Best Dutch Ovens for Baking Rustic Bread at Home
Selecting the best Dutch oven for baking rustic bread at home is not as easy as baking with one. You must decide on the size, consider which coating material is better for non-stick baking, check heating quality, and learn about other features to choose the best Dutch oven for your specific needs. Well, today is your lucky day and you can just pick one of the Dutch ovens reviewed below to bake wonderful bread at home with no worries.
Dutch ovens are incredibly gifted at baking golden crust bread that is of the highest quality. They have been used for baking long before the steam ovens came out. And the best part is that you don’t even have to knead the dough; they work best with no-knead recipes to infuse extra steam.
The wet dough and the Dutch oven together enable the glossy crust by gelatinizing the starches on the surface of the bread. Trapped steam inside the oven due to heavy lid makes up for that bakery style moist environment to keep the crust soft so that the bread can expand more. In the end, you get a perfect crusty bread with soft interior and superior taste.
Best Dutch Ovens for Bread Baking
There are lots of variables when making bread; climate, humidity in the environment, flour’s characteristics, and more. They all play into it against you! It is much easier though when you use the no-knead, wet dough method with a Dutch oven. Stop wasting time with kneading by hand and throwing ice cubes into the oven hoping that your bread will come out rustic.
Once you learn more on how to bake bread in a Dutch oven you will never want to use another method at home for baking crusty bread. It is just practical and the bread comes out much tastier. The following Dutch ovens are the most suitable ones for baking bread inside. They come in different sizes and have distinctive coating materials.
Lodge 5 Quart Cast Iron Dutch Oven. Pre-Seasoned Pot with Lid and Dual Loop Handle
- 5 Quart Seasoned Cast Iron Dutch Oven. A classic cooker that doesn't quit,...
- SEASONED COOKWARE. A good seasoning makes all the difference. Lodge seasons...
- MADE IN THE USA. Lodge has been making cast iron cookware in South...
- MAKE EVERY MEAL A MEMORY. Lodge knows that cooking is about more than just...
- FAMILY-OWNED. Lodge is more than just a business; it’s a family. The...
This pre-seasoned cast iron Dutch oven Is made by the famous cookware company Lodge, which has been making iron pots for over 100 years. Since it is a bestseller, I wrote a whole blog page on it, you can find the details from here.
Features:
- 5 Quart capacity.
- Pre-Seasoned with 100% vegetable oil.
- Versatile; sear, braise, simmer, sauté, fry, roast and bake.
- Even heating and advanced heat retention.
- Flat bottom, cast iron.
- Wash by hand, not dishwasher-safe.
- 6 x 10.4 x 4.6 inches
- Weighs 13 pounds
Amazon Basics Enameled Cast Iron Covered Dutch Oven, 7.3-Quart
- Cast iron covered dutch oven in green with side handles and fitted lid;...
- Cast iron for even heat distribution and retention; enamel doesn't have...
- Always use hot-pads, oven mitts, or potholders while moving or removing...
- Holds 7.3 quarts
- This large dutch over serves 6+ people; perfect for stews or roasts
Here is a large size Dutch oven that you can fit all your foods and biggest breads easily. If you have a big family then this one is for you. It is more durable than non-stick pans. Enamel coating, especially on the sides, makes it easier to clean. You would not have any issues with removing sticky food or bread.
The heavy lid traps moisture inside which makes it perfect for baking but it is also good for marinating, roasting, braising and more. Use it on all cooking surfaces such as barbecue, stovetop, and oven. Incredibly flexible; you can prepare the sauce on stovetop and then finish cooking in the oven.
The producer of this fancy pot claims that it is oven safe up to 400°F. You should be careful not to put empty enameled Dutch ovens in hot oven as a general rule to prevent any thermal damage. If you need to preheat then put in cold oven and heat slowly.
Features:
- 3 Quart capacity.
- Oven-safe up to 400°
- Side handles for easy transport and secure grip.
- Enamel finish; won’t react to food.
- Even heating and perfect heat retention.
- Made with heavy duty cast iron.
- Wash by hand, not dishwasher-safe.
- 2 x 11.4 x 7.5 inches
- Weighs 16.42 pounds.
- Comes in 4 different colors.
- 1 year warranty.
AmazonBasics Enameled Cast Iron Covered Dutch Oven, 4.3-Quart
- Cast iron covered dutch oven in white with side handles and fitted lid;...
- Cast iron for even heat distribution and retention; enamel doesn't have...
- Always use hot-pads, oven mitts, or potholders while moving or removing...
- Holds 4.3 quarts
- This smaller dutch over serves 3-4 people; perfect for side dishes, sauces,...
This is the smaller version of the previous enamel cast iron Dutch oven. Large size is the only difference between this one and the item reviewed above. Available in four different colors, it is oven safe up to 400°F. You can easily transport it by using the loop side handles.
