Baking Sourdough Bread without a Dutch Oven

If you love baking sourdough bread at home, but are not yet ready to invest in a Dutch oven, then this article is for you! Here you will find a few Dutch oven alternatives to bake delicious sourdough bread that's just as good using the open bake method without any fancy equipment.

Dutch ovens are amazing for sourdough home bakers for the simplicity, convenience and consistent results they offer. If you bake often and can afford it, then I absolutely recommend investing in a Dutch oven! It will make your life easier and it simply makes for great and reliable bakery-quality results.

BUT, you don't absolutely need a Dutch oven to make delicious bread. In fact, there are a few reasons why you might prefer not to use a Dutch oven to bake homemade sourdough bread:

• Price: they are expensive!
• Shape: some type of bread necessitates the usage of an open bake method (without a Dutch oven) because of their unusual shape that does not fit in a dish, such as when making sourdough sandwich rolls.
• Multiple bake: if you bake more than one loaf at once, then you will need to use a larger baking vessel, such as a cookie sheet.
• Heavy: they are made of cast iron, which makes them quite heavy. Lifting them might not be possible for you.
• Size: typical Dutch oven are quite big and they might not fit in your home oven.

Why use a Dutch oven for baking sourdough bread

First, why does a Dutch oven work so well to bake sourdough loaves at home?

Dutch ovens work well because they:

• hold on to the heat well (in a constant and reliable way) 
• can handle high temperatures
• trap the steam in a small enclosed space near the loaf
• have a heavy lid (which helps us control the oven spring and crust formation)

The importance of steam

When your dough is baking in the hot oven, it needs some moisture (or steam) to help create an airy crumb that's light and fluffy. If there is no steam at all, then the crust will form too early and harden too quickly, not allowing enough time for the bread to rise. The hard crust will not allow expansion of the bread, which would result in a dense and unpleasant crumb.

In commercial bakeries, the oven is often compartmented into smaller sections with a built-in steamer, that pushes moisture and releases steam into the oven as needed.

A Dutch oven is an easy tool to replicate these perfect bakery-style sourdough baking conditions by trapping the moisture evaporating from the dough in a small space as it bakes. That imprisoned moisture from the loaf keeps the crust soft enough to allow expansion in the first stage of baking (which gives a much better oven spring). Then, you can remove the lid for the second part of the baking to create a crispy crust that's nice and golden brown. Amazing!

Baking sourdough bread without a Dutch oven

When baking your bread without using a Dutch oven, then the bread will cook using the "open bake method".

When baking using a Dutch oven, usually you will bake with the lid on for 20-30 minutes, then remove the lid and bake for 10-20 more minutes to allow the steam to escape and finish cooking the crust. 

Open bake means that you will not be covering your loaf of bread at all during the baking stage. This implies that the top of your dough will be "exposed" in the oven, potentially creating and hardening the crust quicker. 

So, if you want to bake your loaf of sourdough without a Dutch oven using the open bake method, then you will have to create the steam manually to slow down the crust formation, which will allow a good expansion of your loaf and the bread to rise properly. 

The good news is that it is pretty easy to do without any fancy equipment!

How to create steam manually in sourdough baking using the open bake method

Here are a few Dutch oven alternative methods to create a steamy environment in your oven while your loaf is baking:

Water in a cast iron skillet or pan

This is the method that I use when I choose to do an open bake because I find it to be the easiest way to create steam and it gives me the best results, too. Here is how to do that:

• Transfer a cast iron skillet (or any baking dish that can handle very high temperatures) to the bottom rack of the oven. Then, pre-heat the oven as described in your recipe.
• While the oven is preheating, then boil some water (you want it very hot just before baking the bread).
• Once the oven is hot, then use a bench scraper to transfer your loaf on a parchment-covered baking sheet or baking stone, score and transfer to your oven.
• Right away or as quickly as you can without burning yourself, pour some of the boiling water into the preheated skillet or dish (about ½-3/4 cup). Then close the oven right away so not too much of the heat escapes and the steam can be trapped inside the oven.

Soaked towels

Similarly to the method described above, you can create steam using kitchen towels:

• simply roll a few cotton kitchen towels (about 3-4) and tuck them into your oven safe pan.
• pour plenty of boiling water over them: make sure that each tea towel is completely saturated with the water without ending up with too much extra water sitting at the bottom of the dish.
• transfer into your pre-heated oven right under your baking sheet or dish with the bread to create some steam.
• remove the dish with the towels after baking for about 12-15 minutes to finish up the cooking of the crust.

This technique helps create steam for a little longer since they tend to release it more slowly and continuously.

Spraying water

This is the easiest method to add some steam: simply spray water in your hot oven using a spray bottle. Then, quickly transfer your bread dough into the oven. You may need to spray more water a few minutes later if needed. 

You can also spray some water directly on top of your loaf right before adding it to your oven when doing an open bake, which can be done simultaneously with any other method described here. This will moisturize the crust up front to give more time for the dough to rise.

Ice cubes

I have heard of people adding ice cubes around the bread under the parchment paper (so the water does not come in contact with the bread). The ice cubes will melt slowly and release some steam as the dough bake.

You can also add a few ice cubes to the water dish (see the first method) with the boiling water to ensure enough steam is released (careful for splatters and shattered dishes!)

Vessels or dishes to use for open-bake

Baking stones

I haven't used it personally, but a baking stone (or a pizza stone) is great for baking sourdough. Similarly to cast iron found in a Dutch oven, baking stone holds on the heat very well and uniformly, which can help improve the oven spring and the rising of your bread. Baking stones are easy to find online!

Baking sheets

Whenever you bake bread that has an unusual shape or that simply doesn't fit in a dish, then choose the open bake method using a sheet pan or a baking tray.

You can place your loaf of bread on a parchment paper-covered baking sheet, then use any steaming method described above.

Loaf pan

You will need to use the open-bake method when making sandwich bread in a loaf pan. You may or may not have to use steam, simply check your recipe for instructions.

This sourdough discard sandwich bread was made without additional steam since it included some commercial yeast (fast recipe, easier to rise), but a loaf made entirely with wild yeast from your sourdough starter will benefit from extra steam, such as seen in this cinnamon swirl sourdough bread. You can use any steaming method described above.

More helpful tips

• Be careful and be aware of the risks of burning yourself. Sourdough baking involves a very warm oven and piping hot dishes. Plus, when doing an open bake, you will be handling hot steam which also is a burning hazard. Make sure to use oven mitts that can handle that kind of high heat and steam (they are not all high heat proof) and keep your face away when creating the steam to avoid steam burns.
• Make sure that both the dishes you are using for baking the bread and holding the hot water to create the steam can handle high temperatures. Sudden temperature changes can crack the material or even shatter your dish, so ensure that they are approved for baking with temperatures reaching 450-500ºF.
• In any case, whether you are baking using a Dutch oven or doing an open bake, make sure to preheat your oven properly. This means at least 30 minutes (with the Dutch oven inside the oven if using) but even better 1 hour if you have the time. Sourdough needs to bake at a high temperature to rise well and encourage a good oven spring. So, considering that you will lose some of that heat when opening the oven, you want to ensure it is very hot before transferring your dough to compensate for that inevitable loss.
• Be careful not to drop water or any ice cubes on your oven door when transferring the water into your oven since abrupt temperature changes could shatter the glass.

More sourdough baking guides you might want to read

• How to make a sourdough starter from scratch
• How to store sourdough bread to keep it fresh
• What is sourdough discard

I hope you enjoyed this sourdough guide! If you have any questions, please leave it in the comment section below. Your feedback is so helpful!

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