Can You Really Make Sourdough Bread Without A Dutch Oven?

There is no denying that sourdough bread has experienced a surge in popularity over the past few years. Whether it's well-liked for its delicious taste, probiotics, or homemade flair, you may have thought about trying your hand at this fermented bread. However, many recipes rely on using Dutch ovens. If you don't have one, that doesn't mean you can't bake a good loaf. The good news — you can absolutely make sourdough without buying a pricey Dutch oven. 

To make it more approachable for everyone, Food Republic spoke to Sheena Otto, executive baker at Sheena's Cocina, to find a more affordable Dutch oven alternative you likely have on hand. She explained, "Dutch ovens are the go-to because they are easily accessible, but you can use any vessel that is oven safe, and can trap heat and steam." Containing these two things gives the bread its particular soft, springy interior and crunchy outside. 

Otto had other non-Dutch oven suggestions to get a similar result: "a deep lidded ceramic casserole dish, or even an upturned metal bowl set over the baking loaf." These options provide a flat surface for baking, along with ample vertical space for the dough to rise. Before selecting an alternative, it's crucial that whatever you choose can withstand heat, as sourdough is typically baked at around 400 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. 

If you can't source a deep casserole dish or oven-safe metal bowl, there are plenty of other options that many have in their kitchens. For example, standard aluminum loaf pans work, and you'll get the ideal shape for making sandwiches, perfect for lunchtime. If you have two loaf pans, place the dough at the bottom of one and invert the other pan on top to create the dome shape Sheena Otto spoke of, which contains heat and steam.

The possibilities don't end there, because you can also use an enamel roaster (like the ones used for cooking a turkey). Additionally, glass dishes, such as high-heat Pyrex loaf pans and casserole dishes with lids, can also be used to achieve a great rise. A baking stone is another alternative. This particular type of dish absorbs and holds onto heat to help an evenly baked, free-form loaf without the need for any lid. Of course, you can also make our rustic sourdough farm loaf, which requires no cooking vessel but an oven. While attaining a proper rise is one component of creating delicious bread, you'll also want to know how to score sourdough bread for a beautiful rise every time, to achieve a gorgeous top for your non-Dutch oven baked loaf.