Easy ways to bake sourdough without a dutch oven

Many of us who enjoy baking bread are convinced that the only way to achieve that perfect crispy crust is to use a dutch oven. Here are some simple yet effective ways to bake sourdough bread without a dutch oven.

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Why do we use a dutch oven for baking sourdough bread?

There are a number of reasons why most bakers bake their sourdough breads in a Dutch oven.

For one, a hot dutch oven happens to produce excellent, consistent results. With a heavy cast iron pot and a lid that retains steam beautifully so your bread comes out moist with a thin and crispy crust. Dutch ovens are also oven safe and deep enough to accommodate the expansion of the baking process of the sourdough during the spring of the oven.

Moreover, the process takes less time compared to using other methods. Since the temperature is regulated by the heat source below or above the dutch oven, there are fewer variables to control when it comes to cooking time. You can also bake several loaves at the same time and have them come out with the same crispy results.

While Dutch ovens are certainly fantastic, they are not the only magical element that produces good oven spring. In fact, as long as you store enough steam, with the perfect oven the temperature you can surely create the ideal baking environment for your sourdough bread to come out with a wonderfully crispy crust.

The easiest way to bake sourdough bread without a dutch oven

One of the easiest ways to bake sourdough bread involves using two identical loaf pans.

Pour the sourdough into a loaf pan and use the second loaf pan as a lid to trap all the steam. Seal the two loaf pans together using metal clips.

If you don't have baking pans in the kitchen, then use a baking pan instead, not forgetting to line it with a baking sheet.

Halfway through baking, remove the top loaf pan so the sourdough bread can finish baking uncovered, allowing the slow release of steam, ensuring your bread comes out with a thin, crispy crust.

This method is great, as most of the materials required are usually found in the kitchen. The loaf pans are also very light in weight, making them easy to remove from the hot oven. This method also provides excellent oven springs, but the only downside is that the bread will be covered for the first half of baking, and during this baking time you will not be able to monitor the expansion and browning of the bread.

The most common way to bake sourdough bread without a dutch oven

A common alternative to baking sourdough without a dutch oven is to bake uncovered. It means that your bread will spend most of its time in the oven, next to a pot of boiling water and on top of a baking stone, with the oven door open.

This method allows you to take complete control over the steam as you can keep adding more hot water and take control of the roasting temperature. Since the bread is left uncovered throughout this process, you can watch the dough heat and expand as well as monitor the browning of your bread dough up close.

The only downside to this alternative is that removing pots of boiling water can be quite unsafe as you can burn yourself, so you should always wear oven mitts or oven mitts before putting your hands in the hot oven!

Why is steam important for crusty bread?

When planning to bake bread, you should know that steam plays an important role in this process. Steam is vital when baking because it prevents your bread from getting hard before it rises, or from drying out and baking too quickly.

Slowing down crust formation allows the bread to rise quickly (with the help of more steam) keeping the outer crust thin and crispy instead of firm and chewymaking sure your bread is a nice brown color without burning.

Tips for safely creating steam in your oven

There are many methods to create a baking environment comparable to that of a professional oven. You just need to make sure that you are creating more steam in your oven, which will give the best oven spring for your bread, whether you plan to bake baguettes or sourdough bread, your bread will come out deliciously fresh, just like as you want it!

Here are some effective safety tips to follow before you proceed to create steam in your sourdough oven

• The most important thing to keep in mind when steaming in the oven is to do it safely, without getting burned or painful. Use thick oven mitts and avoid pouring cold water directly into the oven as it can splash onto the door causing it to crack.
• When adding ice to the oven, always use an oven-safe dish such as cast iron panas it is resistant to cracking
• When you remove the bowl of water from the oven at the end of the steam, avoid pouring it into the sink. Instead, set them aside, allowing them to cool before tossing
• Keep in mind that sudden changes in temperatures can cause dishes and glass to crack
• If you are planning to open bake in your home oven, spray your dough with plenty of water as this will create lots of steam, ensuring a wonderfully crispy crust.

Sourdough baking methods without a dutch oven

To achieve a fresher crust, you can use one of the following methods:

1. Cast iron pan and ice cubes
2. Oven safe container and a tight fitting lid
3. Use a pizza stone or baking stone

Cast iron pan and ice cubes

Using two pans – preferably one smaller than the other – place the smaller pan on a separate oven rack below the larger pan (this is for the batter). Preheat the oven then place your cast iron pan inside. Once it's time to bake, take 10 ice cubes from the freezer, ready to pop into your smaller pan. Basically, we're planning to use ice cubes to create steam, but first you're going to put the batter into your preheated cast iron skillet.

Don't forget to wear oven mitts! Honestly, put the hot pan back in the oven, once you're done, pour the ice cubes into the second smaller hot pan and close the oven door.

Once the ice hits the hot pan it will create steam, ensuring your bread comes out with a perfectly crisp crust. The liquid from the ice cubes will completely dissipate after 20 minutes, allowing your bread to finish baking at an even baking temperature.

Oven safe container and a tight fitting lid

The other method is to bake crusty bread using an oven-safe pot, along with an oven-safe lid. You should choose a casserole dish instead of a regular baking dish that you would normally use to bake a casserole, as these dishes are not large enough to accommodate the oven rise for your sourdough bread.

For best results use a pot at least 4 inches deep and secure enough to stay in tact while sitting on your oven rack. If you're using a stainless steel pot, then you won't need to preheat your pan, as it will heat up faster compared to a cast iron skillet or dutch oven. If you preheat it, you risk burning the bottom of the bread!

When you're ready to bake, place your rolled dough on a piece of parchment paper, then sit in the cold pot and place in your home oven, then cover with an oven-safe lid. Bake according to your sourdough recipe, then remove the lid during the last 10 minutes of baking, just like you would a dutch oven.

Use a pizza stone or baking steel

Finally, try baking your bread on a pizza stone or baking steel, using a container of oven-safe water to create steam.

Similar to a dutch oven, the roasting steel effectively conducts heat, distributing it evenly and ensuring a good roast. For best results, try preheating your baking steel for 45 minutes to an hour before baking.

For this steam method, you'll fill a small baking dish with water and place it on the floor of the oven, directly under your baking sheet. Once the oven is ready to bake your bread, use a piece of parchment paper to transfer your dough to the oven and start baking!

With 10 to 20 minutes remaining, remove the pan of water from the oven, allowing your bread to continue baking.

Can you bake bread with dough in a slow cooker?

Although baking sourdough bread in a slow cooker isn't completely absurd, you'll notice that your bread won't have the crispy crust it would have if it were baked in the oven.

Alternatively, you can slide a dishtowel under the lid for the second hour of baking to make sure the crust isn't too soft at the end.

Leaving the bread in the slow cooker for a little longer than advised can help the crust come out with a nice crunch, although it won't taste as incredible as traditional sourdough bread.

So sourdough bread minus the dutch oven?

Now that you're aware of the different (but safe) methods of baking sourdough bread without a dutch oven, you'll probably spend most of your days baking and experimenting with different varieties of bread flour.

Create amazing tasting sourdough bread that you and your family will simply adore!

If you want to start from the top, here is mine step by step guide for beginners ABOUT sourdough starter bread.

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