Sourdough Dutch Oven Bread

This Sourdough Dutch Oven Bread is the ultimate homemade bread recipe. It has a crusty outside a soft and fluffy inside and full of that traditional sourdough tang. It's delicious.

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loaf of sourdough dutch oven bread cut open on a plate.

Learn how to make my sourdough Dutch oven bread, the perfect loaf to slice and serve with dinner this week. The Dutch oven gets that crispy golden brown crust with that chewy and fluffy center.

This is one of my favorite sourdough recipes. I whip it up when we want a simple sourdough loaf to gift a loved one or enjoy with a slab of butter or jam spread on top. Grab your active starter and whip up an Artisan sourdough bread that is one you can enjoy all through the year.

Now, if you have some sourdough discard on hand, consider whipping up these sourdough discard cinnamon rolls for a delicious breakfast option. Or try out these fluffy sourdough discard donuts, that literally melt in your mouth.

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Ingredients
Instructions
Variations
Equipment
Storage
Wendy’s Test Kitchen Tips
FAQs
Pairing
Sourdough Dutch Oven Bread

Ingredients

This is a quick overview of the ingredients you need to make this recipe. You can find the full list in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

bowls of flour, water, salt, and sourdough starer on a counter.

active sourdough starter
warm water
flour
salt

Instructions

This is a quick overview of the instructions to make this recipe. You can find the full steps in the recipe card.

water and sourdough starter being mixed in a bowl.

Mix active starter and water in a large mixing bowl.

sourdough bread dough being mixed in a glass bowl.

Add the flour and salt, and then mix until shaggy. Cover and let the dough rise in a warm place for one hour.

Stretch and fold the dough until you’ve stretched the entire dough. Then rise for 30 minutes. Repeat this process twice.

dough being stretched with a woman's hand.

You will then stretch and fold the dough one last time. This time, cover it and allow it to rest for 3- 7 hours. At this point, you need to enable your loaf of bread to bulk ferment. The fermentation process is a must and can’t be skipped.

bread dough ball rising in a mixing bowl.

Shape the dough into a bowl. Cover with cling wrap or a tea towel and proof on the counter for another hour. You will then place your dough in the fridge and allow it to rest overnight.

sourdough loaf in a parchment lined dutch oven.

Preheat the oven and your Dutch oven. Place your dough in your Dutch oven and bake as directed. Once the bread is fully cooked, remove and allow the homemade bread to cool a bit, and then slice and serve as you wish.

Hint: It is very important to allow your dough to rest as directed in the recipe card. Sourdough bread takes a lot of time to make from scratch, so don’t plan to eat it until the next day once you start.

Variations

Here are a few ways to change this easy sourdough bread recipe to slightly alter the flavor. This is a basic homemade sourdough bread that is good for everyday eating. But you, of course, have endless options to dress up your fresh sourdough bread.

Whole Grain – use a blend of whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour to make wheat bread. Just know the bread will offer a more dense texture and offer a nutty flavor.
Seeds and Nuts—Add seeds or nuts to the bread or decorate the top of the dough. Sunflower seeds, chopped nuts, poppy seeds, or even sesame seeds are all great options.
Cheese—Work in shredded or grated cheese to the dough to create a savory bread. Gruyere, feta, cheddar, parmesan, and more are all great options to pair with your sourdough flavor.
Dried Fruits—For sweet bread, add some dried fruits. Apricots, chopped figs, cranberries, raisins, and more are all great options.
Herbs and Spices—Work fresh or dried herbs and spices into the dough to flavor the bread. You can even use fresh herbs to decorate the top of the loaf if you want.

See my bread machine sweet potato rolls, for another bread recipe you can try out.

Equipment

Quality equipment is critical for making this recipe into a good bread. Reach for a nice quality Dutch oven, bench scraper (dough scraper), damp towel or tea towel, large mixing bowl, and measuring cups. Overall, you don’t need much to make this bread dough. The biggest thing is that this recipe is meant for a Dutch oven over a cast iron or baking stone.

I also like mixing my dough with a wooden spoon or a silicone spatula. It helps with the initial mixing of the dough. If you want to be precise, reach for a kitchen scale to measure your ingredients.

baked sourdough bread in a parchment paper lined dutch oven.

Storage

Store your bread in an airtight container or sealed bag on the counter at room temperature for a few days. Like all fresh bread, it is best fresh out of the oven. But it will store for a handful of days and just slightly dry out.

Extend the shelf life and freeze your bread in a freezer bag or freezer container. Freeze for 2-4 months. Then, when you are ready to eat the bread, thaw it on the counter for a few hours or set it out so it is thawed the following day when you wake up.

If you are looking for another tasty sourdough recipe try these Sourdough Cinnamon Muffins.

Wendy’s Test Kitchen Tips

Bulk fermentation is a must when you are making this bread. The entire process is essential. Otherwise, the texture of the bread will not work.
Ensure that you cover the bowl when you place the dough in a warm place so it doesn’t dry out as it sets to double in size.
It would be best to have a hot oven before you place your loaf in it to bake. Otherwise, the texture of the bread will be different.
Create your bread in a round shape that fits your Dutch oven.
To create a stunning presentation, use a sharp knife or razor blade to cut a design on top of the dough before baking it.

FAQs

What is the best Dutch oven for making sourdough?

Any quality Dutch oven is going to work in making this bread. You want it to be heavy-duty, so it heats evenly and has a tight-fitting lid. Just shape the dough to fit the Dutch oven. The shaped dough will vary in the look of the bread as some Dutch ovens are round, oval, etc.

Should I remove the lid during baking?

For this recipe, you will keep the lid on the whole time you bake your sourdough bread. This will offer the best results for the golden brown crust and soft center of the bread. Some recipes might tell you after a while of baking, you can remove the lid. But for this particular recipe, you leave the lid on.

How do I know when the bread is done?

The bread is done when it is golden brown on the outside of the crust. If you tap the center of the bread, it will sound a bit hollow.

Pairing

These are my favorite dishes to serve with Sourdough Dutch Oven Bread:

I hope you’ll like this recipe, and please, if you make this recipe, snap a pic and hashtag it #mamasonabudget— I love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter!

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