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–+ servings
staub dutch oven with a loaf of overnight sourdough bread cooling.
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4.79 from 122 votes

Dutch Oven Sourdough Bread

Fluffy, tender and perfectly tangy dutch oven sourdough bread. This classic no knead sourdough recipe is easy and uses 4 basic ingredients!
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Combined Rise Times10 hours
Total Time11 hours 30 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Snack, Bread
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 slices
Calories: 292kcal
Author: Renae

Equipment

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup (60 grams) active sourdough starter fed within 12-24 hours *see notes
  • 1 ½ cups (350 grams) filtered water about 100º F.
  • 4 ¼ cups (500 grams) all-purpose flour *See recipe notes for using bread flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons (9 grams) fine salt *we prefer using sea salt

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, add the sourdough starter. Add in water and use a dough whisk or a wooden spoon to stir until dissolved. Stir in the flour and salt until a shaggy looking dough forms. Finish mixing dough by hand in the bowl until all the flour has been absorbed. 
    Cover the bowl with a clean, damp kitchen towel and let the dough rest for 30-45 minutes.
  • Lightly flour your countertop. Pull the dough from the bowl with a dough scraper or by hand onto the countertop. Stretch and fold the dough for 15 seconds (see video below): grab the edge of the dough and bring it straight up it about 4 inches and tuck it into the center of the dough. Then, turn the dough 1/4 a turn. Continue this process until the dough has come full circle and it has tightened.
    Return the dough to the bowl, cover with a damp towel (or plastic wrap if you live in a dry area) and and let rise at room temperature or a warm area (70º to 80º F) for 4-9 hours (see chart in notes) to ferment. Do not refrigerate the dough. The dough should be about double in size and look puffy on the surface and bubbly under the dough when fermented.
  • Lightly flour your countertop. Pull the dough from the bowl and shape the dough by stretching and folding it again. Let the dough rest 10 – 15 minutes. 
    Line a medium sized bowl with a towel, or use a banneton bowl with linen cover (see photos), and dust heavily with flour. Let dough rise in it for 45-60 minutes.
  • Preheat your oven to 450º (without the dutch oven).  Cover the dough bowl with a long piece of parchment paper, about 20 inches long, and turn it over onto the countertop (see video). 
    Slash the top of the loaf with a lame or sharp serrated knife. Gently lower the parchment paper dough into a heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid. 
    NOTE: If using a Dutch Oven with a dark interior, I recommend insulating the bottom with a round silicone sheet underneath the parchment paper. You can also place the pot on a baking sheet. This helps the bottom crust of the bread from getting too dark in color.
  • Place the covered pot in the the oven and bake the bread covered for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake 20 minutes. Using oven mitts, carefully remove the bread from the pot. Bake it directly on the oven rack for 5-10 minutes to crisp the exterior (if needed). 
    To ensure your bread is cooked through you can check the internal temperature. It should be 195ºF to 205ºF.
  • Let cool for at least 1 hour before serving.

Video

Notes

Active Sourdough starter - fed 12-24 hours before starting the recipe. 
When we say active, we mean a mature starter that is at least a week old and always doubles in size within 4-6 hours of feeding.  It doesn't mean you need to use it at the peak activity after a feeding. 
Do not refrigerate the dough! Our recipe does not use a refrigerated rise. If it gets too cold, the fermented yeast will not rise overnight.
Overnight rising guidelines
Rising times will vary according to your room temperature and humidity:
80ºF  about 4-5 hour
75ºF  about 6-7 hours
70ºF about 8-9 hours
For temperatures under 70ºF it can take up to 12 hours or more
Can I make sourdough bread without a cast iron dutch oven? Yes, a heavy oven-safe pot with a lid will work. Use one about 9" to 10" in diameter and 6" high.
My sourdough bread did not double in size overnight.
  • If your starter is active (it doubles in size 4-6 hours after feeding) and was fed within 12-24 hours of starting the recipe, your sourdough might not be warm enough during the overnight rise.
  • Find a warm place (ideally 75º- 80º F) like a cool oven with the light on, a warm window, or above the refrigerator or dryer to set the bread for 2 hours. Then continue with the recipe.
How can I keep the bottom of my bread from turning so brown?
  • Use a 9" round Silpat silicone sheet, as I do. I place it in the bottom of my Staub cast-iron Dutch oven.
  • Dutch ovens that are darker in color tend to brown the bottom of the bread more.
How will I know if my sourdough bread is done?
If you're unsure if the bread is fully baked, the internal temperature should be around 195º - 200ºF.
If the ambient temperature is less than 70°F, you may need to let the sourdough rise for up to 12 hours. See the recipe for a fermentation rise time guide.
How to Store Sourdough Bread:
Store sourdough in a sealed bag or container and keep it at room temperature for up to 5 days.
See our article on How to Store Sourdough Bread for the best ways to keep your bread fresh.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 292kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 242mg | Potassium: 84mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 4mg