Dutch Oven Sourdough Loaf

Dutch Oven Sourdough Loaf is a hearty, tender, and delicious round loaf. Furthermore, this Sourdough loaf is crispy on the outside and tender, fluffy, and buttery on the inside. Finally, This will be a recipe you go back to time after time again and one that also makes a great homemade gift.

What is a Dutch Oven?

A Dutch Oven is a thick-walled cooking pot with a tight-fitted lid.

Traditionally, Dutch Ovens were made with cast iron, but today you can find them made of aluminum or ceramic. Furthermore, Dutch Ovens that I make Sourdough loaves from, are Le Creuset Dutch Ovens. Coupled with heat and steam, these pots help create all those beautiful bubbles we all know and love in every Sourdough loaf.

Allergen Friendly

Dutch Oven Sourdough Loaf is an allergen-friendly recipe. However, although Sourdough reduces gluten, it is not 100% gluten-free. Therefore, for those of you who have a gluten allergy (not an intolerance, but a true allergy), consult your doctor prior to diving into these recipes for yourself.

Note: If you have a baby under 1 year of age who is not able to eat honey, you can substitute the honey for Maple Syrup or throw in 1/4 – 1/2 c. of Unsweetened Applesauce.

Dutch Oven Sourdough Loaf Ingredients

• Organic, All Purpose Flour
• Warm Water
• Active Sourdough Starter
• Raw Honey
• Pink Salt

Crafting the Dutch Oven Sourdough Loaf Dough

1. In a Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer, combine the warm water with the Active Sourdough Starter with a dough hook. Mix on speed 1.
2. Then, add the pink salt and raw honey and mix on speed 1.
3. Next, one cup at a time, mix the flour into the liquid ingredients. You are looking for the dough to pull away from the side of the bowl and latch onto the dough hook before it’s ready.
4. Then, lightly oil a ceramic or glass bowl with avocado or coconut oil.
5. Place the Sourdough Loaf into the lightly oiled bowl. Cover it with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap.
6. After 30 minutes, pull the sides of the dough out and then reform the dough ball. Repeat this step every 30 minutes for the first 2 hours. After that, let the dough rise for 2 more hours without stretching the dough.

Combine the Warm Water and Sourdough Starter

Add the Flour One Cup-at-a-Time

Mix Until the Dough Pulls Away from the Side of the Bowl

Let the Dough Rise for 6-12+ Hours

The Baking of the Bread

1. Place a Dutch Oven into the oven. With the Dutch Oven inside the oven, preheat it to 500 degrees.
2. Then, cut a piece of parchment paper.
3. Next, grab your risen Sourdough Loaf dough and place it seam-side down onto the parchment paper.
4. Using a sharp knife or Sourdough Bread Lame, slice slits into the dough.
   • This helps create air pockets for the bread to steam and create those beautiful Sourdough bubbles/pockets inside.
5. Once the oven has reached 500 degrees, take the Dutch Oven out, lift off the lid, and slowly place the parchment paper with the Sourdough Loaf inside. Cover the pot with the lid and place it back into the oven.
6. Reduce the temperature to 430 degrees and bake for 20 minutes.
7. Then, take the lid off of the Dutch Oven and bake the bread for an additional 15 minutes.

Bread Design

Let the Bread Cool

1. After your bread has finished baking, turn off the heat. Remove the Sourdough bread inside the Dutch Oven and place it on your stove.
2. Next, carefully take out the parchment paper and allow the Dutch Oven Sourdough Loaf to cool completely on a wire rack prior to slicing.
   • The cooling also allows the bread to develop more of those air pockets and gives it the signature Sourdough bread look.
3. Finally, enjoy this bread at room temperature, or slice it completely and freeze it.

Prepare the Bread Dough to be Baked

Step 1 – First, Flour the Ball of Dough Prior to Scoring

Step 2 – Next, Score the Bread

Step 3 – Then, Place the Dough into a Preheated Dutch Oven and Bake

Step 4 – Finally, The Bread is Ready!

Recommended Products

A Kitchen Aid Dough Hook makes crafting Sourdough bread dough easy! Simply attach this to your Kitchen Aid Mixer, turn it on, add your dough ingredients, and let the hook do the work. When the dough clings to the hook, you’ll know it’s ready to be placed in a bowl to rise.

Dutch Oven Sourdough Loaf

Yield: 1 Loaf

Prep Time: 4 hours

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Additional Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 5 hours

Dutch Oven Sourdough Loaf is a tried and true recipe and a go-to recipe for a hearty, tender, and delicious round loaf. This will be a recipe you go back to time after time again and one that also makes a great homemade gift.

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Ingredients

• 3 – 3 1/2 c. Organic, All Purpose Flour
• 1 1/4 c. Warm Water
• 3/4 – 1 c. Active Sourdough Starter
• 1 tbsp. Raw Honey (substitute for Maple Syrup or 1/4 – 1/2 c. of Unsweetened Applesauce)
• 1 1/2 tsp. Pink Salt

Instructions

1. In a Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer, combine the warm water with the Active Sourdough Starter with a dough hook. Mix on speed 1.
2. Then, add the pink salt and raw honey and mix on speed 1.
3. Next, one cup at a time, mix the flour into the liquid ingredients. You are looking for the dough to pull away from the side of the bowl and latch onto the dough hook before it’s ready.
4. Then, lightly oil a ceramic or glass bowl with avocado or coconut oil.
5. Place the Sourdough Loaf into the lightly oiled bowl. Cover it with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap.
6. After 30 minutes, pull the sides of the dough out and then reform the dough ball. Repeat this step every 30 minutes for the first 2 hours. After that, let the dough rise for 2 more hours without stretching the dough.
7. Then, place a Dutch Oven into the oven. With the Dutch Oven inside the oven, preheat it to 500 degrees.
8. Cut a piece of parchment paper.
9. Next, grab your risen Sourdough Loaf dough and place it seam-side down onto the parchment paper.
10. Using a sharp knife or Sourdough Bread Lame, slice slits into the dough.
11. Once the oven has reached 500 degrees, take the Dutch Oven out, lift off the lid, and slowly place the parchment paper with the Sourdough Loaf inside. Cover the pot with the lid and place it back into the oven.
12. Reduce the temperature to 430 degrees and bake for 20 minutes.
13. Then, take the lid off of the Dutch Oven and bake the bread for an additional 15 minutes.
14. After your bread has finished baking, turn off the heat. Remove the Sourdough bread inside the Dutch Oven and place it on your stove.
15. Next, carefully take out the parchment paper and allow the Dutch Oven Sourdough Loaf to cool completely on a wire rack prior to slicing.
16. Finally, enjoy this bread at room temperature, or slice it completely and freeze it.