams of whole grain flour used.

Pro Tip #2 If you are baking in an electric or gas oven with a bottom heating element, always use a baking stone, pizza stone, cast-iron griddle, or cast-iron frying pan on the rack below your Dutch oven! Position the Dutch oven directly above the barrier pan or stone — this will help keep the bottom crust from getting too dark!

How To Bake the Perfect Sourdough Boule in Your Dutch Oven – Recipe + Video Instructions (2024)

FAQs

What temperature do you bake sourdough bread in a Dutch oven? ›

Sourdough bread should be cooked in a Dutch Oven for 45 minutes at 230C or 450F (with the lid off for the last 10 to 15 minutes). You can lower the temperature for the last 10 to 15 minutes of the bake.

Do you preheat a Dutch oven with the lid on or off for sourdough bread? ›

The most common method is: Preheat Dutch oven in the oven with the lid off at 500F/260C. Many bakers will continue preheating for 10-20 minutes after the oven reaches target temperature to ensure the Dutch oven is at its hottest. Lower the loaf into the Dutch oven using a sling made of parchment or silicone.

How to prevent bottom of sourdough from burning in Dutch oven? ›

Insulate the Dutch oven with a baking sheet or stone to avoid crust burning. Place a baking stone or sheet on a rack below the Dutch oven to help prevent burning. Most ovens have a bottom heating element that can provide far too much heat on the bottom of your dough, especially if you place the rack too close.

What is the best temperature to bake bread in a Dutch oven? ›

Preheat Dutch Oven & Bake

Right before you pull the dough out of the bowl, place the dutch oven into the oven and preheat it to 450 degrees F. Placing the artisan bread dough into the warm dutch oven results in a golden-brown crispy crust.

How long do you bake sourdough in Dutch oven? ›

The baking time for sourdough depends on a lot of factors: the type of oven used, the temperature of the oven, the size of the loaf, etc. For a 500 g (the weight of the bread flour) loaf, at 450 degrees F, the total baking time is typically between 35-45 minutes, but will depend on the factors listed above.

Do you need parchment paper for sourdough in Dutch oven? ›

Good quality parchment paper is incredibly effective when it comes to baking sourdough bread. It allows you to transfer your proofed dough from the bench and into a hot Dutch Oven. Typically you would tip your sourdough out of your banneton and onto the parchment paper and then use that to transfer the dough.

What is the best size Dutch oven for sourdough bread? ›

All that to say, if you don't have a Dutch oven yet, a 5.5-quart Dutch oven will set you up for decades of baking. Not too big and not too small, it's the perfect size for baking a large, shareable loaf of bread.

How do you know when Dutch oven bread is done? ›

After 30 minutes, remove the lid, reduce the oven temperature to 375°F, and continue baking until the bread is nicely browned and cooked through. It should have an internal temperature of 200°F or so when done.

Why does my Dutch oven burn everything? ›

If it's too hot, the pot can scorch or the food can burn and stick to the surface. Cooking at medium heat is what works best with this pot. I would recommend cooking on medium or low heat, even if you're frying or searing meat.

Why is my Dutch oven bread gummy? ›

If your bread is gummy and dense, check your oven temperature. Gummy bread is usually the result of the crust forming before the bread inside has had a chance to fully expand. Turn down the oven temperature if needed!

How do you bake sourdough without burning the bottom? ›

My top 10 ways for preventing the base of your sourdough from burning are:
  1. Place a baking tray underneath your Dutch Oven.
  2. Line your Dutch Oven with parchment paper.
  3. Use a trivet inside your Dutch Oven.
  4. Utilise cornmeal, rice or rolled oats.
  5. Reposition your loaf.
  6. Lower the overall temperature.
  7. Consider an open bake.
Jun 3, 2020

Can a Dutch oven be too big for sourdough? ›

Conclusions. Overall, I love both of these Dutch ovens for sourdough baking. If you are looking to bake loaves with great oven spring, I would recommend the smaller Dutch oven. If you are looking for loaves with a slightly more open crumb, then the larger Dutch oven might be a bit better.

Do you oil Dutch oven before baking bread? ›

As long as you have a lid to cover it, the bread comes out perfectly every time. I found that using a 4- to 6-quart Dutch oven yields the perfect round shape. Fight the urge to grease your Dutch oven. Because of the high temperature, the fat will burn off almost immediately, giving your bread a charred taste.

Can you stretch and fold sourdough too much? ›

Too little folding can result in weak dough. But too much folding can produce excessive tension and compressive forces. An over-folded dough might have a tighter crumb as the layers of alveoli push against each other and coalesce. In the worst case, excessive folding might cause a dough to tear under too much tension.

What is the best temperature for sourdough bread? ›

Sourdough performs really well anywhere from 74-86 degrees F (optimal 76-80). The goal is to stay within that range for as much time as possible.

Do you bake sourdough at 450 or 500? ›

Once the pot is in the oven, turn the heat down to 475°F (246°C) to bake. Set a timer for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, get your ChefAlarm and set the high alarm to 200°F (93°C). (Lean dough breads are done between 190–210°F [88–99°C], and dough with this level of hydration is also best done around that temperature.

How long to bake sourdough at 400? ›

Reduce the temperature to 400°F and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the lid and continue to bake uncovered for an additional 40 minutes, or until very golden brown.

How long and what temperature do you cook sourdough? ›

Baking your bread

The basic sourdough loaves (see main image) can either be baked at 240ºC for 20 minutes before reducing the temperature to 220ºC and baking for a further 15 minutes (as the loaf on the left has been) or for 40—45 minutes at 220ºC (as the two loaves on the right have been).

References

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