It is suggested to use on low to medium heat for optimal performance. This AmazonBasics enameled cast iron Dutch oven must be hand washed and it is not dishwasher safe.
Features:
- 3 Quart capacity.
- Oven-safe up to 400°
- Side handles for easy transport and secure grip.
- Enamel finish; won’t react to food.
- Even heating and perfect heat retention.
- Made with heavy duty cast iron.
- Wash by hand, not dishwasher-safe.
- 4 x 10 x 6.5 inches
- Weighs 11.24 pounds.
- Comes in 4 different colors.
- 1 year warranty.
AmazonBasics Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Dutch Oven Pot
with Lid and Dual Handles, 2-Quart
- Pre-seasoned cast iron dutch oven with side handles; oven safe to 500...
- Cast iron for even heat distribution and retention; pre-seasoned products...
- Always use hot-pads, oven mitts, or potholders while moving or removing...
- Holds 2 quarts
- This small dutch over serves 1-3 people. Perfect for oatmeal, sauces, or...
Great for baking, boiling, cooking, braising, roasting and more. This is a 2 Qt size pre-seasoned cast Iron Dutch oven. Don’t let the compact size fool you, it is made for heavy duty performance and it is suitable for using on all cooking surfaces unlike the enamel versions which must be used with caution on ceramic or glass stovetops.
The secure fitting lid is ideal for creating steam while cooking. Cast iron construction aids in superior heat retention and even heat distribution. Add a little vegetable oil on its cooking surface every time you use it for better performance.
You can hold it from the widespread loops easily while wearing oven mitts. It also has larger size options (5 Qt and 7 Qt) with identical qualities.
Features:
- 2 Quart capacity.
- Oven-safe up to 500°
- Side handles for easy transport and secure grip.
- Pre-Seasoned with 100% vegetable oil.
- Even heating and perfect heat retention.
- Made with heavy duty cast iron.
- Wash by hand, not dishwasher-safe.
- 6 x 7.5 x 5.3 inches
- Weighs 5.49 pounds.
- 1 year warranty.
SuperStone /Covered Baker
- All-natural stoneware baker works like a brick-lined oven
- Unglazed baker is safe for conventional, convection or microwave oven to...
- 14 1/2"L x 5 1/4"W x 2 3/8"H (6 1/2"H with cover)
- 5 lb. 2 oz.
Made special for baking bread at home. This stoneware covered baker works like a brick-lined oven. It produces an oblong loaf of bread. Great for Italian and French style artisan breads but also bakes delicious potatoes.
If you like more surface area compared to round loaves then this is your pot. Elevation on the sides forces the bread dough to rise upward. Another benefit is that you can get two of these and bake simultaneously but make sure to check your oven size first. You will be impressed by the quality of bread that comes out of this and your friends won’t even realize the bread is homemade.
Features:
- Oven-safe up to 500°
- Unglazed baker.
- Even heating.
- Wash by hand, not dishwasher-safe.
- 8 x 8.2 x 6.8 inches
Emile Henry 345503 Burgundy Italian Bread Baker
- Specially designed covered baker helps you make bakery-worthy, artisan...
- The domed lid and ceramic walls trap steam to create a Dry, crackling...
- The ridges on the bottom prevent the dough from sticking. The handles on...
- The base Fits neatly inside the lid for more compact storage
- Dishwasher safe. 10 year . Recipe book included.
This bread baker is made by Emile Henry and it is the ultimate choice for making oblong shape artisan bread at home. Expect a super crisp, golden crust and airy interior bread when baking with this. This product might be a bit pricey but it is all worth it.
It has ridges on the bottom to prevent the dough from sticking. I like the fact that the base fits smoothly inside the lid, makes it much easier to handle and transport. It traps the steam perfectly with its domed lid and ceramic walls. The inside of the lid is unpainted.
It is easy to clean. You do not need to wash this by hand unlike the other Dutch ovens, it is completely dishwasher safe. Made out of high-quality ceramic. The company has an interesting tradition that each worker signs the finished product with his initials.
Features:
- 3 Quart capacity.
- Oven-safe up to 500°
- Side handles for easy transport.
- Made from natural materials.
- Even heating.
- Made with heavy duty cast iron.
- Dishwasher safe
- 4 x 5.3 x 5.5 inches
- Weighs 6.61 pounds.
- Comes in 3 different colors.
- Recipe book included.
- Made in France.
- 10 year warranty.
In Conclusion
Dutch oven is your best and the most convenient choice to bake artisan style crusty bread at home. There is no other option if your goal is to make professional looking bread unless you are planning to put a bakery size rotary oven in your kitchen. Just be aware that the rotary oven might take a bit more space than your refrigerator though. Alternatively, you can get a Dutch oven suitable for bread making and start baking like a pro.
