Drawn to its outside size
For a 16 × 14-inch baking footprint
Baking Steel OriginalA quarter-inch carbon-steel surface for an oven with room for its full footprint.
16 × 14 in, 15 lb
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How to bake sourdough without a Dutch oven
You do not need a Dutch oven for sourdough: what the pot gives you is a hot base and trapped steam. Bake the loaf on a preheated sheet, stone or steel and cover it with an upturned roasting pan or a metal bowl for the first 20 minutes, or add steam from a tray of boiling water. A loaf pan works too.
Closest to a Dutch oven: a preheated baking sheet or steel with a large roasting pan turned over the loaf. No cover big enough? Steam from a tray of boiling water. Simplest: a loaf pan at 425°F.
Methods, temperatures and times
Figures without a name are our starting points; bake until the crust is deep brown and the center reads about 205 to 210°F, the range King Arthur's sourdough recipes bake to. Check your oven's real temperature first. Steam methods are explained in steam in a home oven, and shaping for a pan in shaping a pan loaf.
| Method | Preheat | Bake | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sheet pan + upturned roasting pan | Sheet or stone at 450°F, a full hour (King Arthur) | 20 min covered at 450°F, then about 20 min uncovered (King Arthur) | The cover must clear the risen loaf |
| Steel or stone + steam tray | Steel at 500°F, 45 to 60 min | 25 min at 475°F under a bowl or with steam, then 15 min at 450°F (Baking Steel) | Best for bâtards and baguettes |
| Loaf pan | Oven at 425°F (King Arthur) | 45 to 55 min, uncovered (King Arthur) | Shape as a pan loaf |
| Cast-iron skillet + metal bowl | Skillet heated with the oven to 450°F, then 30 to 40 min more (Lodge; the temperature is ours) | 20 min covered at 450°F, then 20 to 25 min uncovered | Bowl must be oven-safe metal |
| Lidded casserole | Oven at 450°F; preheat the casserole empty only if its maker allows it | As a Dutch oven | Check the lid and handles are oven-safe |
Why covering works
A covered loaf bakes in its own steam, which keeps the crust soft while it rises. A roasting pan, a large stainless bowl or a deep foil tent all work if they are oven-safe and big enough for the loaf to double in height. Remove the cover after 20 minutes so the crust browns. See oven spring.
If you decide to buy
A Dutch oven or combo cooker is the easiest upgrade; a baking steel suits bakers who also make baguettes and pizza.
Questions bakers ask
Can I bake sourdough on a baking sheet?
Yes. Preheat the sheet, add steam or cover the loaf for the first 20 minutes, and expect a slightly wider loaf than from a pot.
What can I use instead of a Dutch oven lid?
An upturned oven-safe roasting pan, a large stainless bowl, or a deep foil tent.
Equipment for this job
Keep what you own when it does the job. These are the other exact models we profile.
Drawn to its outside size
Drawn to its outside size
For a round loaf with a light cover
Brod & Taylor Baking Shell (Boule) & SteelA separate aluminum shell covers the loaf on a 14-inch square steel.
Up to 1,200 g of dough14 × 14 in outside
Drawn to its outside size
For a round loaf under a stoneware dome
Sassafras Superstone La Cloche Bread BakerAn unglazed stoneware dish and bell-shaped dome: the loaf sits on a 10.5 in base and the dome comes off to finish.
A 10.5 in base under a dome 4.75 in deep inside12.25 × 12.25 in outside
Drawn to its outside size
For three covered baguettes at once
Emile Henry Baguette BakerA ceramic base with three ribbed channels and a vented lid that bakes three baguettes from a 3-cup flour recipe.
Three baguettes in ribbed channels15.55 × 9.25 in outside